BOULDER, Colo. -- A Boulder County bicyclist has quite a story to tell after he collided with a bear in the middle of a rural road.

Tim Egan told the Boulder Daily Camera that he was going about 45 mph on Old Stage Road, just north of Boulder, Tuesday afternoon when he saw the large black bear crossing in front of him. Egan, 53, said he ran into the bear and was tossed into the air, skidding across the pavement and cracking several of his ribs.

The Boulder resident told the newspaper that his 21-year-old nephew was with him at the time and said the animal looked like a big black dog as they approached from a distance, but it was definitely a bear.

Egan said the bear stood on its hind legs after the crash but was distracted by a nearby deer and didn't attack him.

Another cyclist collided with a bear on Old Stage Road in July 2006, according to the Daily Camera. It happened during the Boulder Peak Triathlon.

Read more about the story on the Boulder Daily Camera Web site.