Death wish Rabbit

seajays
seajays Posts: 331
edited August 2014 in Commuting chat
Nonchalantly cycling along to work this morning, and a death wish rabbit waited until I was right upon it to spring out from hiding in in the grass and undergrowth and dart straight for me as I was passing (on a six foot wide cycle path) - going between my wheels, and just clipping the back wheel as it went! :shock: Fortunately it did seem to make it across - and I stayed on (not that I had any time to do anything about it anyway).
Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017
Revolution Courier Race Disc '14
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Comments

  • I get these all the time!
    A few years back it was sadly Bike 1-0 Rabbit... :(
    Nothing I could do, and a pretty sickening sensation... not sure if I imagined the little rabbit-like scream either...
    Although I didn't come off my bike!
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    rabbit, squirrels, deer, badgers they all do it i think its a game they play
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    itboffin wrote:
    rabbit, squirrels, deer, badgers they all do it i think its a game they play
    I had this massive fluffy mountain dog thing run straight into the side of me at full pelt (he was at full pelt, not me...and pelt is not a pun on his fluffiness) in Richmond Park, managed to somehow stay upright, but he knocked me and the bike off the road onto the grass like a side-ways bunny hop.
    Felt F1 2014
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  • snowster
    snowster Posts: 490
    Nothing like a bit of road kill to get the blood flowing....
  • veronese68
    veronese68 Posts: 27,851
    I think I've mentioned before I once was talking to a GP about broken ribs and she had a rabbit run into her front wheel whilst descending Broomfield Hill in RP. She went over the bars and landed on one of those wooden stumps at the side of the road. She broke 4 ribs big style and did quite a lot of other damage, the rabbit wasn't as lucky.
    Saw a rabbit the other day in Bushy Park, I moved to the other side of the path and kept an eye on him in case he moved. As I was passing his brother jumped out of the bracken on my side narrowly missing me. They definitely do it on purpose. I swear I heard the little fucker squeak "Boo!"
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    So. Many. Jokes. About. Rampant. Rabbits.

    Must... Resist....
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter
  • mtb-idle
    mtb-idle Posts: 2,179
    itboffin wrote:
    rabbit, squirrels, deer, badgers they all do it i think its a game they play

    It is too, if you check the Rabbitradardotcom forum they have a thread called Silly Commuting Rabbiting. Honestly!
    FCN = 4
  • gbsahne001
    gbsahne001 Posts: 1,974
    earlier this week I came across 2 police cars, an ambulance and a motorcyclist on a backboard plus the remains of a pheasant; I can only surmise that the pheasant took the motorcyclist out and died in the process.
  • t4tomo
    t4tomo Posts: 2,643
    gbsahne wrote:
    earlier this week I came across 2 police cars, an ambulance and a motorcyclist on a backboard plus the remains of a pheasant; I can only surmise that the pheasant took the motorcyclist out and died in the process.

    they're are sending ambulances out for Pheasants now? No wonder my taxes are so bloody high.

    I've had a squirrel do a half circuit stuck m front wheel befiore hitting he fork and bouncing back into he under growth. Dead or Alive? I don't know but I span him right round alright. :D
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  • Ouija
    Ouija Posts: 1,386
    Had a suicidal frog jump into the spokes of my front wheel and go round and round before being flung off, bouncing off my gear shifter and knocking me down a gear.....
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Had a death wish duck with 8 ducklings once. Riding a few years ago on my venerable road bike along a main road I had a quarry truck hovering less than a bike length behind me and a steep bank up to a canal above me on my left. I was fit then so was doing about 20 mph. Suddenly the duck came out of the undergrowth where it slightly overhung the road. The duck came out towards me then went back but the 8 ducklings kept going. I thought about braking but no time and I'd be a gonna under the truck. Also I had no idea if the duck would.follow and take me out. I shut my eyes then took a sneaky peak only to see 2 ducklings go between my wheels.
    The duck and all 8 ducklings missed my wheels but I didn't dare look back to see if the truck got them.
  • redvee
    redvee Posts: 11,922
    On Saturday night I had a bird strike with a sea gull on final approach to a pavement pizza, which is far more important than road safety.
    I've added a signature to prove it is still possible.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    We have a rabbit he's less suicidal more stupid
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • seajays
    seajays Posts: 331
    Well this morning it was a pigeon, who flew out and then turned to go straight ahead of me about 6 inches in front of my front wheel. We went on for about 10-15 yards with it not quite being able to decide which way to go, before it eventually flew off right.

    It was like a shot from that Attenborough nature series the life of birds!
    Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017
    Revolution Courier Race Disc '14
    My Strava
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Nearly hit a seagull on Thursday last week. It served which meant it's undercarriage just missed my face by inch or so. Felt the air from the wings as it did a frantic flap.
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    a very lucky escape for me and a pigeon this evening, bloody stupid thing flapped out of the verge as i was hitting maximum descent over 30 mph, i looked down with no time to react just waiting for the outcome and somehow this bird avoided my front wheel and crank arm slipping underneath both then dodged my panniers.

    that bird has nine lives for sure
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • corriebee1
    corriebee1 Posts: 390
    So this actually happened to me this morning!

