Bugs & Cycling

3ssicajay
3ssicajay Posts: 8 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
I've taken up cycling and with the weather warming up, I'm encountering a big problem: bugs! It's mostly gnats and similar bugs that I end up riding into (I cycle through rural areas so they're unavoidable). Every time I look up potential solutions, I see people on bike forums just spouting, "yum, extra protein" and other incredibly useless comments to people who have asked. I HATE bugs. Bugs smacking into my lips really freaks me out and it's making me want to just quit until winter time.

Is there anything I can do here? I've thought of surgical masks but if there's any potential solution that would make me look slightly less bizarre to the other cyclists/walkers/runners I pass, it'd be a plus. Am I the only person extremely bothered by this?! I've seen neoprene half-masks marketed for motorcyclists, but the only ones I can find cheap online are like skull or demon-patterned, and call me picky, but as a 27-year-old woman, they don't really float my boat.

If you were cycling and saw someone wearing a bandanna or half-mask, would you think they were completely nuts or am I over-thinking this?
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Replies

  • MizTerry
    MizTerry Posts: 3,763 Member
    Don't smile when you ride. Those things are a booger to pick out of your teeth.

    :laugh:

    I honestly don't know how I'd react if I saw this.
  • jacksonpt
    jacksonpt Posts: 10,413 Member
    I wear sunglasses to protect my eyes, anything else I just deal with. Comes with the territory, though I've never experienced problems like yours. Not sure if it's because I'm not as sensitive as you are, or if it's because bugs aren't as big a problem where I live. My biggest issue with when a beetle hits me in the face at 45mph...
  • 3ssicajay
    3ssicajay Posts: 8 Member
    I do my best to keep my mouth closed (which often isn't easy-- I'm a beginner so I'm still huffing and puffing!) but even then they still hit me in the lips/mouth and it makes me crazy. Luckily I have glasses to they stay out of my eyes at least. Being a big baby about bugs definitely makes things worse for me, I'm sure. With all the cow and horse pastures I go past on both sides of me, it's just like going through clouds of bugs all over the place :/
  • shiningnebula
    shiningnebula Posts: 9
    Hi there, you can buy lightweight buffs that are either plain or patterned (whichever you prefer). They are basically a thin material that you pull over your nose and mouth. I also wear sunglasses no matter the weather whilst cycling as I've had collisions with flies and not being able to see while cycling downhill at speed is not pleasant (or safe)!
  • 3ssicajay
    3ssicajay Posts: 8 Member
    That sounds promising! I didn't know the term "buff" so I'll definitely look into them. Thanks!
  • Mokey41
    Mokey41 Posts: 5,769 Member
    Cyclists just learn to deal with it. They end up in your eyes, up your nose, and in your mouth. I've come home with them inside my shirt or sports bra. Bugs and cycling just seem to go together!
  • gymboreejunkie
    gymboreejunkie Posts: 25 Member
    I too have run into this issue. I hate bugs as well, but I don't let it stop me from doing something I love. :)

    I'm not sure if you wear a helment when you ride, but maybe you can buy/make a clear plastic visor that covers your face so you can still see, it's clear so no one thinks you're going to mug them when you ride by them with a face mask on :laugh: and you can remove it during the colder months when bugs aren't an issue...

    As far as people looking at you funny, honestly, anyone who bike rides would know why you're wearing something over your face.

    Happy Riding!
  • phytogurl
    phytogurl Posts: 671 Member
    I like the spring time cycling with the flowers blooming and the great smells, but I don't miss the bugs! At one point I used a sheer bug/head net, but I felt pretty foolish, and the net felt gross when it got all wet from my sweaty face. Now, I just breath thru my teeth and nose and try to exhale hard every once in a while to blow them away! If it gets real bad, I might use a free hand to bat them away.
  • Cyclink
    Cyclink Posts: 517 Member
    Large, wraparound glasses like Oakley and Rudy Project will keep them out of your eyes.

    Nothing that I've ever seen will keep them out of your mouth and nose without messing with your breathing. It's just something to learn to deal with.
  • rides4sanity
    rides4sanity Posts: 1,269 Member
    Just hacked and gagged after one flew in my mouth about 10 minutes ago. It stinks and I hate it, but it is part of the game. I try to spit before I swallow it, but sometimes it still happens. Sigh...
  • sillygoosie
    sillygoosie Posts: 1,109 Member
    At least it's just gnats. You really do get used to it. I caught a wasp in my cleavage last year and got stung in the boob. It puts things in perspective.
  • HollisGrant
    HollisGrant Posts: 2,022 Member
    I've read (and you can Google it) that gnats are more attracted to some people than others. Here's a link to one article below. People think the type of soap, perfume, low salt, high blood sugar, etc. might have something to do with whether gnats love you or not.

    http://www.knowswhy.com/why-do-gnats-follow-you/

    Ticks in the summer, gnats, etc., are just part of life. And no, seeing somebody with a face mask on wouldn't bother me. I would think they had allergies. Once in a while I see somebody walking around with a mask.
  • cloggsy71
    cloggsy71 Posts: 2,208 Member
    'Buffs' etc. are fine, but I find they restrict my breathing and the last thing I would want is something wrapped around my neck and over my nose and mouth while the sun is beating down... I only wear them in the winter for warmth!

