Cucumbers of the gods

Two weeks ago we had the second cucumber of the season. The first had to be fed unwillingly to our "pet" groundhog" to go with the lettuce that he ate.

Before washing and having the spikes removed

A glamour shot with drops of water just like in a supermarket ad.

These little bush cucumbers don't get too big but they are very tasty. I still fear to grow them or any variety because I haven't figured out when to pick to avoid overripe, bitter cucumbers.

Are there any cucumber aficionados who would care top comment in what to plant and when to pick?