    I was cycling along the Shelford to Cambridge cyclepath, keeping a good speed (c 22 mph) and a little brown blur comes flying out from the rail side and under my front wheel! I felt a fairly big bump but managed to keep the bike upright.

    Looked back and the little blighter was spinning around on his back. Likely only one side of his body working properly. Thought "oh dear, I'm going to have to go back and end it for him" so parked the bike up and walked back, only to find he was nowhere to be seen! He certainly had made it more than 2-3 metres into the field adjacent as i looked around for him.

    Got a few strange looks from people passing, as i searched around the undergrowth. I did think about shouting to them all "I ran over a rabbit!" but that might have sounded like boasting :)
  • seajays
    seajays Posts: 331
    corriebee1 wrote:
    Got a few strange looks from people passing, as i searched around the undergrowth. I did think about shouting to them all "I ran over a rabbit!" but that might have sounded like boasting :)

    Ouch - did you find it? I think the largest animal I've ever had to do that for is a mouse! (where the trap hadn't done it's work properly, and it was spinning around in the attic).
    Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017
    Revolution Courier Race Disc '14
    My Strava
  • elbowloh
    elbowloh Posts: 7,078
    Not quite the same, but I spent 10 mins by the side of the CS7 in Tooting looking for a tooth that i'd knocked out when I came off my bike, all the time with blood all over my visage.

    Got a few looks. Not a single one of the dozen or so cyclists stopped or even asked how I was. A nice little old lady did stop to help, indeed it was her idea to look for the tooth, as in her words, "they can glue it back in".
    Felt F1 2014
    Felt Z6 2012
    Red Arthur Caygill steel frame
    Tall....
    www.seewildlife.co.uk
  • corriebee1
    corriebee1 Posts: 390
    This is getting ridiculous!

    The day after running over a rabbit with the bike, I'm driving the last bit of the commute home (I cycle and drive each day) and come across a rabbit twitching in the road, obviously hit by something before me.

    I didn't have to park up to end the suffering of that one! :wink::cry:
  • seajays
    seajays Posts: 331
    corriebee1 wrote:
    This is getting ridiculous!

    The day after running over a rabbit with the bike, I'm driving the last bit of the commute home (I cycle and drive each day) and come across a rabbit twitching in the road, obviously hit by something before me.

    I didn't have to park up to end the suffering of that one! :wink::cry:

    You sure your route home doesn't go through this place...?

    hell%252520yeah%252520wrath%252520of%252520the%252520dead%252520rabbit%25252001_thumb%25255B1%25255D.jpg?imgmax=800
    Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017
    Revolution Courier Race Disc '14
    My Strava
  • secretsam
    secretsam Posts: 5,120
    Round here it's the red kites, the bastards like to swoop down low from time to time, which wouldn't be such an issue but the damn things have a wingspan of 5-6 feet, which is frankly bl00dy terrifying!

    It's just a hill. Get over it.
  • surrey_commuter
    surrey_commuter Posts: 18,867
    I had a squirrel try the same thing this morning - judging from the bump I think I went over it's tail... it kept going!!!
  • tangled_metal
    tangled_metal Posts: 4,021
    Was a passenger going through an expensive neighbourhood of Leeds when we spotted an expensive merc with an pheasant stuck head first into the grill. Took pleasure pulling alongside the car and telling the female driver. She thanked us and said she'd take it round to the garage straight away! Imagine writing the bill up for removing a pheasant at the local Merc dealership!
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    killer ...?

    I think not

    IMG_20140726_184301.jpg
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • seajays
    seajays Posts: 331
    Haven't you seen Watership Down? :lol:

    Wound.jpg
    Cannondale CAADX Tiagra 2017
    Revolution Courier Race Disc '14
    My Strava
  • itboffin
    itboffin Posts: 20,072
    actually i live on the end of the Watership down ridge :wink:
    Rule #5 // Harden The Feck Up.
    Rule #9 // If you are out riding in bad weather, it means you are a badass. Period.
    Rule #12 // The correct number of bikes to own is n+1.
    Rule #42 // A bike race shall never be preceded with a swim and/or followed by a run.
  • Kieran_Burns
    Kieran_Burns Posts: 9,757
    Why has no one mentioned the Rabbit of Caerbannog?

    viscous streak a mile wide that one...
    Chunky Cyclists need your love too! :-)
    2009 Specialized Tricross Sport
    2011 Trek Madone 4.5
    2012 Felt F65X
    Proud CX Pervert and quiet roadie. 12 mile commuter