We hear about bear encounters all of the time. But a mountain biker landing on a bear? That even surprised us.
It happened to a mountain biker from Canada over the weekend. He was riding with friends on the Odyssey Trail in Canmore, Alberta on July 21 when a bear crossed into their path around 10 a.m., according to Rocky Mountain Outlook.
The biker reportedly came over a rise, and the bear was right there in the landing zone.
“They were coming downhill at a fairly good clip and came over a rise and there was the bear,” Jay Honeyman, a human-wildlife conflict specialist for Alberta Environment and Parks, told the Rocky Mountain Outlook. “He literally hit and flattened the bear and got knocked off his bike.”
The rider acted quickly, breaking out his bear spray. There was also a second bear nearby, but the biker didn’t need the spray for either, because both bears took off.
The bears were likely feeding on berries, and the bikers came up too fast for the bears to hear them. While the man was shaken and surprised, neither he nor his friends were injured.
If you’re biking in wildlife-filled areas, heed this biker’s story and come prepared: Bring bear spray with you. If you encounter a wild animal, make noise, too. And follow these other tips for surviving an animal attack on your bike ride.
Drew covers a variety of subjects for Runner’s World and Bicycling, and he specializes in writing and editing human interest pieces while also covering health, wellness, gear, and fitness for the brand. His work has previously been published in Men’s Health.
