Why you shouldn't unzip your top!

Veronica Bottoms

Whilst riding today I unzipped my top three quarters of the way down to get some airflow.

Whilst cycling, what I thought was a moth flew at me and ended up in my top. I had a quick rummage but couldn't feel it so thought I was imagining things or it had flown out.

A few minutes later I came to a junction and whilst waiting for the traffic to go by I heard a high pitch noise. I looked over my shoulder and saw my top raising and quickly realised that the noise it was making was either a fly, wasp or bee so I had to try and get it out of my top. As I've got a phobia of wasps/bees due to being stung numerous times over the years I tried to calmly go on to the pavement.

I then got off my bike and danced around to the amusement of passer bys. Unfortunately the top is notoriously hard to get off which didn't make things any better and in the midst of the action I hit what turned out to be a wasp/bee whilst under my top. I then felt it land on my back and inject it's stinger into me. I eventually got the top off but it was obviously too late.

The bastard thing is still hurting me now and it came up as a round ball on my back.

Luckily I only noticed it at the junction. If it was mid cycle I would've crashed from panic.

I'm putting this down to bad luck but from now on I'll be reluctant to ever unzip any top whilst cycling.

Scrumple

mtfu

Veronica Bottoms

Scrumple wrote:

mtfu

I fucking hate the things though.

They love me, I'm like a walking bee hive

ratsbeyfus

Photos of your bee-stings please.

Veronica Bottoms

ratsbeyfus wrote:

Photos of your bee-stings please.

Haha I would if I could stretch my arm right around my back.

Scrumple

last week, a lion flew into my top.

hear me moan?

hmmmm??



And I managed a photo! You need to quit your jibber jabber, and grow a pair,

ratsbeyfus

If them english speaking bees, may I suggest you wear this:

TuckerUK

Wow, thanks for the heads up, no more riding around with my fly undone! :shock:

(although I guess some extra swelling might actually be a bonus!)

Scrumple

whoever invented that T shirt is a genius.

Such a simple idea, but lives could be saved.

NDawn

After you described a moth then a high pitched sound I thought it was going to be a bat that flew into you

Dancing Bear

NDawn wrote:

After you described a moth then a high pitched sound I thought it was going to be a bat that flew into you

now when have you ever heard a bat? you are obviously a bat yourself as you would have to be to hear their sounds which are well outside human audible range!!!!

Lancslad

You just need to ride faster then they will splat against you.



Honest guv.

TwistedSpirit

Dancing Bear wrote:

NDawn wrote:

After you described a moth then a high pitched sound I thought it was going to be a bat that flew into you

now when have you ever heard a bat? you are obviously a bat yourself as you would have to be to hear their sounds which are well outside human audible range!!!!

You can hear bats. I have them living outside my house and you can hear them "pipping" when flying over the river catching insects!

kennatt

I was once flying down steep hill when a wasp hit my forehead and dropped inside my sun glasses where it buzzed arround and before I threw my glasses off stung me twice on the eyelid. Try riding one handed at 35mph on a twisty downhill while being stung on the eye trying to get rid of sunglasses all at the same time,I now have proper riding glasses so it can never happen again. A miracle that I stayed on the bike :shock:

dcab

Scrumple wrote:

last week, a lion flew into my top.

hear me moan?

hmmmm??



And I managed a photo! You need to quit your jibber jabber, and grow a pair,

ha ha ! meals on wheels?

NDawn

TwistedSpirit wrote:

Dancing Bear wrote:

NDawn wrote:

After you described a moth then a high pitched sound I thought it was going to be a bat that flew into you

now when have you ever heard a bat? you are obviously a bat yourself as you would have to be to hear their sounds which are well outside human audible range!!!!

You can hear bats. I have them living outside my house and you can hear them "pipping" when flying over the river catching insects!

Indeed back home you can usually hear them

Bunneh

God it's happened a few times when I've bee....n out. Wasp flew straight down my top, stung me 3 times then some how got out. Poor thing must have been covered in sweat, I don't blame him for stinging me.

I'm always cautious when going downhill not to have my mouth open too wide, already eaten several thousand green fly, one oddly crunchy thing and a moth. Omnomnom

Hals1967

Kevlar baselayer - it's the future 8)

ThreeLionsBrian

Had the bee to glasses on a downhill 3 months for swelliing to go down, also a wasp decided it would be nice to sit on my thigh merrily stinging away down a log fast descent. Again last year had wasp/bee lump on centre of my forehead, Luckily only a small swelling.

fuzzynavel

Bunneh wrote:

I'm always cautious when going downhill not to have my mouth open too wide, already eaten several thousand green fly, one oddly crunchy thing and a moth. Omnomnom

Loving the graphic description!!

Had lots of different bugs flying into my mouth at high speed....most I manage to spit out again but the last one i had was a couple of weeks back at 38mph and it went straight down my windpipe....don't have a clue what it was but it was bluebottle sized or bigger! :x

giant_man

bought a helmet with an insect net built in, and last year I got stung on the cheek near my eye. Bar steward!!

shockedsoshocked

Last year I got 3 bees in the mouth, and one flew between my glasses and helmet and got stuck, stinging me just under my eye brow resulting in a fucking massive black eye the next day. Joy.

The_Beast

I read this thread the other day, wincing at a few stories and then what do you know!!

I was out very early for a ride today, nearly home after 35 miles and then on the very last leg, bee hit me full on in face just below glasses and then seemed to buzz like crazy getting briefly stuck just under my sunglasses lens at the bottom. It stung me just below the eye and luckily the road was quiet as I flapped around for a few seconds.

I don't think it full on stung me, it all happened so quick, I've definitely been stung but currently there isn't much swelling or pain, only when I press on the area. Could have been a lot worse, might have been watching the England match today with one eye closed.

Its not all bad, actually survived first ride with the spd's on, I've had them since I got the bike 3months ago but was too soft to try them out. Hence the early ride today, no moments though, all went well.

Alinshearah

Bees make Honey and Wasp make Jam. (unless you feed them oranges and then they make Marmalade)

The_Beast

Alinshearah wrote:

Bees make Honey and Wasp make Jam. (unless you feed them oranges and then they make Marmalade)

Wasps make great viewing whilst totally drunk having been almost drowned in spilt lager too.

datpat64

I nearly p****d myself at the "getting a lion down my top pic" that is top quality !

Scrumple

I think it is disgusting you should laugh at my misfortune.

Mind you, I pissed myself too...

paul64

Learned the unzipped top peril a couple of years ago, another rider on a descent here who had no choice but to MTFU and let the wasp sting me several times inside my top until I could put my fingers on it from the outside and squeeze until the stinging stopped. Sorry Mr Wasp.

Also, learned not to ride too hard as swallowing flies really isn't pleasant when you're breathing hard and riding fast with mouth open.

Currently discovering the world of off-roading where MTFU means riding through nettles and brambles and ignoring the stinging and constant minor cuts plus getting back on when you come off, invariably down a descent that has you saying WTF whilst the rest of the group are whizzing up, down, around, over and making you feel rather inadequate.

Scrumple

paul64 wrote:

Currently discovering the world of off-roading where MTFU means riding through nettles and brambles

They don't look too happy about it...

jonnycon

you shouldn't laugh at someone's misfortune, I too was stung by a bee last week.................................£15 for a jar of honey

paul64

Yup you got it and it's pretty difficult to ride off-road with celebs trying to stick their fingers in your orifices :shock: