Ken Brown

I was stung by a wasp, bee or hornet just below my left eye while I was cycling today. Never saw the critter coming and he hit me at the bottom of my sunglass lens. I hate to think what might have happened had he been an inch higher and I not wearing sunglasses.

I almost always wear sunglasses and have a pair that has very little tint that I wear on cloudy days. Sometimes I wear a dark pair when I leave in sunshine, then take them off when it clouds over. From now on I am going to always carry my lightly tinted glasses and switch to them if it gets cloudy or dark.

Dchiefransom

Caught one in the right temple once. Honey bee, since I had to pull the stinger out. I've had something hard fly smack dab into the center of my lens before.

ciocc_cat

I wear my normal (clear) progressive lenses all the time. I can see clearly and they keep the dust, grit and whatever out of my eyes.

I don't recall the late, great Laurent Fignon ever wearing tinted lenses either.

Glasses are good when cycling, regardless of style/tint.

retnav94

I got stung behind the left earlobe last week. Heard the buzzing as I was riding and swatted at it. At first I thought I had just wacked my ear good but then it ached. Got home, took the stinger out, damn thing ached for a couple days. Could not ever remember getting stung before. I will have to get some clear lenses, I wear sunglasses always up until dusk.

tsl

If I didn't wear my glasses, I wouldn't have to worry about bees. I'd be riding into trees, buildings, over cliffs... I can't see much more than five or six inches without them.

cyclezen

time of the year...
I can always counted on 2 or 3 stings from about September thru end Oct.
and same for April thru Mid-May, just a little less 'activity' in SPring.
got stung last week...
felt the bugger get trapped by a helmet vent, immediately, I mean IMMEDIATELY, while still pedalin, I unbuckled and took the helmet off, mustta be just enough to allow the bug to drop onto the back of my neck.
BAM! stung! swatted, but too late!
fall is a very active time for the bugs as they prepare for winter.
3x every fall is my average for cycling/moto stings ...

stapfam

3 things I always put on before riding a bike- Any bike. Gloves- Helmet and Glasses.

May not be for wasps but clouds of flies and dirt from the front wheel are my problems.

The bees do not cause a problem till they get in the helmet.

But hate to say it but quality cycling glasses with quality lens works. I use Rudy project and the Lens I use will lighten up as Dusk approaches or it gets cloudy. And for night riding there is always the clear lens.

LAriverRat

Sounds like you a little more sensitive to bee stings, try making a paste of baking soda and water, cake on the stung area and let dry. When it dries just brush it off. I have been stung on the ankles and through my shorts but did not stop and the pain quickly went away. I have had bees and wasps stuck in my helmet but got them out in time without being stung. I always ride with eye protection. This last ride i did was pelted with assorted bugs of all sizes, a few hard hits on the lenses.

Esteban32696

I have always thought that bee/wasp stings were mild . BUT, I have been stung by Red Wasps & the sting was quite painful. The baking soda & paste [ or spit ] or crushed aspirin- paste helped. My Grandfather would make a paste with tobacco & spit !! NASTY but it worked. I never smoked, but I have been stung while riding, picked a a tossed cig butt, spit in my hand & made the paste & applied to the sting.

cyclezealot

I wear them whether I ride day or night. Insects sometimes seem more common at night than during the day... While I've never been stung directly in the eye, I've been stung on the face.. That is sufficient warning of the importance of eye wear.. At night I wear my yellow lenses . that also seems to cut down a little on the glare of on-coming headlamps.

ctyler

A wasp or hornet flew inside my jersey of a ride. I had lowered the zipper because of the heat. I think I did the fastest pull over, unclip, and pull the jersey over my head ever. My friends couldn't stop laughing after they found out why I was acting so weird.

wiredfoxterror

I can't imagine riding without glasses, we get some really big bugs here in the tropics. When they hit they almost knock you off your bike.

We have love-bug season here in July - about 2 weeks of them doing the dirty deed in the air. You end up full of dead bugs caught in the act!

I always carry Benadryl for bee stings - pop one and it keeps me from swelling. I'm allergic and luckily I don't get stung by them often.

cyclezealot

I was once riding with a friend and his wife actually tagged along for a change... .. A reason to wear traditional lycra shorts.. A bee flew up her baggies. Luckily , it only stung her on the thigh.

Pat

When I put on quite a few miles, I would get about one sting a year. It was always in the same place, upper left thigh. The insect was probably just flying along, got hit and trapped and stung in defense. I think it was usually a wasp of some sort but I usually just felt the sting.

ahsposo 

I've got several pairs of yellow tint safety glasses I use for riding as well as driving.

The yellow glasses seem to help me see through rain and fog and can be used even in fairly dark conditions.

I'll pick them up at industrial supply stores in the safety gear section for not much $$...

chasmm

Ha! I remember getting stung as a child and watching my father work up a "chaw" of tobacco and then plopping it on my sting...to this day it remains one of those childhood miracles that, at the time, I was amazed it worked. One of the others was having someone "talk" a wart away...

ecrider

I recently misplaced my sunglasses and had to wear a pair of safety sunglasses from work. Actually, they weren't so bad, either.

pacificaslim

Joaquim Rodriguez was stung by a wasp in yesterday's stage of the Vuelta! And he still won the stage with a last kilometer attack to the uphill finish.

leob1

I coun't count the number of time various insects have bounced off my glasses, bees included. I even had a bee crawling around the frame. But the worst incident was when I was riding at dusk during the spring, I had a firefly hit my glasses, which caused it to "light", which caused sudden blindness in one eye. Not really fun.

ahsposo 

That's sort of how I discovered them too.

What they may lack in style is more than compensated by price. Some work better as cycling glasses than others.

ahsposo 

I know the guys in Florida have experienced "love bugs" and when they are swarming they can be pretty thick. Unless you inhale one (or generally two that are coupled together, hence the name) they are harmless.

I was riding around the big army airfield in Savannah one spring and was encountering clouds of these literally effing bugs. I was riding the far back part of the course and in my lower peripheral vision saw what I assumed was a love bug on my upper thigh right at my pant leg seam. I went to brush it off and BAM! the wasp stung me! I was so shocked I nearly lost control and ran off the road. After I recovered my poise my concern turned to tales of allergic reactions gone seriously bad. I had never been stung by a bee or a wasp before this.

Skipper

I got stung on the lip Sunday (09/12/10). I was doing the Door County Century on the tandem with my wife. The bee hit my teeth hard enough that TinyMite heard it in her intercom earphone. It managed to sting me on the inside of my lip before I could spit it out. I must have sucked the venom out as I had very little swelling but it hurt like the dickens for a while.

I always wear glasses when I ride.