Deer-bike collision

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Piaw Na

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Apr 30, 2023, 4:25:07 PM4/30/23
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I think I used up all my luck for the next few years: https://www.strava.com/activities/8984851311. Coming down Prospect road on my Roadini, a deer tried to cross the road as I came around the corner. He swerved, I swerved, but we collided, and bounced. I saw my vision go up and down and thought it was all over. Fortunately, there was no traffic on the road and I didn't crash. The bike seems undamaged as it was my arms and legs that made contact. I kept riding home and the deer ran off into the bushes by the side of the road. I'm going to be so sore tomorrow. The whole thing was over in 2 seconds. I remember Terry Shaw once telling me about his days of racing in the velodrome where sprints would physically muscle each other while riding. I definitely felt muscled by something that outweighed me significantly!

Patrick Moore

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Apr 30, 2023, 4:45:03 PM4/30/23
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I'm glad your wheels stayed down and hope that you are not too sore in a day or two. I was knocked over by a right-turning car at slow speed over 15 years ago and after getting a few lacerations stitched up felt pretty good, and thought, "Well, I can ride in tomorrow." Nope, I spent a week stiff and sore. But you didn't hit the ground so perhaps you'll fare better.

On Sun, Apr 30, 2023 at 2:25 PM Piaw Na <pi...@gmail.com> wrote:
I think I used up all my luck for the next few years: https://www.strava.com/activities/8984851311. Coming down Prospect road on my Roadini, a deer tried to cross the road as I came around the corner. He swerved, I swerved, but we collided, and bounced. I saw my vision go up and down and thought it was all over. Fortunately, there was no traffic on the road and I didn't crash. The bike seems undamaged as it was my arms and legs that made contact. I kept riding home and the deer ran off into the bushes by the side of the road. I'm going to be so sore tomorrow. The whole thing was over in 2 seconds. I remember Terry Shaw once telling me about his days of racing in the velodrome where sprints would physically muscle each other while riding. I definitely felt muscled by something that outweighed me significantly!

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Patrick Moore
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Piaw Na(藍俊彪)

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Apr 30, 2023, 5:17:46 PM4/30/23
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I'm pretty sure the deer that hit me weighs less than a car. Hopefully I won't be a disaster tomorrow.

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DavidP

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Apr 30, 2023, 6:31:27 PM4/30/23
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Wow - close call! Glad to hear you didn't go down! (And I can't help but wonder if something can't be said for the stability of the Roadini.)

Nick Payne

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May 1, 2023, 12:12:45 AM5/1/23
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Here it's the kangaroos you have to worry about: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eC0UF-hDKGw.

Whenever I see a kangaroo anywhere near while out riding - I usually see them several times a week - I go absolutely dead slow until I'm sure the kangaroo is a reasonable distance away and heading in the other direction. Several of my friends have been taken out by kangaroos or wallabies while out riding. They (the animals, that is) are pretty erratic, and can turn very sharply - the engineers from Volvo in charge of their animal collision avoidance system spent quite a while at the local Tidbinbilla Nature Reserve a few years ago analysing kangaroos, but AFAIK they have not managed to adapt their software that works with moose, cows, etc to successfully cope with kangaroos: https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2017/07/engineers-testing-volvo-s-driverless-technology-have-hit-a-problem-kangaroos/.

Nick Payne
Canberra

ascpgh

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May 1, 2023, 7:41:02 AM5/1/23
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Wow, glad you and the deer fare were OK!

that must have elevated your heart rate more than any other part of the ride!  Bike speed and a glancing contact were on your side, the physics of a square hit even at riding speed would have been worse.

Closest to that I ever experienced was a group ride where a ground squirrel tried running through another rider's front wheel. The rest of morning was better for the the cyclist than the little forest creature. Rider was awfully glad it hadn't been a regulation squirrel. 

Truckers face the unenviable risk of wildlife in their path and some employ protection:
Semi Deer Guard.jpgWo

An local cyclist (Kraynick's Bike Shop customers will recognize) executed his own version:
Pittsburgh Bumper Bike Guy.jpg

I'll stick with situational awareness and Karma. 

Andy Cheatham
Pittsburgh


Ted Durant

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May 1, 2023, 10:05:17 AM5/1/23
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On Sunday, April 30, 2023 at 3:25:07 PM UTC-5 pi...@gmail.com wrote:
I think I used up all my luck for the next few years: https://www.strava.com/activities/8984851311. Coming down Prospect road on my Roadini, a deer tried to cross the road as I came around the corner. He swerved, I swerved, but we collided, and bounced. I saw my vision go up and down and thought it was all over. Fortunately, there was no traffic on the road and I didn't crash.

Wow, that's remarkable and a testament to some sharp bike handling skills.

I got taken down by a hawk earlier this year, on my Riv Road. Ended up taking it to John Sutherland for a straightening, which it did need, but no tube damage.

Hit a deer in my car last week. I don't know if I braked first or my car's collision mitigation system did, but it ended up just a glancing blow and the deer ran away. It knocked out the headlight washer on the driver side, though. Like you, I'm feeling like I used up a bunch of luck.

Nature seems to be fighting back. Very glad you were able to take the punch with minimal damage!

Ted Durant
Milwaukee, WI USA 

Piaw Na(藍俊彪)

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May 1, 2023, 10:24:06 AM5/1/23
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There was no time to think, that was for sure. If he'd gotten a leg into my spokes or a hoof onto any part of me a crash would have been unavoidable.

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Jim Bronson

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May 1, 2023, 11:05:06 AM5/1/23
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Those are some funny looking deer you have down there.

Jim 
Austin, TX

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Piaw Na(藍俊彪)

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May 1, 2023, 6:58:13 PM5/1/23
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One of my co-workers says he captured a deer hit on Mt. Lemmon in AZ 4 years ago: https://youtu.be/MaLmkS_WRGk

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Toshi Takeuchi

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May 1, 2023, 7:54:49 PM5/1/23
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Wow!  Glad to hear that neither you nor the deer went down and you (and the deer) are ok!

Toshi


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