"There's also the possibility of literally running into a bear. I've found four instances in North America of cyclists running into bears while traveling at a high speed. It's the nature of the sport; bikers also run into hikers and other cyclists on singletrack trails. The trails are signed for one-way travel, which helps minimize collisions with humans, but not wildlife."

Or a moose.  Thank you for recognizing the safety aspect of the one-way trails.  In Arizona and Northern California, it was, deer, lions and black bears.  The thing is, the sport isn't all about high-speed, no matter how many times you claim.  Again, there are many users on any given day that are not going that fast, possibly why your research indicates that cyclists as a group are at far less risk of a bear mauling.