Video: Mountain Biker Narrowly Avoids Hitting 2 Bear Cubs

Jul 29, 2019
by Sarah Moore  


Arben Kuqi was riding his bike in the Sharr Mountains in the Kosovo region when he came across a mama bear with two little cubs on the trail. He says the mama bear started to be very aggressive and he felt lucky to escape.

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127 Comments
  • 141 1
 Wait what, were they sharing the bike or something then skidaddled out of there ASAP with the two of them on the one bike? I'm so confused
  • 60 0
 I'm really confused about what the hell is going on there.
  • 13 0
 me too...wtf?
  • 20 1
 I think the 2nd rider dropped his bike and ran, then they shared a bike to get down from the mountain.
  • 10 1
 @Lankycrank: I guess that's how they do it Kosovo style. Out here it's every man for himself when it's time to dip!
  • 369 0
 I think the mother bear (having previously worked for a circus) stole the second bike and now rides it around the trails.
  • 41 23
 It was the moment he realized he wants to be a good person and will never ride his E-bike again.
  • 9 1
 This has ben a kuqi one.
  • 5 4
 @endlessblockades: guess they understand solidarity better there than in the US of A...
  • 10 0
 Honestly this part was more novel than the part with the bears. Wtf
  • 153 0
 Translation at the end of the video: Me and friend were riding when we cam across bear. My friend wanted the new Yeti Mullet bike and had been to circus so he knew bears rode bikes. He sold his bike to the bear who subsequently took a swipe at him scratching his arm once the bear figured out it was 142 rear hub spacing and not boost. We rode away fast so the bear could not get his PB user name report him as a bad seller. "Good luck converting that rear 142 king hub to 148 boost" he yelled at the bear as we rode away on one bike.
  • 2 2
 So confusing, but yeah seems they only had 1 bike to share. Watch carefully after he passes the bears and does a quick look behind him. You can see his mate running down the trail behind him.
  • 3 0
 @Ktron: I dunno about that, I played back a bunch of times at 0.25 speed and it sure looks to me like his friend is also riding a bike when he turns his head back.
  • 5 0
 @vjunior21: nonsense. Every bear knows they make conversion spacers to fit 142 into boost frames
  • 14 0
 I was hoping to translate this for you, but I could bearly understand what they were saying.
  • 3 0
 @rrolly: Don't be such an ursus.
  • 4 3
 @bilsmy: "What is it with the animals with the bikes? I took my daughter to the circus. She said: "Daddy, how do they teach a bear how to ride a bike?" I said: It's easy, they nail his feet to the pedals and they beat the shit out of him. He's not riding, he's running. He just happens to be attached to the bike." She said: "Really?" No, all bears ride schwinns through the woods. It comes natural for a bear to ride a two wheeler."

There's some old Robert Schimmel for ya.
  • 8 0
 @cuban-b: Chromag are official suppliers to all trail bears.
  • 2 0
 and wearing an older intense cycles shirt(republic of california w/bear riding bike).LOL
  • 1 0
 Bear jacked his bike?
  • 1 5
flag allredbikes (Jul 29, 2019 at 20:48) (Below Threshold)
 @vjunior21: LOL that is not the translation
  • 4 0
 @Dropthedebt: I would also imagine that bears avoid brands like Yeti and Guerilla Gravity - brands whose mascots are in direct competition with them in terms of the food chain.
  • 2 0
 Drew S
8 hours ago
What happened to the other bike?

Beni Kuqi
8 hours ago
200meters after we skip bears my friend crashed and left his bike and he started running
  • 102 0
 I would have Pooh'd myself!
  • 14 4
 That was a honey of a pun, I winnied with laughter! Big Grin
  • 11 1
 That would have been a grizzly scene.
  • 15 0
 eeyore pretty funny
  • 11 5
 God damn it.
  • 7 0
 Next time you make a joke like that make sure you include a tigger warning
  • 1 0
 @johnnyboy11000: He bearly got out of there.
  • 63 0
 Lol I’m so confused....
“Dang dude we almost just smoked 2 bear cubs”
“No kidding! Now move over and let’s take just one bike down the mountain”
“Good idea, not sure how else we’d get out of here with 2 perfectly good working bikes.
  • 25 0
 "I have a small scratch on my arm - ima hop aboard"
  • 8 0
 I assume the second rider had to deal with the mama, ditched his bike, and rode down with the other guy
  • 4 1
 LOL. I know LOL gets downloaded but patch that had me in tears !
  • 2 0
 @unconsenting81: oh shit mama bear! Better get off this perfect machine that makes downhill travel safer and faster. Huh?
  • 1 0
 @unconsenting81: From what I can tell the 2nd rider was behind the guy who almost hit the bears but then is in front and the other dude has no bike. We need that missing footage
  • 59 1
 Guys, guys, I translated the description on Youtube -

