Australian cyclist’s near miss after deadly snake is scooped up in wheel

Australia has a reputation for its deadly animals and it certainly lived up to that on a recent ride for one unlucky cyclist who was bitten by a snake.

In what AusCycling has described as “a tale of caution”, Andy Barlow received the nip from the snake while enjoying a mountain bike ride in the You Yangs mountain range in Victoria after it got tangled in his rear wheel. Except this wasn’t any ordinary snake but an Eastern Brown, which is widely regarded as the second-deadliest snake on earth.

In a country where around 12 different snake species are capable of killing a human, most snake bites pack some venom, but the Eastern Brown’s is up there with the most toxic. Luckily for Barlow, the snake only delivered a dry bite with no venom, although he didn’t know that at the time.

The incident happened, as Barlow explains in an Instagram post, when his back wheel hit what he thought was a branch. Unfortunately for the Australian cyclist it was a snake that had subsequently got tangled in his rear wheel and delivered a bite to the back of his leg.

“Thursday was an eventful day at You Yangs to say the least!” he said. “Riding up lactic acid trail almost to the top, I heard sth in the bushes riding past, then sth hitting my back wheel. I thought it was just a branch going into the back wheel, then sth hitting the back of my right leg as the wheel was turning, slowly locking my back wheel.

“I jumped off the bike to see a brown snake wrapped in the back wheel, first reaction I was bitten for sure.”

According to the Australian Red Cross, it’s important for a person to stay in a relaxed position after being bitten by a snake to prevent the venom from spreading. Barlow followed this advice and luck was on his side when passing cyclists came to his aid with bandages so that he could wrap the affected area - another important step if bitten by a snake - before he called for the emergency services.

After spending the night in hospital, which included “many blood tests”, Barlow was given the all-clear as the snake had delivered a dry bite without any venom. The majority of bites by Eastern Brown snakes are dry but it’s still important to seek immediate medical attention if ever bitten.

After the incident, Barlow cautioned other cyclists riding in Australia to be prepared with a snake bite kit.

“Over my 50 years I've had many close calls with snakes, but this is the closest yet. Be prepared when out in the great outdoors this time of year, I will definitely be having a snake bite kit at all times from now on!

“BIG THANKS to the blokes for stopping and helping me, the emergency services, and Neil from Parks Victoria for looking after my precious new bike! YOU ARE ALL LEGENDS THANK YOU!”