Las Vegas bicyclist escapes bull’s wrath, but bike not so lucky — VIDEO

On its website, the Rock Cobbler cycling event near Bakersfield, California, is described as a “stupidly hard ride bordering on a race.”

But Mike Hileman of Las Vegas will mostly remember it being about a whole lot of bull.

The local optician was one of several cyclists charged by a bull during the recent event. He managed to jump off the seat before the bull trampled the rear wheel of his $8,000 racing bike.

Others were less fortunate, getting flipped into the air — rodeo bullfighter style — by the cornered beast. None was seriously injured, according to social media and other reports.

An observer posted on his Twitter account that the bull’s quarry were fine and seen drinking beer in the first-aid tent afterward.

Hileman said he was riding on a path heading into a narrow canyon when he described having a “Yellowstone” moment — a reference to the western-themed TV series.

A person filming shouted “It’s not a cow!” toward unsuspecting cyclists just before the bull tossed one like a rag doll.

“He was probably 10 yards from me, full charge, and I just tossed the bike to the side,” Hileman said about his encounter with the bull. “He diverted his charge to my bike and planted his head and his hoof into the ground and the rear wheel and destroyed it.”

Hileman joked he wasn’t about to send the bull a bill for the damages but that the event’s promoter is sending him a new wheel. When asked if he had newfound respect for rodeo cowboys, bullfighters and matadors, he said he actually has more for the bull.

“This bull was admirable in protecting his herd without fear. We were hundreds of cyclists,” he said. “When he had an option and I was in his direct line of charge, he diverted to take my bike out instead of me. I have a hard time believing there wasn’t a little bit of compassion there.

“It was almost a comical moment that could have turned (out) otherwise.”

Contact Ron Kantowski at rkantowski@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski on Twitter.