Reading about chasing an owl on Bike Seattle, I remembered the animal encounters I’ve had on my bike
When I lived in the Tri-Cities and rode with the Chinook Cycling Club, there were three evil dogs that would actually wait for us. One of them near Finley WA, we could see hiding behind trees, clocking us patiently, and then would jump out barking, clawing, and snapping – that turned into a dog sprint like that scene in American Flyer. The second dangerous dog was on the road to Paterson WA. That bad boy you wouldn’t even see or hear until he was right up on you snapping at your heels. I learned to save enough on that ride to be ready when Mr. Vicious came out to play.
The most dangerous dog lived at the top of a climb on Clodfelter Road (from the Horse Heaven Hills course of old). Cresting the top of a leg-blowing climb, with your buddies trying to drop you, doesn’t leave much room for a dog sprint. That dog caught a few of us, was rewarded with a face full of water bottle spray, and I believe is responsible for a few nasty wrecks coming down the hill.
What animal encounters have you had on bike?