Cows!

Page may contain affiliate links. Please see terms for details.

Chief Broom

Veteran
Quite pleased with myself today ^_^ managed about 18m including hills and didnt feel too knackered when i got home, still very much a newbie though! ^_^ Anyhow on the way back a Highland cow [the one with the pointy handlebars] was stood right in the middle of the single track road! eek really dont fancy being punted into the nearest Loch on the end of those! I got off and sidled past hoping for the best and all was ok phew..I dont know what to expect from livestock....i know cattle can be protective of calves and this one did have a calf but wasnt aggressive...still feel nervous passing them though :rolleyes:
602215
 
Last edited:

Scaleyback

Veteran
Location
North Yorkshire
I think I would have about-turned :ohmy:
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
Some cattle can be dangerous. We had one cow locally which always tried to attack any person on a bike or on foot. This was on an off road cycle route we used often but the farmer was persuaded that it would be better turned into beef. One of our members repaired cars and another handled ferry bookings so he saw the sense in being helpful.😊
 

ColinJ

Puzzle game procrastinator!
@potsy is terrified of highland cattle! :laugh:

Yep we had a bit of an issue yesterday with two sheep while descending Waddington Fell at +30mph. One on either side of the road......I selected straight through the middle as I reckoned I was moving faster than they could!!!!

It worked.
You were lucky... A colleague tried doing that in his car a few miles away. He was doing way more than 30 mph but both sheep managed to get into the middle of the road before he did. He killed both of them, one going over the front of the car and smashing the windscreen on the way! :eek:

Ooh, that reminds me - hang on, while I search for an old post of mine...

As part of my ongoing help-support-your-local-audax-events™ programme (;)), here's a description of the Season of Mists route:
  • [audax details...]
  • Cross the busy A59 (caution!) and ride through Clitheroe to Waddington.
  • Country Kitchen Cafe control [now permanently closed according to Google]. In case you managed to keep your breakfast down on the climb to Heptonstall earlier, this gives you a second opportunity to hurl! Eat a hearty fry-up at the cafe, come out with a full stomach and launch straight into the fairly demanding climb of Waddington Fell (300m ascent in 4.5 km).
  • Take care on the descent. No, seriously - take care on the descent! There are always sheep wandering about on the road. Don't do what one dickhead did and overtake me going at 50 mph plus and fly down between two sheep on the road. They are very unpredictable and stupid creatures and you never know what they will do next - dickheads that is! The sheep are almost as bad...
  • Also, also, also - there is a deceptively tight near 90 degree RH bend on the descent and it always catches people out. Don't be its next victim!
  • [audax details...]
:laugh:
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
Heelan' coos are usually pretty docile though, as you say, a ride on those bars would make you think a bit !

They often stand in the road and just wait ... then look around, maybe moo, then moove :okay: off. They have lots of time ....
Maybe @Brandane has more insider knowledge of their behaviours...
Highlanders are usually ok but reluctant to move sometimes. There is a herd of them on the roadway mostly at Loch na Keal on Mull but they have never bothered me.
Ayrshires used to be ones to watch in my farming days. Big horns and faster than you expect. A Fresian bull once went rogue on us and I saw him jump a wooden gate. 30 cwt dead weight.:ohmy:
 

oldwheels

Legendary Member
Location
Isle of Mull
@potsy is terrified of highland cattle! :laugh:


You were lucky... A colleague tried doing that in his car a few miles away. He was doing way more than 30 mph but both sheep managed to get into the middle of the road before he did. He killed both of them, one going over the front of the car and smashing the windscreen on the way! :eek:

Ooh, that reminds me - hang on, while I search for an old post of mine...


:laugh:
A telecoms guy I knew taped a forward facing whistle to the chassis of his van which he claimed cleared sheep off the road well in advance.
 

PaulSB

Legendary Member
You were lucky...

Nope. Lancashire sheep are highly intelligent and will first have noted there are more of them than us ...........as another 14 hurtled down behind me. 😂

In all seriousness an interesting thing about sheep is their flight response to humans seems to have gone. I could clearly see these two happily kept their heads down feeding while the Range Rover in front of me passed them.
 
D

Deleted member 1258

Guest
The lane past St Giles church between the farm road and Chesterton village is often full of free range sheep, not fenced in but contained by a cattle grid each end of the road, needs a bit of care.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Top Bottom