Commuting - Eating bugs

So, it seems almost every day when I commute, there's at least one bug that ends up down the ole pie-hole. Usually it's those little black flies. I'll ride through a swarm of them and not get my mouth shut in time and - well - there it is, and I end up hacking and drinking water until the little fella is down the shute. I had a bee bounce off my lip once too. That was not much fun. :(

Has anyone else had similar encounters with bugs?

Just swish-and-swallow. A little extra protein.

Oh, every once and a while it happens, I just count it up a little extra protein. Then one time I had a bee go up my shorts... that was not a good experience.

If you're going to swallow a bee, make sure you bite the little bugger first, so he can't sting you.

you can get one of them smog masks.

Free food! Woohoo!!!

Usually at least one bug per ride. These days I kinda count on it for a mid-ride calorie boost. ;)

Pretty much every ride, I eat a bug. No biggie, unless it's a bee (not yet...)

I have been stung several times (arm and chest.) The time I managed to get three wasps inside my jersey.... not good. I was quite pleased that I came to a controlled and safe stop, I will say that. Took concentration.

I prefer my bugs cooked. One of my favourite restaurants on the west side of LA...

http://www.planetscott.com/babes/bugfeature.asp?featureID=10

i swallowed a bee (or something stingy like that) and took one right in the back of my throat. it hurt to eat, breathe, and move in general. i went to the university health center to meet with a doctor, who laughed at me after i explained to him my predicament.

I thought I was the only one because I have to ride with my mouth open to breath because I'm huffing and puffing so much. First time I nearly crashed and got really sick. I must be getting better at swallowing them. Now I just take in stride.

On my now-oft-referenced transcontinental road trip, when I got off the ferry on the north end of Okracoke Island, there was some sort of annual beetle mass-birthing orgy going on-- picture cycling through a moderately heavy snowstorm, only instead of flakes it's June Bugs. Bleh! Breath through clenched lips, with plenty of *patooey!*s along the way.

This is only an occaisional thing where I live, not that many bugs, but I remember it being quite a problem back in my College track days. Used to be one spot on the track where the black flies seemed to swarm & you don't get through that cloud as fast on foot! Don

My bro-in-law took us to a Japanese restaurant where the cook prepares everything in front of you. You sit around this large flat grill and watch him do his stuff. At the end, he flipped each of us a piece of shrimp with the end of his spatula, and we were supposed to catch it in our mouth.

I was the only one who caught mine, because I've had practice catching bugs on the bike.

:p

If that really bothers you, wear a bandana 'bandito' style.

I tend to swallow a lot of mosquitoes for some reason. I'm not sure why, for some reason they just find my skin particularly tasty, and when they get within biting range, I don't see any problem with retaliating.