just avoid the snake bite it's not complicated.

 

Yep, observe and be thankful for the sighting. Take a photo and be on your way. If it's still on the trail grab a long branch or wheel your bike towards it so it goes off the trail. Pretty simple things to do and both of you part ways a bit wiser.

Lasts weeks encounter:

Have a good day, as he scurried off the trail. I always make sure to get them off the trail so nobody else has an unfortunate encounter or they come upon it and kill it which is a common ass hat thing to do amongst humans.

 

I was riding in AZ, saw one going across the trail ,didn't have time to stop ,had enough speed ,bunny hopped it and didn't look back.

 

for #2 and #3. Just keep riding and don't stop. I have run over a few snakes. Not on purpose, but safer than trying do some strange move and risking a crash.

 

keeping my distance has never been a problem. I ride where eastern timber rattlesnakes and copperheads are exceedingly common.

2 scenarios here are common.

1. you never see the snake and you ride past it, completely unaware a venomous snake is present (most common by far)
2. you see the snake and stop, giving it space. sometimes in the case of big rattlers, they're not moving, so you have to turn back the way you came.

anything else is VERY uncommon.

 

I generally shoo them off the trail with a stick so the next person who comes along doesn't run over it.

It's very situational, I've ridden around them at times at speed when I didn't see them in time.

 

Our rattlers can get pretty big here. I'm not too enthused to try to shoo them off the trail with a 10ft tree so I'm out of reach. If you see those big'uns from far enough away that they don't go into defensive mode, you can sometimes give just enough pressure to get them to mosey along at a relaxed pace. Alarm them too much, and they'll coil up and never move while you're around.

 

Our rattlers can get pretty big here. I'm not too enthused to try to shoo them off the trail with a 10ft tree so I'm out of reach. If you see those big'uns from far enough away that they don't go into defensive mode, you can sometimes give just enough pressure to get them to mosey along at a relaxed pace. Alarm them too much, and they'll coil up and never move while you're around.

We get big ones here in the SW too, I've moved plenty of 6 footers off my property using a 3 ft. long snake grabber. I'm no expert but I've grown pretty familiar with their habits over the years and I don't fear them (much) once I've located them and assessed the situation. Mostly they just want to be left alone but sometimes you have to move them.

 

I agree with Harold and JB above. Where I live I encounter rattlers almost every ride during summertime. The first thing is you don’t need to be scared of them. They don’t want to waste their energy trying to fight something they can’t eat. Give them room and just avoid them.

In all of my years I have only had 1 experience where I came around a blind turn, and almost got bit while trying to avoid the snake.

I usually will try to get them off of the trail since plenty of people don’t have their dogs on leash in my area.


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I've seen them (heck, I have them in my yard and neighborhood). In all but one case, I've avoided anything silly/stupid. In the one case, I came absolutely flying around a corner and the rattlesnake was sunning itself by laying all the way across the trail. I spazzed out, hammered the brakes, and went OTB. Don't do that! Luckily, the snake either saw me hurtling through the air or heard me scream. By the time I landed, it had slithered off to the side of the trail. The snakes want as little to do with us as we do with them. Generally, just leave them alone and if at all possible give them space.

 

I would pay no more attention to them than I would a stick.

 

Really? I run over sticks without the slightest concern.

 

Wear a mask

 

In church.

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Bunny hop? Slam on brakes? Cruise by and keep foot facing snake high up (near top tube)?

I encountered two on yesterday's ride. Definite pucker factor. And it forced me to think how best to handle these situations in the future.

There seem to be a few common scenarios:

1) you see the snake in advance. If far enough down trail, and you're going slow enough, makes sense to stop and let it scurry away.
2) you don't see the snake in advance. you're on a straight, going fast-ish, and coming up on snake quickly. Do you blast through? Raise feet? Slam on brakes and risk stopping right at the snake, going over bars, or losing control and falling on top of the damn thing?
3) coming around a turn and a fat rattler is right in front of you? :eekster:

There could be more scenarios, just a few that come to mind.

Really just trying to start dialogue. Interested to hear your thoughts and suggestions (and experiences)!

Thanks

When I lived in AZ I have encountered all your scenarios. The one where they are in the distance is best case scenario. You can stop, toss some small rocks at it to get it moving on, or pick you way around it with a wide berth and rejoin the trail further down trail.
If you are hauling and you pass over a snake, you are probably in the clear, they tend to prefer not to engage, hence the warning rattle, so you will blow by them and you have probably have done this tons of times and not known you have done so.
I flew around a corner once and a huge one was curled in the trail. I grabbed brakes over the bars, over the snake on one foot, huge jump and into the shrubs. The snake didn't even notice me. I broke my phone, injured my back, scratched my frame, and scared the daylights out of myself. I regained composure and shooed the snake off the trail and went home to buy a new phone.
I had a day riding with buddies when I saw a rattler with enough distance to stop before hitting. Unfortunately my buddies didn't have time, they slammed into me, pushing my front tire forward until it was over the snake. We jumped in unison away from the now very angry rattler and then changed our shorts.

