I'm riding to deliver posters for our upcoming bike week when an insect collides with my bottom lip. Nothing really unusual... except this one left its calling card -- a sting.

I'm not sure if it was a bee or a wasp. In the midst of trying to scrape a bee sting out, I just about hit the kerb (I was in the lane, so it indicates how much it took me by surprise). I kept riding, and couldn't feel the sting, which leads me to believe it was a wasp. Bee stings usually subside pretty rapidly with me, but I don't ever recall being stung by a wasp before. I dribbled some Coke over the area, which seemed to help a little immediately afterwards.

But my lip is still hurting fours hours later, with just a little swelling, and a few little niggly aches and pains I don't normally have after a 70km ride. I wear glasses, but I thought afterwards what might have been if I didn't, and my eyeball had been stung.

Hard to imagine a chance encounter with such a tiny insect could cause as much discomfort as what I imagine an encounter with a club bouncer would.