Bear vs. Bike: Cyclist Hits 300-Pound Black Bear
by Michael Graham Richard, Gatineau, Canada on 09.15.08
Colbert Was Right
In urban areas, cyclists need to watch out for cars. But in more rural places, there are other dangers. 57-year-old Jim Litz, a science teacher in Missoula, Montana, learned this when he t-boned a black bear while riding his bike to work. Read on for the details.
“I was lucky. I was truly lucky"
He was traveling about 25 mph when he came upon a rise and spotted a black bear about 10 feet in front of him. “I didn't have time to respond. I never even hit my brakes,” Litz said.
He tumbled over his handlebars, planting his helmeted head on the bruin's back, and man and beast went cartwheeling down the road. The bear rolled over Litz's head, and its mass cracked his helmet. As the duo toppled over one another, the bear clawed at Litz's cycling jacket, scratching his flesh from shoulder to buttocks before scampering up a hill above the road, where it stopped and whined.
Litz's wife drove by soon after and took her husband to Community Medical Center, and he immediately called Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to report the unusual collision. Game wardens told him they didn't think the animal was seriously injured, but was more likely suffering from some bruised ribs - just like Litz.
“I was lucky. I was truly lucky, because I accosted the bear and he let me live,” Litz said. “I truly respect them. They're beautiful creatures.”
Via Missoulian, Cyclelicious
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Actually the bear is now plotting his eventual demise at the claws of his brothers :p
Sarah Palin would not have let it get away!
...and the number 1 threat to bicyclists this week::
BEARS!!!
So he was travelling over 35 feet per second and was suprised to see something 10 feet in front of him? Might I suggest looking a 'little' farther ahead than 1/3 of a second? This guy was going to be done in by a fallen branch or a sand patch if the bear didn't get him.
So close to a Darwin award too...sigh.
-Lego
In the interest of not totally making this man out to be a moron - he said he came upon a rise....
But no, humans are not the top of the food chain.
This is exactly why every bicycle should have a card in the spokes. It's not only fun, but could prevent the nearly two bear collisions per year. And how do they know how much the bear weighed?
@ Lego
Rude, but hilarious
@ Anon
A card i the spokes? Do you know how annoying that is?
“I truly respect them."
And unless heavily armed, what are your other options?
Dont't harm bears. Just put up a sign that says:
"Bears area. Cycle at your own risk".
@Lego - It can take upwards of 2 seconds to stop at that speed, much longer if conditions are wet.
I hear he bearly survived......
Do you think he could bear to get back on his bicycle again?
"But no, humans are not the top of the food chain."
Nope, they are not even a part of the "food chain" which doesn't even really exist. Food web" is probably as close as you could get w/ a simple analogy. And if the food web is in the corner of some country barn, humans are in the next county.
@motorfamiliymotorcityman : lame...
@devin: ditto...
(:
@anonymoose: Yeah. If he'd have had a baseball card in his spokes, the bear DEFINITELY wouldn't have let him live.
*brrrrrrrrappppp* bear thinks: "Oh, wtf is this, now?!" *KER-PLOW!I* bear thinks: "DEAAAAAAD Honkey..."
I wonder what his fine was for endangering wildlife??
barely survived the ordeal
well if his helmet cracked.. good thing he had a helmet on.. cause that would have been his head!
Lego, I believe the average human reaction time is 250ms, or 1/4 a second. A third-second, or 333ms, reaction time is high, but not unreasonable. Plus, it may have been partly shock that kept him from hitting the brakes.
If the bear had been facing in the same direction as the cyclist and they had collided... would Litz have gone bear back or bear bum
I'm surprised the bear dint do much more that scratch him. not that I know too much about bears.
but if the man came upon a rise in the woods, he could maybe use his head and think that there is this impossibly small possibility that there could be something on the other side. unless he was prepared to take to the air and jump the bike off the rise.
Actually even thats a stupid thing to do unless the rider is on a specific off road track or on ramps...
but dude you are lucky as hell... and don't rocket blindly over a rise again.
well it would have been good to watch