What kind of animals do you see during training rides?

[mewmewmew13]

Cain Toads (lot of road kill).
Snakes (largest was about 4 metres).
Blue Tongues (a type of large skink - lizard).
Lots of Spiders (in the power lines above the roads).
Lots & lots & lots of bogans.

What are these?

I like this thread....
notice a lot of folks see snakes...aargh..

I see many on the road in the summer...most are smashed but many are alive. freaks me out!
also,deer, eagles, hawks, coyotes, many prairie dogs, geese, ducks, occasional pelican,

I have not seen a bear yet but a couple of years ago some guy bashed into one as he was coming down a steep hill outside of town..
and my friend's husband also hit one and it put him in the ER with injuries..now is fine luckily.

 

[BroDeal]

What are these?

It appears to be something between an American redneck and an English chav. Apparently cyclists Down Under are besieged by vast numbers of bogans.

 

[ElChingon]

Speaking of rare animals, here's the rare Spoke Squirrel!

 

[mewmewmew13]

Cats, dogs, and sometimes deer(deer park) and
nilgai (there are a few around university campus)

also peacock

That reminds me....there are a couple of wild peacocks down one of the streets in town. I have seen them a couple of times as I ride by...

 

[Fausto's Schnauzer]

And oh yeah, when I was in Spain I saw some snakes on a plain.

 

[Afrank]

I have seen horses, sheep, cows, dogs, cats, deer, goats, chickens, hawks, herons, vultures, snakes, ducks, different types of birds, wild turkeys, llamas, small horses, and buffalo.

 

[LaFlorecita]

speaking of rare animals, here's the rare spoke squirrel!

<3 N'awwww!!! The fluffy!

 

[42x16ss]

Around here it's mostly bush turkeys but I've also seen Cane Toads, Kangaroos, Snakes (Red Belly Black Snakes are common in the summer and hard to spoton the road), Eagles, Koalas and even an Emu and a Wombat on mountain bike trails. Saw the Emu coming a mile off but the wombat managed to take out three of us and disappear as quickly as he turned up.

Also heaps and heaps of Ute driving, Bundy drinking, league watching Bogans.

 

[biker jk]

Kangaroos, wallabies, cows, dogs, magpies, cockatoos, galahs, snakes, tortoises, water dragons, mostly.

 

[Boeing]

Speaking of rare animals, here's the rare Spoke Squirrel!

glad that didnt happen to us on that last one but tell brodeal I was on my Bianchi Reparto Course TSX so I was safe

was that thing dead or still squirming

great thread sofhia_

 

[Boeing]

On a side note: I never did any cycling the 7 months I lived in OZ but when I saw Big Reds hopping in unison while hiking atherton Tablelands in the north east I was totally freaked out like a scared child. seeing a herd of roos that size in unison is the most fantastic thing I have ever seen in the wild. they were gianormous

 

[Sofía_]

i realy envy aussies, i want to see joeys in the roadsides

 

[badboyberty]

Best thing I've seen was on the XC bike. I came up to a gate that I use regularly and had to wonder why the post was twice as tall as it was previously. The top of the post then looked at me, spread it wings and took off. Watching a wedge-tail eagle take off from less than ten metres away was pretty awe inspiring.

Normally I just see Grey Kangaroos, Tiger and Brown snakes, Black Shouldered Kites, Galahs and Cockatoos, and swarms of tiny bugs that taste pretty awful.

 

[BroDeal]

Best thing I've seen was on the XC bike. I came up to a gate that I use regularly and had to wonder why the post was twice as tall as it was previously. The top of the post then looked at me, spread it wings and took off. Watching a wedge-tail eagle take off from less than ten metres away was pretty awe inspiring.

Normally I just see Grey Kangaroos, Tiger and Brown snakes, Black Shouldered Kites, Galahs and Cockatoos, and swarms of tiny bugs that taste pretty awful.

What about the magpies? I demand terrifying, Hostel-like tales of swoopings where aussie cyclists are attacked by the demon birds, mates are abandoned during an every-man-for-himself scramble, and a few barely escape with their lives.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Saw a snake on my morning ride and nearly ran over it.

 

[42x16ss]

What about the magpies? I demand terrifying, Hostel-like tales of swoopings where aussie cyclists are attacked by the demon birds, mates are abandoned during an every-man-for-himself scramble, and a few barely escape with their lives.

Somehow I only got swooped once all last spring However it was a VERY territorial magpie.

