Deer oh Deer
Posted: Sun Aug 02, 2015 3:59 pm
Saturday while on a ride with two friends, I hit a deer, my second. The first a couple of years ago was a fawn. A doe and fawn ran across the road from the left, out of high weeds. Fortunately I was only doing 60 km/h, the speed limit, and was able to slow enough that the doe crossed in front of me. Not so the fawn which hit my left leg. As I was bringing the bike to a stop I saw the fawn and my side case rolling side by side down the road behind me. The fawn got up and joined its mother at the tree line, and I repaired the case.
This latest incident was much the same except it occurred at highway speed and it was just a doe which came boiling out of the weeds just after the second rider went by and in front of me. My heart was in my mouth and I thought for sure I was going to broadside the deer because there was no chance of stopping. In fact it happened so fast and so close that it was over before I got my hand on the brake.
One second I was going to smash into it and a blink of an eye later it was behind me. Or so I thought.
Even though it was running flat out and low to the ground, it was so close when it started to cross, my speed got me almost clear of it before impact could occur. I did say almost. I heard and felt a thunk at the back of the bike. Checked my mirrors and there was the deer flying through the air and landed on its back at the side of the road. No sign of movement. On checking my bike it looks like the deer's head hit the left side case, killing the deer, but its momentum carried it through the air to the shoulder. Amazingly other than scuff marks there wasn't any damage to the case or bike.
I on the other hand while physically uninjured was discombobulated in the extreme. I kept on riding for several minutes trying to sort
out what happened. I caught up to my buddies and pulled over. They had no idea what had happened. Thankfully the rest of the ride went off without a hitch.
Last week I was stopped by a good samaritin who warned me of my right side case was in danger of falling off. This week I am attached by a deer. What next, I fear to think.
This latest incident was much the same except it occurred at highway speed and it was just a doe which came boiling out of the weeds just after the second rider went by and in front of me. My heart was in my mouth and I thought for sure I was going to broadside the deer because there was no chance of stopping. In fact it happened so fast and so close that it was over before I got my hand on the brake.
One second I was going to smash into it and a blink of an eye later it was behind me. Or so I thought.
Even though it was running flat out and low to the ground, it was so close when it started to cross, my speed got me almost clear of it before impact could occur. I did say almost. I heard and felt a thunk at the back of the bike. Checked my mirrors and there was the deer flying through the air and landed on its back at the side of the road. No sign of movement. On checking my bike it looks like the deer's head hit the left side case, killing the deer, but its momentum carried it through the air to the shoulder. Amazingly other than scuff marks there wasn't any damage to the case or bike.
I on the other hand while physically uninjured was discombobulated in the extreme. I kept on riding for several minutes trying to sort
out what happened. I caught up to my buddies and pulled over. They had no idea what had happened. Thankfully the rest of the ride went off without a hitch.
Last week I was stopped by a good samaritin who warned me of my right side case was in danger of falling off. This week I am attached by a deer. What next, I fear to think.
