Shinguards / Rattlesnake Bite Guards for Mountain Bikers

[Ivan Seeking]

LOL! Here you go!

 

[Astronuc]

Luckily I was able to barely avoid hitting him on a high-speed blind turn. I went back to check him out, and found him coiled up in the sun in the middle of the singletrack.

I was riding along a trail by a river on a paved bike path and came to low hill and partly blind curve and found what I think was a gopher snake (aka bull snake) about 6 ft long lying right in the middle of path. I knew it wasn't a rattlesnake or copper head. I had to swerve wildly and brake so as not to run over any part of it. Beautiful creature. I hung around to make sure it got clear of the path and away from it before I moved on. I didn't want someone else to ride over it or attack it as dangerous.

https://www.dfw.state.or.us/wildlife/living_with/docs/livingwsnakes.pdf

 

[Lnewqban]

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Wow! He definitely attacked.

 

[berkeman]

When I was in the scouts, we were talk that if we thought there were snakes around, stomp your feet when you hike. The vibrations will drive them off the trail before you get there.

The trouble is that the track is about 1/3 mile per lap, so there are a couple minutes between each time that you pass any given point. That appears to be enough time for the snakes to decide that you're gone and it's okay to go ahead and cross. Maybe I need to find me a riding buddy...

 

[gmax137]

 

[berkeman]

Too bad snakes don't hear so well...