"I and Blend Syla until we were released by mountain bikes in the Sharr Mountains in a few meters near by we encountered a Two-Tailed Bear. Small horns only for a few centimeters escaped from the bicycle collision while the big whitewash was unloaded and started to follow us, fortunately I had a good ride and also avoided Arusha, it was a very frightful moment but also very special that rarely who can experience it.”

Clear now.
  • 27 0
 thanks for doing that...clears up everything!
  • 3 0
 @flipoffthemonkeys: Welcome.
  • 12 4
 Not a single Cyka Blyat!
  • 11 0
 Yeah, imagine if it was a One-tailed bear with big horns.
  • 55 0
 To help you out I've translated this into Spanish, then to German, then back to english. In theory this should add emotion (from spain) and machine-like precision (from german).

'Me and Blend Syla, until we started with mountain bikes in the Sharr Mountains, a few feet away, we met a two-tailed bear. Small speakers only for a few inches escaped the collision of the bike while the big lime was unloaded and began to follow us. Luckily I had a good trip and also avoided Arusha. It was a very scary, but also very special moment that you can rarely experience'

I like to think the big lime is there like fresh salsa
  • 2 0
 @browner: That certainly helps
  • 5 0
 Dunno.. still a bit confused...
  • 2 0
 @browner: Perfect translation. Emotion of drama, and informative of documentary. Riveting!!
  • 2 0
 Great success!
  • 1 0
 @browner:
Best comment yet!
  • 2 0
 @WAKIdesigns: Why would there be one? They are albanians and their language is not even slavic. Hell, it is not even related to any other languages
  • 23 1
 Dont say it.... "That was un'bear'ably close."
  • 1 0
 I don’t think it would have eaten them, it was just a bit grizzly that’s all
  • 19 0
 Was the chase and the bit where the bear ate the 2nd bike edited out?
  • 12 0
 Another reason to make lots of noise when you are out in bear country. Lots. Those jackasses that may look at you weird when you hoot an holler in areas where you do not have line of sight there is a food source or are traveling at a high rate of speed are just rolling the dice...Make noise. Oh yah and fuck bear spray on a bike. I've seen too many punctures...
  • 7 1
 Punctures of what? The spray?
  • 29 0
 @powderturns: he means that bear spray makes for terrible sealant.
  • 9 0
 i9's!
  • 8 0
 I'm always doing a hockey WOOOO when I'm out by myself In the hope I'll scare off certain wildlife. Get dirty looks now and then. Glad to know I'm not the only one
  • 3 0
 I run Onyx hubs. Maybe I should put a hockey card in my spokes.
  • 4 0
 @Stetay: You're definitely not the only one...lol
  • 9 0
 @Stetay: I do moto BBBRRRRAAAAAAAAPPPPPs! It also helps give you more speed out of the corners!
  • 2 0
 Have you ever been chased by a grizzly and had to use bear spray to avoid a... grisly end? I have. So yah, I'm carrying it in bear country.
  • 1 0
 @sjc88: Yup. But I can tell you when the bear (which was the size of a smart car) was chasing us I was not thinking about bear spray. If he had of wanted to catch us he could have. Should you carry it? Yes. I will never argue againts it. It is simply my choice. Roll the dice? Yes.
  • 3 0
 Just shout “yeah boi “ at every opportunity, that should do it .
  • 11 1
 Hah...this happened with me and a buddy last week during the 30 day challenge. It was about 7pm and she was less than 10 feet off trail above me & my buddy in front of me had just rolled through. We were between her and the 2 cubs so she bluff charged my back wheel and did that 2 pawed black bear "grunt and thump" .

We took off pedaling down a long rhodo corridor in the trail and I went to chat with my buddy that she had, glanced over my shoulder and she sees me look back and does it again only a few more fast strides before her stomp and we got out of there.

