silentben
04-23-08, 05:20 PM
... at 40+ miles per hour. I was just finishing up a ride out to Pescadero and back and coming down Woodside road just east of 280. This is a pretty common place for me to be at the end of a ride. Since my house is only a couple miles away and it's a nice straight downhill I like to ride pretty hard and see how close I can get to the speed of the cars :)
Well today was no different and so I was tearing down the hill when I saw what I only really remember as a "small black floaty thing" directly up ahead. I stopped pedaling, ducked my head down, and maybe even closed my eyes. I thought it was just an insect but after I hit the first one, I got pelted by at least a couple dozen more. They were ricocheting off my helmet and hitting me in the legs and torso. Meanwhile I'm still doing 30+ mph with my head down not looking at the road at all!
Only when I finally made it through the swarm did I look down and see one bee still clinging to my jersey and another on my arm warmer. I brushed them off and got away without a single sting. It's a good thing the shoulder on that stretch of road is so wide and smooth or things could have gotten nasty.
Other than that it was a great ride and was my first time descending west Alpine (lots of fun!) and riding on Pescadero and Stage roads. Distance was 67 miles with 7000 feet of climbing and I'm finally feeling ready to tackle the Tour of the Unknown Coast :D
Well today was no different and so I was tearing down the hill when I saw what I only really remember as a "small black floaty thing" directly up ahead. I stopped pedaling, ducked my head down, and maybe even closed my eyes. I thought it was just an insect but after I hit the first one, I got pelted by at least a couple dozen more. They were ricocheting off my helmet and hitting me in the legs and torso. Meanwhile I'm still doing 30+ mph with my head down not looking at the road at all!
Only when I finally made it through the swarm did I look down and see one bee still clinging to my jersey and another on my arm warmer. I brushed them off and got away without a single sting. It's a good thing the shoulder on that stretch of road is so wide and smooth or things could have gotten nasty.
Other than that it was a great ride and was my first time descending west Alpine (lots of fun!) and riding on Pescadero and Stage roads. Distance was 67 miles with 7000 feet of climbing and I'm finally feeling ready to tackle the Tour of the Unknown Coast :D