attn: MS150 participants.
2012-05-09 15:40:40
8
Cycling For SCIENCE!!!
via skepchick.org:
Cyclists can now help scientists by reporting animals flattened by automobiles.
An organization that pairs data-collecting outdoor enthusiasts with researchers launched a roadkill-observation project this week. Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation is calling on everyone from commuters to expedition cyclists to record information about wildlife carcasses on their route and enter the data online.
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/05/bike-roadkill-count/
2012-05-09 14:19:23
^ Not looking forward to that aspect of the ride.
2012-05-09 18:03:31
Can I count the ones I smell or only the ones I see? It always seems that this time of year there is a dead something or other rotting away at the top of a hill where Im really sucking wind.
2012-05-09 19:12:07
... I can smell the dead ani-mals ... SCIENCE!
(not to make light of road kill)
2012-05-09 19:18:12
Something stinks near that parking lot in junction hollow or panther hollow or whatever it is considered. Something is dead somewhere.
Also, remember the dead possum with the dead babies smashed on the road during last year's MS? Awwwwwwwww
2012-05-09 19:26:44
bluh this reminds me of my first ms150. it was the hottest summer i've ridden it yet, and the roadkill was pretty incredible and plentiful. stories would spread amonst the cyclists, and it was disgusting/morbidly fun to hear from people further back in the packs after stuff had been ridden over and scattered about for hours.
anybody else remember the inside-out porcupine or the pregnant possum? anyone?
2012-05-10 00:51:12
Oh boy! had I known of this last year!
When I did the MS150 last year, someone gave me as a word-of-advice to keep an eye-out for roadkill, for the last thing you want to do is run over a dead animal and have to deal with it in your tires for the rest of the ride, so I kept my eyes wide open for them.
In total, I counted 28 "roadkill" events in the 2-day course of the ride. And thankfully, I did not ride my bike over any of them 
ps: I do-remember the possum & babies 
BUT the one that shocked me the most was a HUGE dead racoon. I don't know if the 'coon was already big & fat to start with, or if it was because it was all "gassy" from decomposition.
Yikes.....
2012-05-15 00:01:25