dr_cantalope

Went out for a club ride today, and on the way back a bug hit my helmet, I was doing somewhere between 25 and 30 mph. No big deal, except I thought it felt like the bug didn't deflect off but got stuck in the helmet. Well about 5 or 10 minutes later, I went to take my helmet off, and I felt a sharp pain smack in the middle of my forehead. I scratched it and a black spec came off onto my finger. I looked in my helmet and there was a bee just chilling out there. Apparently he smacked into my helmet, went through the air vent and was just hanging out on my melon until I pissed him off and he stung me.

Sometimes I feel like the bright colors we wear attracts the bugs. Any similar stories?

Besides that the ride was awesome. 52.6 miles total in just under 3 hours (I averaged 17.67 mph for the ride), and oh yeah, 3500+ feet of vertical climbing with some amazing downhills. I live for switchbacks .

Equinox

Damn. I got stung three times on one ride last year. Once on the leg and twice on the belly. One got close to Mr. Happy, so I'm a little paranoid.

banerjek

Bees in the helmet is a common occurrence. Last weekend, one somehow got trapped between my helmet strap and my head. He stung my ear before he got away.

It is just me, or are bees most likely to get in your helmet when you're on a pace that will break your personal best time? A few weeks ago, I was feeling great and just tearing up the road. Just as I was thinking that I was on track to break my record, I got a bee in the helmet. I decided I'd rather get stung than screw up a great ride, but he drove me crazy buzzing around until he got out about 3 miles later. I never did get stung. Didn't break my PB either though

bccycleguy

I've often had a bee or two buzzing around me when I've climbed a hill near my place. Usually in the spring when I'm wearing a yellow jacket. While it's sort of neat while they try to figure out where this big flower is going, you do start thinking about "what if".

Bockman

Hornet on the back of my neck in May. Owie.

Da Tinker

Honey bee down my jersey yesterday morning. I'm sensitive to stings, so I always carry benadryl in the seat bag. Finished the ride in good form, but took a long nap at the house.

Granny

I have a lot of problems riding with my jersey open. It acts like a funnel and catches anything that's flying. I get stung at least once a week.

Mariner Fan

dr_cantalope,
Thanks for the story. I've had a bee sting me on the wrist for some reason. I was with a buddy who got stung on the inside of the leg (he was wearing loose shorts). He freaked out and crashed his bike. Then he got a flat, then he got another flat. Geez, really screwed up our ride.

Chucklehead

i got stung in the armpit last october. at first, it just felt like my jersey snagged one of my pit hairs, but it didn't take long to figure out what really happened.

i get the be in the helmet thing sometimes, too. but if i think for a second that there's one stuck, i'll take my helmet off and check.

Granny

I shave my armpits. Anyone else - or am I just a little gay?

Chucklehead

maybe just a little. then again, a lot of us shave our freakin' legs =\

rover

I was riding last month and caught a bee in a helmet vent. It started buzzing around and making a ruckus. I slammed on the brakes, jumped off the bike, and shook out my helmet. I didn't actually get stung, but there was an old woman who was very confused as to why a spandex clad man was running around her yard waving his helmet in the air.

SDRider

I've had that happen twice recently. Both times I stopped and pulled my helmet off to see a bee fall down onto the pavement below me. He looked stunned so I guess I lucked out not to have been stung either time. I was probably doing about 19-20mph both times.

Urban Shooter

I must be extremely lucky because I have had several bees and wasps bounce off my arms and face while riding but I have yet to be stung. Knock wood.

mayukawa

I think I've only had four or so bee encounters since I started road biking nearly three years ago. Two have bounced off my face (luckily didn't get stung) during windy times. The other time I had one walking around my right thigh, so I stopped and wait for it to fly off (I think I was going a bit fast for it to fly off). Then one other time there was a bee resting on one of my socks. I thought it had flown off, but I later noticed that it was still there while I was taking a shower. I got it off my socks and then it went back on when I was done showering. I got partially dressed and took the sock outside and get it off and then closed the door. It hung around (walked back and forth on the ground) outside for 10 minutes before deciding to fly off.

ollo_ollo

Never saw it, but a few weeks ago I got a painful sting on the side of my neck after a loud whack on my helmet by some beelike creature. Left a big lump & was sore for a couple days, then the itching began.

chrisvu05

last summer was trucking up a hill and got stung on the Butt...rode the same ride the next day and got stung within a half inch of the same place I was stung the day before....

nova

lol nice one.
Heres a better one happened a few years ago soon after summit metro parks put in the lake at silver creek and finished the roads in the park. I was tarng down the road thats nearly all down hill or flat from east entrance off medina line to west entrance of medina line. I was probably doigng mid 30s closing on 40 mph mark. And got hit by somethign in my left shoulder. It hit with enough force to cause me to wipe out. Lucky i held on till i ran off in to the grass. Well i lost control totaly then and fell off landing on my but and back skidding down the hill packed the dirt and grass right in between my helmet and my head. Bike kept rolling along ended up in the saplings 50 or so feet further down the hill.

After i catch my breath i start to get up and hear some one say stay down you damn fool!!!
Im thinking what the hell is going on. I look over my shoulder and heres this ranger gun unclipped hand on but lookig around. About this time i start to rub my sore shoulder and look in my hand at a big glob of bee goop bumble bee goop. I could tell bry the ammount the the wings and the colors of what little was left of his body. About this time i start laughing very very hard.

Heres this ranger who thought some one shot me.

Turns out he seen the bee hit me and the way i twisted on impact it looked like some one had shot me.
My bike was totaly un damaged other than a flat front I had damaged my helmet enough to not trust it any more grass and mud was between the helmet and my head but also between the shell and styrofoam. So walked my bike home patched the tire and had my mom take me to the bike shop for a new helmet.

nova

Lol
When i was in to MTBs and would ride through feilds and such id have bird shadowing me after the insects id stir up. Its funny how animals will use us to get what they want. Birds tend to pick up on the fact bikes motor cycles etc stir up bugs and follow along with us for a free meal. Prety damn clever when you think about it.

chromedome

My best friend had a bee sting him on the inside of the lip. He was riding about thirty feet in front of me at the time. The language he used!

I've had a sting in the side of the neck. There's a park I ride past that always has tons of bees. On one ride a bee got into the front of my shirt. I'm flapping my arms beating me chest thinking I could squish it. I felt it moving around in there, so I stopped and started pulling off my shirt. This is when I got stung. The park was rated R for language and brief violence that day.

save10

Yeah. I got stung in my mouth going down hill once. That was cool.

C_Heath

I got hammered once on a dirt bike, he went into my helmet, I immidiately started shaking my head wildly. That was not the thing to do as I lost balance on a dirt road and eat it hard. I didnt get stung though. He flew out. I looked like chopped meat though.

Polonswim

About a month ago, I rode through a swarm of bees. Didn't get stung, but two hit the lens of my glasses with enough force to be heard by the guy next to me. After that, I never leave home for a ride without them on.

Tommyp

I got hit today, the first of the season. I'll expect another before the week is out. When it rains, it pours.

DieselDan

I've lost count over the last several years of riding. Many helmets from Europe come with bug screens, and those may now be a CE requirment.