It decided to have a go at my Sunday bunch ride of 70+ (Zupps for those in Bris). Split the bunch, I don't know how there wasn't a pileup!!!

 

[PCutter]

What about the magpies? I demand terrifying, Hostel-like tales of swoopings where aussie cyclists are attacked by the demon birds, mates are abandoned during an every-man-for-himself scramble, and a few barely escape with their lives.

Well here's what the pro's think of the little blighters (quotes from Geelong worlds - middle of Magpie mating season!!!):

Phil Gilbert
"I was riding along the coastline on my own when an unidentifiable object brushed past me. I actually looked around and saw a large bird flying away," he said.

"Now I understand why cyclists here ride around with antennae on their helmets. But I do not intend to do that."

And so was Dave Zabriskie

"A bird flew into my helmet today while riding...they say it's some kind of mating thing...I must be in my prime..."

A child died last year or the year before, he rode into traffic or out into the lane trying to get away from one. I have one that sets up at the end of my street come mating season, so often reserve Sept/Oct for MTB (for some reason they don't attack in forests) and wind trainer sessions.

 

[badboyberty]

What about the magpies? I demand terrifying, Hostel-like tales of swoopings where aussie cyclists are attacked by the demon birds, mates are abandoned during an every-man-for-himself scramble, and a few barely escape with their lives.

I just use them for in ride sprint training. They actually do a strange call often before they swoop and generally hang out in the same areas year after year so it get's pretty instinctive to know when to hit the gas. Only issue is they seem to have an affinity for the bottom of sharp climbs...

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

Saw a snake on my morning ride and nearly ran over it.

I did spy a rattle snake once. His head twisted up, mouth open, to look at me as I ran over him right behind the head. I was going downhill too fast to bother going back for a second look. Otherwise, just coyote road kill and boring livestock.

That Spoke Squirrel was a little dare devil I guess.

 

[max_powers]

Yes one sees much more wildlife off - road.

my Trophy sighting was a big mountain lion (cougar puma) here in a So Cal park near the ocean as I surprised him at speed coming around the bend, at dusk.

He ran off straight into brush, I slammed the brakes on to get more views, saw one more bound.

Then I stood there and realized I better go. fast

 

[Nederick]

I thought this might have been linked by now...
Look Right

Had plenty of magpie attacks here in N.Z. during their season. Once you know where they are hanging out they're easy to deal with. Especially when the sun is out and you can track the shadow as they come in. Just time it right and swing at them with your hand without even having to look up.

Last year I was startled when I heard someone calling my name over and over. What the heck?! Quiet back country road and hadn't even seen a car for over 20 minutes. That turned out to be a flock of Canadian Geese doing a low flyover straight above me.

Best one was one day running up the road. Came round the corner to see a hawk chasing a zig-zagging hare tearing up the road. The hare then ran into some low scrub off the side of the road and the hawk crashed straight in there. It was only just disentangling itself when I got level with it and flew off empty clawed.

Other than that, just sheep and cows

 

[ustabe]

I've seen magpies but never been dive-bombed by them. Red-winged blackbirds are another story.

Live wild animals I've seen on road rides: prairie dogs, golden eagles, elk, mule deer, fox, coyote, and a lost duckling. When I used to ride in the woods I once stopped to watch a bull snake swallow a horned toad.

 

[JA.Tri]

On my local climb I have seen:

echidnas (monotreme)
wallabies
grey kangaroo
various rosella, cockatoos, galahs (yes the human kind also)
lyrebird
tiger snake
fox

My exposure to magpies is numerous:

.club race the bunch was swooped each of the 4 laps
.ride to cafe swooped 3 times (over 300m) with two strikes to my head and a bloody ear resulting...it was diving out of the sun from behind
.various other times however only helmet was hit

Re: magpies (one of the raven family) they are regarded intelligent with long memories. They have chosen to swoop particular individuals even after lack of contact for several years. Also important to note humans actually positively reinforces this behaviour...in the sense that if a magpie attacks the intruder (human) leaves the scene and rarely attacks. As compared with a fox, as it will kill the magpie if given the chance.

 

[usedtobefast]

my buddy JR saw a mountain lion today,in Aliso Viejo. 50 yards off the trail...
fing yikes
lucky it bolted the other way.

 

[on3m@n@rmy]

my buddy JR saw a mountain lion today,in Aliso Viejo. 50 yards off the trail...
fing yikes
lucky it bolted the other way.

Yeah, in other words, lucky it wasn't hungry.