strangest thing you've seen on a ride/run (Page 3)

Last week I came around a bend on the bike path at around 20 mph and almost hit a Turkey standing in the middle of the path. That is the first time that I had ever seen a Turkey along the trail let alone on the path. It was a big Turkey so it would have been ugly if I hit it.

Add me to the list of those who have run over a squirrel. Right over the back with my mountain bike and he just ran off like nothing happened.

Strangest thing was an armadillo that tried to run between my wheels. My back tire spun on his side for a few seconds before he finally turned the other way and ran off. I still have this picture in my head of an armadillo running around with tire marks all along his side like nascar.

It is always fun to see road runners out trail running, they are great at pacing as they will just keep running down the trail in front of you.


I guess i just need a good longhorn story and I will have all the Texas stereotypes down.....

Riding my commuter bike to work last week through my neighborhood and a rabbit hopped across the street.  Usually not a strange thing to see, however this was not a spry quick jack rabbit but what looked to be a slow moving pet rabbit making a break for freedom.

Edited by MOlsen 2013-06-04 12:29 PM

The squirrels are crazy in Indiana. I almost run over one once per week. They definitely aren't bothered until you ride past them, THEN they want to freak out and run towards my bike. Now wonder they are always getting hit in the middle of the road. Don't know how I would react if I hit a squirrel on my bike.

Riding on the back roads of Western KY, I was chased by a potbelly pig. As I was riding past a farm house I got a quick glimpse of what I thought was a little black dog coming around the corner of a building as I got closer I realized it was a potbelly pig running for everything he was worth across the field toward me. He ran out of gas before he got to the road, but I nearly fell off my bike laughing at the sight.

I once saw a dog hit a car.

So, out on a county highway where we get to deal with the occassional farm dog running down the driveway barking and chasing us, this one dog got a little out of control. As I was getting passed by a car right in front of a farm house, this dog came running at me,lost control and ran into the side of the car. This whole series of events was only a matter of a few seconds, but the timing was incredible. At first I was thinking we are all gonna die, then I got worried about the driver and the dog.

When I saw the dog hop up to his feet, stagger around, then take off back up the driveway, I then found the whole thing pretty funny.

Thong panties....plural. Scattered alongside a 1/4 mile section of road. I haven't run that route since February....I wonder if they're still there?

I got chased by baby goats on a run once. They were so cute, but I didn't want to bring them home!

Quick list of wild life I encountered last year:

red racer snake
headless diamondback snake
multiple coyotes (once while swimming)
wild burros
desert tortoise
tarantula
about 2 billion green and yellow caterpillars that seemed to enjoy drinking my spilled gatorade.

In Houston, there are some bike tails along the bayou that run through the middle of the city. I saw three city kids (about age 13) carrying a rifle walking along the edge of the bayou. It could have been a pellet gun, but still not a toy.

Almost got taken out by a deer tonight as it ran in front of me while I was cruising along at 26 mph.

I saw a deer running across a field toward the road I was biking on, so I started to slow down. It ends up stopping right in the middle of the road, and I stop about 10 meters away from it. It stands there in the middle of the road staring at me for about 30 seconds then it slowly starts walking toward me. I proceed to turn around and speed away. When I look back he had continued crossing the road and I could turn back around and continue. Very strange encounter.

I've also come across a couple venues of vultures in the street that take a little too long to take off as I'm approaching them.

Last weekend I was pulling the kids on the MTB and had a red tail hawk fly across my handle bars, it could have shifted for me. I also saw a bum digging in a dumpster, but that’s more sad then strange.

Had to swerve the other morning to avoid an armadillo crossing the road. I figured he would hear me on the bike and retreat but no, he charged on into my path. He must have figured he had right of way at 5:00 AM. And I guess he does...

Edited by pmcroome 2013-06-05 1:22 PM

Saw a dead 6 foot alligator about 3 feet from the bike lane this morning. Didn't know it was dead when I passed but coming back saw a family of 4 playing with it which forced me to stop and ask.

My strangest experience was on one of my Saturday night long runs at the park. I heard some screaming and as I circled near there was a car pulled over on the side of the road and what appeared to have been a man beating the crap out of his girlfriend after leaving the bar. As I came near, the altercation seemed to have calmed down. I turned around 5 mins later to keep an eye on things... the next thing I know the cops show up, unfortunately, the parties were already gone. Evidently one of the residential neighbors called the cops. I gave a witness statement and was sent home. I was concerned yet afraid to get involved, I had nothing but an iPod nano... no telling if this dude had a gun or what.

Found a cold case of beer on a dirt road a few miles into my run. was still there when i came back by about 40 minutes later...

To keep with the original theme of this thread, this might be the strangest post I've seen while on here.

An adult toy. No, it was not vibrating at the time.
The next few miles were hilarious as I busted on my riding buddies, "How'd that fall out of your pocket?", etc....

I saw the thread on Mr. Truesdalle so I thought it was only right to share my experience with this young man. My son was a Division 1 swimmer for many years, he does Triathlons often competing against Mr. Truesdalle. During the UVAAS Triathlon Mr. Truesdalle repeatedly called my son a B****, a swimming , and repeatedly flipped my son the middle finger throughout the entire race. My son took 3rd an Mr. Truesdalle placed 1st, Truesdalle is a great athlete but needs some help with his social skills.

Ps. Sorry about the placement of the threads.

Not sure. Its either the upside down pickup truck or the Elephant Man. Take your pick I guess.

BTW, this time of year with the storms in FL is see dead frogs and snakes regularly.

A few years ago, I got photos where a Missouri Parks Dept. truck parked on a wooden trail bridge - the planks under the tires came loose and the truck flipped over the side of the bridge and into the Missouri River. They were more than a little upset at me for taking pictures.

The squirrels here will wait at the side of the trail and then dash across right in front of the bike. They even tuck their tails up their backs and between their ears so as not to get them run over. I've also been pelted with walnuts from non-walnut trees. But, the strangest thing has to have been a squirrel decoy, built with leaves and twigs, sitting in the middle of the trail, with a softball-sized rock behind it. To this day I'm convinced the squirrels were trying to get their hands on a bicycle.

I'm not saying it was a great decoy, but it looked very well done for squirrels. I'd also think it was harmless if it weren't for the two squirrels sitting by the side of the trail watching the entire situation.

I was running around the corner and a friend of mine was stopped at the stoplight there. He rolled down his window and shouted at me that there was a bear ahead on my side of the road. I crossed to the other side to be further away from it. Sure enough, there it was, a couple hundred metres down the road but it was a mother with a cub!! I made pretty good time for the rest of the run.

I encouter our neighborhood Kamikazi squirrels all the time. I keep thinking they're going to run off the road, but they run right under the wheel every time. They keep going, but that's gotta hurt! I kept wondering what to do to get them to run off before "splatsville" - Doing nothing wasn't helping.

Turns out, a short, sharp whistle about 10 yards before getting to them speeds up the freak-out, and they make a break for it.

YSMV - Your squirrels may vary.