So many interactions with rattlers in 15+ years mountain biking in AZ and never was bit, or close to bit. The closest was when my front tire pinned it, but even then it wanted to escape as soon as my tire came off it. I never knew anyone bit by one. They are scary but common sense and just avoiding angering them and then staying within striking distance is the best method to not get bit.

 

Back when I lived in southern Arizona I would encounter 2 or 3 rattlesnakes across the trail every year. Typically the scenario was that I didn't see it until the last moment then I would pull up hard on both feet trying to get away from the snake but of course my shoes were clipped into the clipless pedals and my feet went nowhere.

 

We have rattlesnakes and copperheads in my area. It's uncommon, but we have seen these snakes on occasion.

In one instance, my wife and dog came around a blind turn and a rattlesnake was sunning itself in the trail. They rode/ran behind its tail and I stopped. I gave it a wide berth, took the road that paralleled the trail and everything was good. Before I left, I watched it and it became irritated and rattled at me. I stopped taking my dog after this encounter.

I have seen a copperhead eating a mouse in the trail. Have I mentioned this area is very remote and we have the trails to ourselves? It was very cool and a little scary to realize the snakes use the trails as their hunting grounds.

Most of the time, I ride right past these snakes as they sit on the sides of the trail. Just have to watch where you stop. I've seen one sitting right beside the trail in the tall grass.

As others said, shew them off the trail if you can.

 

I have seen a copperhead eating a mouse in the trail. Have I mentioned this area is very remote and we have the trails to ourselves? It was very cool and a little scary to realize the snakes use the trails as their hunting grounds.

From the snakes perspective it's probably a little uncool and scary to realize that mountain bikers are using their hunting grounds as trails

 

I live where we don't have poisonous snakes on purpose. I am not down with the nope-noodles!!

 

Never knew there were so many pansy mountain bikers. :lol:

What if some of the roadies heard some of these responses?

 

I've only had one encounter, and it rattled loud enough that I could hear it before I got close. I'm hard-of-hearing and I could still hear it from a ways away. *Eek*

 

I'm hard-of-hearing and I could still hear it from a ways away. *Eek*

I know who you are.

 

I've bunny hopped a copperhead once .
I suck at bunny hops., So likely he felt my tire a bit. I stopped after to look back and it was coiled up and really mad.

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My trails in Scottsdale are riddled with rattlers.... I've learned to bunny hop (rattle hop )... it's the best approach. Keep moving and they will leave you alone.

The stats on snake bites leads towards 24yo drunk males that try to handle them. Snake Lives Matter, leave them alone.

 

Do what most real men do -- get off your bike, get closer to the snake, and take a picture.

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Do what most real men do -- get off your bike, get closer to the snake, and take a picture.

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They don't chase you. Stay a safe distance and you'll be fine.

 

Shoot it, turn it into a fancy pair of spd shoes, pedal off to the nearest watering hole.

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I just moved to AZ not long ago. The thought of running into a rattler is scarier than actually encountering one. It's something I worried about before moving here, but since being here I see them fairly regularly. Even on our evening family walks we've come across a few. I just keep my distance and respect their space. Like someone said above, they don't want to bite you.

 

Grew up in NM. It was not uncommon to just hop them and not look back!

 

It depends on how pissed off it already is. I have run over a few not even knowing. Also if you are riding in a group the first rider startles it, the second rider pisses it off, and the third rider gets bit which means get out in front.

Generally I leave them alone. Don't bother them they won't bother you. I do let hikers or riders know there is a snake up ahead.

this one was not happy

 

It depends on how pissed off it already is. I have run over a few not even knowing. Also if you are riding in a group the first rider startles it, the second rider pisses it off, and the third rider gets bit which means get out in front.

Generally I leave them alone. Don't bother them they won't bother you. I do let hikers or riders know there is a snake up ahead.

this one was not happy
View attachment 1346055

Snake dance.

 

I saw this big boy a few weeks ago. If you have never heard them hiss, it is definitely more scary than them rattling.

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I hate after you see a snake every stick, twig, root, or branch is a snake.

 

I have a special rattlesnake mover for the critters that show up on our property. It's a metal leaf rake with a nice long handle. They crawl on the rake and either get deposited out the back in the Provincial Park or out the front in our scree field.
Some object loudly, others take it in stride and get cooled down with a cool water misting.
That's what they're looking for on our property ... water.