2 nights later, an hour later in the day, on a trail that runs parallel to and above that trail, I see her again but she's below me and she eases away (so happy to see that) but then her cubs are right next to the trail after I pass her and one little badass gets on his back feet and gives a tigger grrrrrowwrrr at me as I go by. I hammered the pedals and didn't look back in case that made momma think I'd eaten him. Big Grin
  • 6 0
 :O That's unreal!! I love that the lil' one gave you a growl after his mom threatened to eff you up two nights before, such attitude!
  • 5 0
 totally thought this was you until I saw where this was. If you ever come out to the Vancouver, Canada area DM me. I'll buy you a beer. (I won't ride with you though. You have the worst freaking luck!)
  • 1 0
 Had a similar experience at Whistler a few years ago. Came around the corner and a cub was in the middle of the trail, close enough I could have scooped it up. Cub ran off and mom came charging out of the bushes and gave me the stare down. Fortunately it was Whistler and the bears don't really see us as a threat. She sure made her point though.
  • 1 0
 @kathwill: well in Whistler it´s mostly black bears, not so dangerous as these
  • 2 1
 @rrolly: Funny...cause a momma & 2 cubs were waiting for me there too at the GLC drop. Everyone was balled up on the entrance to the drop so I just went around the drop only to come face to face with big momma. She didn't move & just sort of waddled out of the way. Smile
Almost center punched her.
Female blacks up there are massive.
  • 11 0
 That could have had a grizzly outcome, turned out the polar opposite of how I expected.
  • 4 0
 Had the same thing happen to me on the pass in Jackson hole. Came in hot down the trail in a pretty exposed area, saw what I thought at the time was a dog with weird looking wirey hair running down the trail in front of me. Made some noise and just as I had caught it, it dodged off the trail into the brush and I realized it was a cub. Scared the piss outta me. I was in a spot that kind of paralleled the pass highway so I hiked my bike out to the highway as fast as I could. You do NOT want to risk running into mama after an encounter with her cubs like that.
  • 13 0
 You have to be careful coming in hot in Jackson Hole Pimp
  • 2 0
 @Dropthedebt: A tip of the hat to you sir. Have a prop
  • 8 0
 Missed the bears, then got nailed with the prickle bush.
  • 3 0
 Yep, and then claimed it was a Bear scratch.
  • 7 0
 Pun fail unless you spell it Bearly.
  • 9 1
 Cub on guys....
  • 6 0
 Pinkbike 2024: Rider gets chased by two bears he almost ran over when they were cubs.
  • 2 0
 Thought that was a surprised sound he made when almost hitting the cub, but I think it was mama bear's growl. You can see her head poking up on the left at 0:27 and then 0:34 during the slow mo. Looks like she initially ducks down when she sees him. Crazy!
  • 2 0
 Wow. So Close!
  • 5 0
 Bear.......2 guys sharing a bike....which one is the bear again. Jk, still a better love story than Twilight.
  • 3 0
 They think they were scared. Imagine how the poor bears felt! Make noise when playing in bear country, Sing, hoot, holler bear bells, whatever it takes. Bears don't like being snuck on and frankly can't blame them.
  • 3 1
 If people would start yelling out, "Hey yo" every so often on the trails, bears would not be anywhere in sight. Also, by making noise often, people riding up or down would be more aware of each other and there'll likely be less of a fast encounter with each other in the opposite directions. Of all of my rides, I've only encountered one black bear up close when we're not making noise, but as soon as my friend spotted it and started yelling at it, the bear took off. We spotted another one several hundred metres away trying to run away from us on a trail in Golden while we're riding towards it. The bear took off as soon as it heard us coming. If you know there's likely gonna be bears in the area, belch out "Hey Yo" as loud as you can as you're riding. You won't see any wildlife except for squirrels and dumb grouses that come at you. Wink
  • 4 0
 thats why i do no maintenance on my bikes, bears can hear my chain slap coming from a mile away and end up feeling bad for me so they leave me alone Smile
  • 6 5
 Slow news day. How often do people come across bear cubs in the woods? I don't get out as often as I would like & I still see them at least once a year.
Make some noise coming down the hill. Bells, horns, holler some. Do not be a knob and just ride it out quietly. If that had been a grizzly, he would have had more than a bramble scratch.
  • 4 0
 They have definitely shared a bike before. I would struggle for ages trying to fit 2 onto a bike.
  • 3 0
 Yeah especially without pegs. Those dudes were pros
  • 2 0
 Here I am scared to run into a rattlesnake and other people run into bears lol I’d be scared shitless if I ever ran into one I’m packing a picnic basket and hopefully yogi will take that and I can keep going on my way
  • 1 0
 Last year walking round golf course in whistler on my own big male black bear comes out of bushes 2 ft away managed to back away and scare it of lets just say don’t think I’ve got to the GLC as quick in my life definitely needed them beers
  • 1 0
 Same thing happened to me once. This all happened very quickly: The cub was to my left and wanted to cross the trail. So the cub ran along side of my front wheel for a second then scampered in front of my wheel to cross the trail. In my peripheral vision to the left, I saw a large dark animal moving (which I presumed to be mom). My stomach dropped and legs kicked into overdrive. The riders behind me had to turn back. I couldn't go back.