    If you do get bugs in your mouth, either spit them out or log them as extra protein :wink: :laugh:
  • TheBigYin
    TheBigYin Posts: 5,686 Member
    good eyeshades, certain helmets have netting behind the air-vents to prevent bee/wasp stings to the head, but for the face - it's down to spit out and rinse if it's a meaty one, I'm afraid... It's one of the few good parts of winter riding - no flying protein...
  • NiallWallace
    NiallWallace Posts: 78 Member
    +1 on the buff, I use them while mountain biking in icky conditions to keep mud out.
    +1 also on Cloggsy saying they are warm!

    Best bug strike ever for me was running into the back of a foggy bummer (bumble bee) on a descent, right on the bottom lip
    That one hurt for a while...
  • lizsmith1976
    lizsmith1976 Posts: 497 Member
    I bike in TX so even in the winter I can't imagine biking in a buff - I use those when it's freezing, snowing, and I am skiing!

    Glasses to keep them out of your eyes are important, but I guess I just had to get used to everything else... When I am finished they are usually stuck to sweat, sunscreen, I've occasionally swallowed some. Ick.

    A couple of weeks ago I had a crash and sprayed the road rash with bactine - picked about 15 little gnat corpses out of my road rash. It's disgusting, but it's liveable :)
  • dochologram
    dochologram Posts: 4
    Don't smile when you ride. Those things are a booger to pick out of your teeth.

    :laugh:

    I honestly don't know how I'd react if I saw this.

    I'm looking at your avatar and seeing the humor in this response. The answer is in the picture.
  • 04ward
    04ward Posts: 196 Member
    My husband has a seamless, lightweight stretchy knit neck scarf that he uses this time of year to pull up over his nose due to allergies/asthma problems when he's out riding. Also works for bugs in addition to sunglasses. It is similar to this on Amazon.http://www.amazon.com/Processing-time-days-Comfortable-Warmkeeping/dp/B00J3V6F60/ref=sr_1_71?ie=UTF8&qid=1399954679&sr=8-71&keywords=cycling+scarf. Several riders here are starting to buy them since he did. You might give it a try! :)
  • 04ward
    04ward Posts: 196 Member
    Here is a better option of colors. Also says they are lightweight. http://www.amazon.com/Bundle-Monster-Multifunctional-Seamless-Bandanna/dp/B00E5MHVRE/ref=sr_1_21?ie=UTF8&qid=1399955364&sr=8-21&keywords=cycling+scarf
  • astronomicals
    astronomicals Posts: 1,537 Member
    ride roads. they are only on paths in IL. Perhaps you have it worse.
  • dochologram
    dochologram Posts: 4
    So I came home from the ride today being my first in AZ by the lake in the spring and was committed to finding a solution.
    I found these two links first.

    http://www.bicyclefacemasks.com/index.html
    http://gbnpro.com

    I emailed the first one to see if he is still selling them.

    Then a friend said how about a mesh paintball mask like these.

    http://www.crw-airsoft.com/steel-half-face-mesh-mask-version-1-blacktanod-2256-p.asp
    http://www.aliexpress.com/item/spring-new-2014-Hot-Sale-brand-Death-Skull-Bone-Airsoft-Half-Face-Protect-Mask-Paintball-Game/1847649580.html

    Kinda worried these are not small enough of a mesh to keep bugs out.

    So I kept searching , tried "cycling in Mississippi" and found this.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sddZkyqT_Jg

    immmmm... not that serious. but since I also came across an article about a guy swallowing a bee and having to go to the hospital to have it removed, I was seriously looking at the set of old construction masks I had in the garage. I'm allergic to yellow jackets (a variety of North American Wasps).

    Then it hit me like the bugs today on the road.

    one of these

    http://www.aliexpress.com/item/spring-new-2014-Hot-Sale-brand-Death-Skull-Bone-Airsoft-Half-Face-Protect-Mask-Paintball-Game/1847649580.html

    and the bug mesh from the youtube video.

    http://www.homedepot.com/p/Phifer-36-in-x-25-ft-BetterVue-Insect-Screen-3030802/203193957

    or this over your helmet and mask

    http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68997?feat=bug-SR0&page=sea-to-summit-mosquito-head-net-with-insect-shield

    Seriously just hoping the first guy still sells his invention.

