Great Bungling Bullwinkles!

Thursday morning Michelle and I hiked to the road. She had work, and I had a training for a new contract. As we loaded our packs in the car, we looked down at our bikes, chained and hidden in the trees along the beach. They’d been knocked over, so we went to investigate. We found them on their sides, and rim-deep in moose turds. When we looked closer, we found broken spokes on both tires of the Xtracycle. My bike had been stomped by a moose!

bike stomped by moose

Apres moose, le deluge. Spokes stomped on both wheels. I”m not sure if these can be repaired, or if the wheels will need to be replaced. (Photo: Mark Zeiger.)

Applying a little amateur forensics, we have surmised that a moose had been up on the road, possibly after dark, and had gotten spooked by a car, rushed down onto the beach, and ran into the bikes. It probably knocked them over and trampled them in a panic, which would account for the fecal decoration.

Oddly, the young branches of the tree the bikes had been chained to weren’t broken, even though the moose appears to have passed between the bikes and the tree, stepping over the cable. But, we’ve seen moose crash through thickets without breaking anything more than a dry twig, so it’s hard to say, really.

It’s not fair. We just got the bikes to the road and started using them again, and now mine’s out of action! I’ll need to talk to the local bike shop to see if they can fix these wheels, or if we’ll need to order new ones. It’s a set back we didn’t need, especially during National Bike Month!

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2 Responses to Great Bungling Bullwinkles!

  1. Brian says:

    A little wire and tape, you will be good to go! Bad fortune indeed. If the rim isn’t damaged you should be able to rebuild the wheels. I personally wouldn’t just replace the broken spokes. Is it my imagination or are you experiencing more moose incidents than you used to?

  2. Mark Zeiger says:

    Hi Brian,

    I think the fittings of the spokes are broken, but I’m not sure. I need to get it out of the wet and wild, and into a shop where I can concentrate.

    It would seem we’re having more moose incidents. Probably inevitable over time, but I think with the orphan calf running loose all winter, and the coincidence of making the mistake of putting the bikes where they can be easily reached from the road (easy for humans, far easier for moose) have made this our most moose-imperiled year yet.

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