Very scary moment.
  • 5 2
 Incredipawl footage. Encountering a furocious beast totally bruins your ride.
  • 1 0
 That’s a common occurrence for me in Western North Carolina. High summer riding here leaves little line of sight for us and then. You find yourself eerily close. Good thing there are only black bears here.
  • 1 0
 Drove up on one yesterday on Spencer gap. Bear hardly looked at me. Didn't run off or anything. Just went about his business and I just rode by.
  • 4 0
 A black Bear will still tear you a new asshole!
  • 1 1
 @h-beck83: You drove up on one? Please, Keep your vehicle off the trails!
  • 2 0
 Been through this and Im just glad to say black bears have a much different mentality. (She ditched her cubs and ran leaving them bewildered.)
  • 4 2
 That could of really left a paw mark and was definitely a bear miss. When riding Kosovo avoid unexploded ordinance and bears. Ride faster than bear or be mauled.
  • 4 0
 Well you know the old saying: Does a bear make you shit in the woods?
  • 2 0
 If this were me the video would have been titled "rider drops friend like a bad habit after seeing momma bear", and there would be a search party going on for the other dude.
  • 1 0
 I must be odd as i felt more scared for the cub than the rider. Then i realised the ton of claws teeth and muscle were next to it! At least here in blighty we only get squirrels and the occasional dog doing that!
  • 4 1
 How did he escape? ‘Quite easily, bearly an inconvenience’
  • 1 0
 Why they shared the bike...
Arben Kuqi wrote in the comments of YT: "200meters after we skip bears, my friend crashed and left his bike and started running"
  • 3 1
 That was insanely close. If he clips that cub and goes over the bars, he's on a direct line toward destination f88ked.
  • 2 0
 He's on a highway to... ? Wink
  • 3 0
 Was that Weird Al Yankovic without glasses?
  • 2 0
 quick send a team to figure out why these dudes randomly went tandem and ditched a bike?
  • 1 0
 Wild I almost ran into one just yesterday, but the bears here are super skittish and it took off up a tree faster than you can say Richie Rude
  • 2 0
 Uhhh wtf?? Clearly this video was not posted because of the bear cubs. Why are these dudes riding a bike together?
  • 1 0
 In the longer YouTube version, he says: " if you are interested for MTB guide please contact benikuqi@gmail.com"
No Thanks !!!
  • 4 1
 Y'all are un-bear-able..
  • 4 2
 Wow, must be a slow week at PB.
  • 2 0
 So, they decided to ditch the bike on the trail and go tandem on one bike?
  • 1 2
 Dick in ass, yo.
  • 2 0
 hope he got his bicycle back
  • 3 0
 Those were pigs?!
  • 1 0
 They where riding a tandem bike but he doesn't want to sit in the back no longer because....well bear food ...:-)
  • 1 1
 Know that game! We have so many bears around here. Cubs are cute..would much rather hit a road biker than a cub.
  • 1 0
 I could barely watch this, nerve racking.
  • 1 0
 Bear in mind that wild animals can be dangerous.
  • 1 0
 Ok so I saw the bear cubs but then.... wtf?
  • 1 0
 That started cool, then got weird.
  • 1 0
 she saw he had grip shift, it had nothing to do with the cubs
  • 1 0
 2 bear cub narrowly eating mt.biker!
  • 2 0
 bromance
  • 3 2
 barely missed him
  • 14 0
 Looks like a scene from BrokeBike Mountain
  • 1 0
 very lucky bear cubs
  • 1 2
 What he really meant was ‘Kosovo is Serbia’ ????????????







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