Dogs

[Fez]

I'm sure you can all imagine what this will be about  

One of my mum's dogs has a tendancy to chase and try to bite my bike's tyres on my way out from paying her a visit. It'll usually run along side, and if I slow down it'll dart in front of the wheel, so of course I usually try and keep ahead of it. Today I stuffed it up. I was ahead of the bloody thing going down hill, but for some stupid reason decided I was going a wee bit fast (very steep, poorly surfaced country driveway). So being the rocket scientist I am, I slowed down a tad. Enough in fact for the mongrel thing to get in front of my tyre. In the shock of it all, I turned the handlebars right, forgetting counter steering and thus slamming into the side of the dog.

Edit: My avatar photo was actually taken at the top of the drive.

Thankfully there wasn't much damage to me or the bike. Few scrapes and a massive headache for me, and as far as I can tell a mirror that needed replacing anyway was shattered. Sadly, fluffy lived but hopefully it won't chase my bike anymore.

On the bright side dear old mum has agreed to fully replace anything that's broken.


Since this is the riding tips section, I'll provide the one tip I think will work. It isn't to do with remembering counter steering, rather shoot all f*cking dogs on sight.

Anyone else had a run in with "man's best friend"?

Edit: Damage update. Now that my head isn't completely wooly, on closer inspection the bike is a tad worse off than I originally thought. Front and rear right indicators are completely broken, right mirror gone, rear brake lever bent almost in a "U", massive dent in fuel tank, handlebar ends are shaved and bst of all my lovely exhausts are scraped to f*ck. Time to start modding 

 

[one]

i can't even kill a cockroach...
so a dog or a cat is impossible...
i almost crash my bike once when a cat came out of nowhere...

well,we have hospitals to go to...
but cats and dogs in my country,they don't have one..
our vets is limited in tools and knowledge..

have seen a documentary about animal's ER...somewhere in europe i guess...
i wish they have one in Malaysia...

my .02....

sorry for my english

[Popeye the Sailor]

Why can't your mom keep it inside while you're leaving? 

[swampduc]

Why can't your mom keep it inside while you're leaving? 

No, no, it makes much more sense to shoot all dogs 

[Popeye the Sailor]

So, to actually address the issue properly.....


I'm confused about the "forgetting to countersteer" thing. You need to train yourself to the point that you don't need to remember such things...

[gh0stie]

Why can't your mom keep it inside while you're leaving? 

I was wondering the same.....I've been attacked/chased by plenty dogs on my bicycle...usual because they were left on their own. I can't understand why if you know the dog owner, you can just ask them nicely to leash him while you leave

[ab]

We see lots of dogs on the twisty.  Some try to chase us etc.  On one occasion, we stopped and actually picked up this puppy that looked lost and put it on top of the tank and rode him to the nearest house hoping they will find owner or home.  We do have hearts.

(on occasions we have stopped to check on small turtle that was crossing and almost got hit)

[Veloce-Fino]

Sadly, fluffy lived.

 

^  Best line in the story.


I would have run the bastard over, no brakes or anything. Natural selection!!!

[evocarti]

So, to actually address the issue properly.....


I'm confused about the "forgetting to countersteer" thing. You need to train yourself to the point that you don't need to remember such things...

I'm a bit confused as well, and since this is the riding tips section I'm going to be a bit anal-retentive.

There is no such thing as 'forgetting to counter-steer'. Counter-steering isn't something you can choose between, like "Hey, I'm going to counter-steer this corner, and not that corner".

It's purely a function of speed. At any speed above trivial, your bike always counter-steers. It's the only way to initiate a lean at speed.

[Veloce-Fino]

I'm a bit confused as well, and since this is the riding tips section I'm going to be a bit anal-retentive.

There is no such thing as 'forgetting to counter-steer'. Counter-steering isn't something you can choose between, like "Hey, I'm going to counter-steer this corner, and not that corner".

It's purely a function of speed. At any speed above trivial, your bike always counter-steers. It's the only way to initiate a lean at speed.

Exactly 18mph is when counter-steering takes effect. I don't think it varies by bike either.

[deano]

i feel your pain when i first got my bike licence when down to show my mate my new Kawasaki zzr250  he was not home so i took off doing about 60 km,s a make the beast with two backsing dog run out in front so what i did is a slam the front bakes and went over dropping my new bike so pissed off 

[evocarti]

i feel your pain when i first got my bike licence when down to show my mate my new Kawasaki zzr250  he was not home so i took off doing about 60 km,s a make the beast with two backsing dog run out in front so what i did is a slam the front bakes and went over dropping my new bike so pissed off 

My bike is my lover.

A dog is somebody else's pregnant dog.

Given a choice, I know which one I'll pick :-)

[booger]

You're having your 'mum' pay for your boo-boo? She didn't drop the bike, you did. Next time restrain the dog if it's that persistent. 

[Jarvicious]

Dogs are hunters, so their ability to track a moving object is pretty good.  I've never had to do this, but I've heard/read that braking hard and then accelerating hard is a good way to throw them off.  I guess it will vary on a case by case basis though (dog's coming from behind, from the side, etc).

If all else fails though and it's a choice between me and the animal and contact can't be avoided, the IZ_ little bastard is going down.  I don't hunt and it bothers me if I hit a squirrel in the road but it's not worth the pain/bike repair. 

[Popeye the Sailor]

No sign of OP.


Maybe the dogs ate him.