oilman_15106

At age 58 I have learned to admit how stupid I can be and hope that others learn from my mistakes.

Anyway. Going down a steep ,maybe 15 percent, but short grade that joins into another road. The steepest part of the hill has to stop which is pretty dumb. Slow to about 10 mph where the roads meet.
As I turned on to the main road a bee buzzed my face. Took my hand off the rear brake hood to swat the thing.

Next thing I know, weight had shifted forward in combo with only front wheel braking and in an instant going over the front of the bars ala TDF crash. Landed on my right shoulder. And as my son said later, lucky I did not have a broken neck. Jersey ruined and pride also. Shoulder is not broken but I feel like I was put in a washing machine for about a half an hour.

Anyway that is the story.

wagathon

Too late.

milchad

Advice taken. Swat with the left hand.

kniprm

Hmm...this is like when I was young boy carrying my plate full of spaghetti to the dinner table. The fork begins to slide off the plate and instead of letting it fall harmlessly to the floor, I attempt to keep it on the plate. This sends spaghetti all over Mom's new tile, and leaves me with no food.


I can relate. Glad to hear you are ok.

Machka 

Yep ... too late.

Mine was a muddy 15% grade with a 4-way stop at the bottom.

Result: cracked helmet, concussion, separated shoulder, a huge deep bruise on my hip, and bruises and scrapes all over elsewhere.


You're lucky you didn't crack your collarbone or dislocate the shoulder. Evidently those are very common cyclist injuries.

Myfirsttrek

You almost need to laugh about it. It would probably make you feel better, Pretent you were watching it happen. Could you imagine that on AFV?

mrbubbles

Depends which brake lever is controlling the front. It should say, swat with the hand that's controlling the front brake.

Bontrager

Something tells me this is not the first time this has happened. Perhaps she had carpet in the dining room previously?

jrobe

I have always wondered if bright colored jerseys don't attract bees. I have had more than my share of bee encounters.

kniprm

err..yes...

milchad

That's one reason I'm thinking about getting a Rudy Project Kontact helmet. It has built in mesh to keep bugs out. I rode with a guy last year that got stung on his skull after a bee got in his helmet.

wagathon

These sort of mishaps are bit like earthquakes where a 7.8 is 10-times stronger than a 7.7--the damage increases at a geometric rate to the age of the rider that does the full body flop, and it's a great physics lesson too, calculating the total number of feet comprising the trajectory when a rider that goes over the handlebars is also going downhill.

fix

Great helmet. The bug net is so awesome.

The_Spaniard

Actually lines attract bugs in general, like the lines in flowers, some are solide in color but the pedals make a line to the center where bees go. if u have a bright color with a dark trim that will probably do it, IE bright yellow jersey with black trim or something like that.

MacBeth

[QUOTE=oilman_15106;6696543]At age 58 I have learned to admit how stupid I can be and hope that others learn from my mistakes.


Not at all stupid. It is a normal reaction to a bee. What iF that guy had buzzed right on inside your helmet! You had a completely natural reaction to protect yourself.

A helmet net might be a good idea, especially this time of year when those critters swarm.

Glad you were not more seriously hurt.

TRUMPHENT

Ouch! I learned early that no insect is worth letting go of handlebars. Motorcycle story, stopped at a light, I watched a bumblebee light on my right hand and for no reason sting the beejesus out of me.

I still get a tingle twinge when I recall it. I had to sit there and take it. Stopped in traffic at a light with right hand holding clutch.

I think now, the only place an insect could try to sting me and freak me out is dead center on my one good eyeball!

aggro_jo

**********???

TRUMPHENT

Doh! my bad, left hand. It was a long time ago and I haven't ridden a motorcycle in decades.