    Hope it helps
  • Loralrose
    Loralrose Posts: 203
    Eh, I just shrug and deal with it. Part of my commute is through a marsh, so you can imagine the bugs I deal with. But having something on my face is even more irritation.

    I say go for a bandana or very light scarf. That way you can turn it into an accessory when you're off the bike and not stick out. And sunglasses are your friend - nothing hurts quite like a bug in the eye at 20mph.
  • MeanderingMammal
    MeanderingMammal Posts: 7,866 Member
    If you were cycling and saw someone wearing a bandanna or half-mask, would you think they were completely nuts or am I over-thinking this?

    In winter when it's cold, no. The rest of the time, yes, it comes with the territory.
  • Shropshire1959
    Shropshire1959 Posts: 982 Member
    If you hate the 'Extra Protein' comment .. you'll hate this even more ..... T.T.F.U :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :tongue: :devil:
  • CharlotteAnneUK
    CharlotteAnneUK Posts: 186 Member
    Im with you in the hating bugs and whilst I accept that you do get used to it, I do have a snood as I ride around resiviours and run around a lake at lunchtime, getting bugs in the mouth used to make me choke to the point of being ill.

    The problem with the snood is that I have to breath through my mouth and it cuts the air intake therefore making it difficult to get in as much oxygen in as I need.

    The only way I have found around this is staying away from the waterside where there are lots of trees as that is the worst place for them. Not an ideal resolution, but you could try a face mask and at the end of the day, who cares what you look like, its not like you are doing this expecting to get a date whilst out cycling.
  • Frood42
    Frood42 Posts: 245 Member
    I tend to just deal with it as I don't like to cover my mouth with things when cycling.

    As you said "yum, extra protein"!
    Well that is after I am too late to cough the things up... :laugh:
    .
  • SingingSingleTracker
    SingingSingleTracker Posts: 1,866 Member
    I've taken up cycling and with the weather warming up, I'm encountering a big problem: bugs! It's mostly gnats and similar bugs that I end up riding into (I cycle through rural areas so they're unavoidable). Every time I look up potential solutions, I see people on bike forums just spouting, "yum, extra protein" and other incredibly useless comments to people who have asked. I HATE bugs. Bugs smacking into my lips really freaks me out and it's making me want to just quit until winter time.

    Is there anything I can do here? I've thought of surgical masks but if there's any potential solution that would make me look slightly less bizarre to the other cyclists/walkers/runners I pass, it'd be a plus. Am I the only person extremely bothered by this?! I've seen neoprene half-masks marketed for motorcyclists, but the only ones I can find cheap online are like skull or demon-patterned, and call me picky, but as a 27-year-old woman, they don't really float my boat.

    If you were cycling and saw someone wearing a bandanna or half-mask, would you think they were completely nuts or am I over-thinking this?

    Outside of choosing times to ride when the bugs are not out (they are usually out in the morning and evening), or altering your posture to a much more aggressive tucked position where you can easily drop your head at the first indication of any bugs, or learning to be a good and efficient spitter....

    http://www.bicyclefacemasks.com/plain-mask-no-design.html

    .....that mask looks to be a solution for you. Although not inconspicuous, whatever it takes to get you out on the bike and enjoying the ride trumps the "look".

    The absolute worst time to ride where I live for bugs is in the early evening as the sun is starting to set and the bugs are out in full swarm. Yet, in the summer that is when I tend to do most of my training rides due to it being too hot earlier. I just tuck my head, wear Oakley glasses, and spit a lot.
  • itodd4019
    itodd4019 Posts: 340 Member
    In FL, lovebug season, unbelievable!!! I ride every morning and every afternoon


    wearing a visor, and tilting my head a little lower alot of the time seems to create a lil air pocket that keeps them from going into my eyes and mouth
  • chelleb1974
    chelleb1974 Posts: 69 Member
    I haven't had much problem with bugs in the face/mouth, but it wouldn't faze me to see someone with a facemask or bandana tied around. In fact, the bandana is a great idea, and one that I'll keep in mind if the bugs are bad. I tend to get them in the corners of my eyes, even with sunglasses.....so I possibly have the wrong type on to ride with. Found a little bug in my sports bra yesterday after riding, lol. Like someone else said....who cares what you look like as long as you're out riding!

    Good luck,
    Chelle
  • albertabeefy
    albertabeefy Posts: 1,169 Member
    Cyclists just learn to deal with it. They end up in your eyes, up your nose, and in your mouth. I've come home with them inside my shirt or sports bra. Bugs and cycling just seem to go together!
    ^^ This. I've come home with quite literally THOUSANDS (and no, not an exaggeration) of gnats dead and stuck-to me. My wife or kids take the hose to me with one of the pressure/jet settings before I can come in the house, lol.

    The only thing that bothers me anymore is if a bee or wasp gets into my jersey (if unzipped), or into one of the air-vents on the helmet - that's never a good experience.

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