Run over a squirrel or hit the side of the car?

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jamin100

Guru
Location
Birmingham
That was the option I was faced with this morning.

Doing about 17mph going along a narrow stretch of road a squirrel darts out from the hedge at the side of the road. There is a car literally overtaking me at the time so I had about a meter of room to play with to my left and nowhere to go but into the car on the right.

Luckily the squirrel saw me in time and turned round and darted back just at the last second.

It just made me think what would of been the better outcome, brake and hit the squirrel head on and risk being thrown from the bike or swerve to the right and try and avoid the car.

I was going for the former...
 

Davidc

Guru
Location
Somerset UK
Probably the right choice as you might get away with the squirrel 'cos it's small, not with the car though.

A pheasant is certainly big enough to cause an "off" - at least it did for me. A 150mm (ish) long rat was a close thing, but I stayed upright and it died.

Fortunately I've only hit those two, have avoided all the other suicidal animals (including humans) that have run in front of me.
 

PpPete

Legendary Member
Location
Chandler's Ford
Squirrel are vermin.
I am assuming it was Grey.... not too many Red squirrels round Birmingham !

Should have tried harder to crush the little bastard.



Me, I'm quite proud of bisecting a pigeon with my 700x23s on one occasion.
 

Davidsw8

Senior Member
Location
London
I ran over a squirrell a few years ago - I was on a cycle path through a park and they always seem to sit in the hedge next to the path and wait to dart in front of anything that passes. So, one suicidal squirrell tried it but ended up hitting my front wheel and somehow span through the back wheel, I stopped and it died a few seconds later. I was a bit shaken but I didn't come off the bike.

So, a week later, another squirrell goes for the path dash and I spotted it in time to brake, but with my front brake... I went over the handlebars and landed on the path, cutting my knee open (luckily, I had my helmet on) and the squirrell scampered off safely.

The lesson being, it's the squirrell or you.
 

ianrauk

Tattooed Beat Messiah
Location
Rides Ti2
Squirrel everytime. Little hairy rodent fekkers.

Talking about running things over.
On last weeks FNRttC to Brighton I ran over a Hedgehog.
As it was pitch black I couldn't tell if it was alive or not at the time I ran over it.
But ran over it I did.. b'donk, b'donk.
At the next junction I had to pull spines out of both tyres.
 

Andrew_Culture

Internet Marketing bod
There seem to be a lot of dead grey squirrels about at the moment
 

jonny jeez

Legendary Member
Squirrel everytime. Little hairy rodent fekkers.

Talking about running things over.
On last weeks FNRttC to Brighton I ran over a Hedgehog.
As it was pitch black I couldn't tell if it was alive or not at the time I ran over it.
But ran over it I did.. b'donk, b'donk.
At the next junction I had to pull spines out of both tyres.
I wondered what that squeak was.
 

Hacienda71

Mancunian in self imposed exile in leafy Cheshire
I hit a rabbit while going down a descent. I was travelling at well over 30 when I ran over it, pretty sure it died. Tbh I was just glad that I went over it as a friend of mine had ended up with a wired jaw and missing teeth when a squirrel went into is wheel and threw him over his bars.
As long as it was a grey not a red ride over it. :whistle:
 

siadwell

Guru
Location
Surrey
Where does the panel stand on albino grey squirrels?

We have one that's a frequent visitor to our garden. Supposedly they are rare, with a 1 in 100,000 chance of a squirrel being born albino, meaning only 25 in the country, but there seem to be loads of sightings in Surrey.
 

Rob3rt

Man or Moose!
Location
Manchester
Squirrel everytime. Little hairy rodent fekkers.

Talking about running things over.
On last weeks FNRttC to Brighton I ran over a Hedgehog.
As it was pitch black I couldn't tell if it was alive or not at the time I ran over it.
But ran over it I did.. b'donk, b'donk.
At the next junction I had to pull spines out of both tyres.

I rode over a dead pheasant the other Sunday! Luckily it wasnt rancid so I got away clean :tongue:
 
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