Hope Pro III front wheel saves life of Kamikaze Fox

[GruB]

It is true.  The Mavic blades would have had it's head off.

I was on route to work this morning, up a very slight incline and within 2 miles of home when approximately 10 metres in front of me a large fox jumped from the nearside verge.  The lane I was in is wide enough for two vehicles ( car and a bus even ) but the verges are very overgrown so it makes it feel narrower.  You also can't see what is in the verge until it hits the road.

The fox jumping out startled me but it darted from left to right and then disappeared into the verge on that side.  Phew I thought.

I was doing 16mph on my MonstaThorn.  Aerosmith were singing in my ears.  I was on route to meet the Police Riot bus at Melksham as Leeds FC are playing Swindon FC at Swindon today.  I was preoccupied with work and things I have been doing last week.

It didn't matter if I was paying attention or not as I didn't have a chance to react.  This is probably a good thing.

As I pass the place where the other fox came out ( I think ) a furry ball of red hair launched head first into my front wheel at point blank range from the nearside verge.

I let out a well known profane word beginning with F.  Mainly in fright.

It bounced off the spokes and sort of collided with my left foot that was rotating as I pedalled.  I had a bit of a wobble as a result but only a very minor one.

Then it was gone. 

I stopped and checked the road and the bike and the wheel and the spokes.  Nowt.

Now I reckon the reason there was no actual damage is because my front spokes number 32.  Had I been on the TCR clad Mavic Cosmics then that number would be 20 and there is much more room for a head to go into the wheel allowing the aero spokes to act as a guillotine. 

Well done Hope.  You have done your bit for nature. 

[Adam]

They also would have saved your bacon, as if Mr Fox had ended up in your wheel, you would have had more than a little wobble.

Glad you had a lucky escape. 

I've had a rabbit dart go underneath my bike between the wheels, and that really shook me up for a bit.  Although not as much as the rabbit was, as sadly it stopped in the middle of the road to check what he'd done, and promptly got squashed by the car behind me.

[Gattopardo]

Firstly, did the fox have some meat on its bones? It could have been a healthy free range roast.

Also remember that it might not have killed the animal outright.  If that had happened you might have been seriously hurt.  Count your blessing/karma

[Cudzoziemiec]

This is what spokey-dokeys are really for!

[rae]

You were lucky - a squirrel through the spokes will snap the forks and have you over the handle bars.  I remember seeing a picture of a rider in the US holding up his broken bike with the critter still jammed in the forks.   He had a lot of road rash.

You need some disc wheels.... 

[fuzzy]

It is true.  The Mavic blades would have had it's head off.

I was on route to work this morning, up a very slight incline and within 2 miles of home when approximately 10 metres in front of me a large fox jumped from the nearside verge.  The lane I was in is wide enough for two vehicles ( car and a bus even ) but the verges are very overgrown so it makes it feel narrower.  You also can't see what is in the verge until it hits the road.

The fox jumping out startled me but it darted from left to right and then disappeared into the verge on that side.  Phew I thought.

I was doing 16mph on my MonstaThorn.  Aerosmith were singing in my ears.  I was on route to meet the Police Riot bus at Melksham as Leeds FC are playing Swindon FC at Swindon today.  I was preoccupied with work and things I have been doing last week.

I was looking out for you Andy- didn't see you but then, after a little while I was so damned dispondant you could have tapped me on the shoulder and I would'nt have registered .

[GruB]

Shit.  If I'd remembered you were there I would have text you and come in and found you.  I was sat in the van for a lot of the time reading a cycling mag !!  On the final whistle I was at the junction with the blue and yellow stand keeping the red horde away from the whites.  Gee there were some disagreeable sods.  I really dislike some football fans, the ones without any grey matter - they grip my happiness and always seem to find me, single me out for stupid conversations.  I feel like asking, "And what village are you depriving of their idiot?"

[GruB]

You were lucky - a squirrel through the spokes will snap the forks and have you over the handle bars.  I remember seeing a picture of a rider in the US holding up his broken bike with the critter still jammed in the forks.   He had a lot of road rash.

You need some disc wheels.... 

Don't even joke about more wheels.  My 32 spokers are doing ace so far.

[fuzzy]

Gee there were some disagreeable sods.  I really dislike some football fans, the ones without any grey matter - they grip my happiness and always seem to find me, single me out for stupid conversations.  I feel like asking, "And what village are you depriving of their idiot?"

I know what you mean. I often end up sitting next to them

[tiermat]

Shit.  If I'd remembered you were there I would have text you and come in and found you.  I was sat in the van for a lot of the time reading a cycling mag !!  On the final whistle I was at the junction with the blue and yellow stand keeping the red horde away from the whites.  Gee there were some disagreeable sods.  I really dislike some football fans, the ones without any grey matter - they grip my happiness and always seem to find me, single me out for stupid conversations.  I feel like asking, "And what village are you depriving of their idiot?"

I see you have met our lovely Leeds travelling contingent then

I'm sure the average IQ of Leeds goes up when LU play away....