Wasps

[Popoki_Nui]

Does anyone know of any face shields that fit bike helmets? So far I have never seen one, at least not around here. Maybe I will have to make one.
In early August I was sifting peacefully along a local trail and inhaled a wasp. Never even saw it coming....just zooming along and *crack*, right in the teeth. The little ()#$%^& stung me inside my upper lip, and within hours the right side of my face looked like a Hallowe'en pumpkin, even after popping a Benadryl that I keep in my saddle pack for just such an occasion. Damn.:mad: Today another wasp lodged itself under the bridge of my glasses while I was riding on the highway. No sting, but definitely another high pucker-factor moment.
So at the risk of looking like a moron, I guess I'll have to find or make some kind of face shield.
Ideas?

~Sherry.

[KnottedYet]

If you have any friends who work in a hospital, ask if they can get you a spatter sheild. Lightweight, full coverage.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sherry, you poor thing!!! Yuck!

Spatter shield....you guys might be onto something there!

[Denise223]

Sherry:

Sorry to hear about the wasp problem :eek: :eek: !!

Knotted has a great idea. Those spatter shields just might work. I'll have to look into that myself -- I DO NOT like bugs at all.

Have a good night!

Denise

[liberty]

Gosh, I thought I was the only one to have been stung in the mouth by a bee while I was riding... Actually he got me twice. I flicked the thing out of my mouth and it hit my arm and stung me again...

[Popoki_Nui]

If you have any friends who work in a hospital, ask if they can get you a spatter sheild. Lightweight, full coverage.

Brilliant. Einstein here never even thought of that. :rolleyes:
My best friend is an assistant to an oral surgeon. I've mentioned your suggestion, and she's going to bring me several of these shields to experiment with. So there, wasps!
Thanks!!!

~S.

[Popoki_Nui]

Gosh, I thought I was the only one to have been stung in the mouth by a bee while I was riding... Actually he got me twice. I flicked the thing out of my mouth and it hit my arm and stung me again...

Ouch! Talk about adding insult to injury.....

Maybe you should join us in the Spatter Shield Club? :D

[sp0okYrider]

Ouch, the mouth?! Man. I have to carry an epi-pen because I found out this summer I am allergic to bees (found out the hard way). There have been a few instances where I FORGOT my pen...and boy do you NOTICE every single bee when ya don't have it lol. A few times I was at the bottom of a steep hill and because one was circling near my head, I got up enough power to outrun the thing.

I hope the sheild works for you...I can't imagine it being stiff enough though. Those seem to be made more for hospital use where you don't have wind resistance...hmmm. I am a nursing student so I have had to wear them in the OR. Just my 2 cents.

~J

[mimitabby]

so far i have not been stung, so whenever I have a close pass by a bee
or other large stinging insect, i say nice things to it. So far I have been lucky
and they just fly around me!

[Popoki_Nui]

Interestingly...I asked my dr about an epi-pen, he said it wouldn't really be indicated since I don't have a systemic or anaphylactic reaction to stings, only a bad localized one. He said Reactine works better than Benadryl, so I carry Reactine now. I still wonder what would happen if a wasp got in deeper and stung me in the throat.....

Good point about the stiffness of the spatter shield. When I get some tonight I'll play around with them...maybe I can stiffen it somehow. Or I may have to try something else. Another benefit will be keeping rain off my glasses and out of my eyes for winter riding. I hate rain in my eyes and wet lenses!

[7rider]

I'd be very interested to hear if the shield works. I would think fastened to your helmet, and braced with your glasses, it would be. But, I don't know.
Here's a rather unflattering shot of me when I got stung in the inner lower lip by something earlier this summer during a ride. My face ended up about 3 times larger than this picture, but you get the idea. Strong localized reaction, indeed! :eek: Face protection would be a GOOD thing!
edit: hey...where's my picture? Let me try again...

[mimitabby]

oh, you poor thing! that looks AWFUL!
how come you didn't take a picture when it was 3x worse!?

[TsPoet]

There was a thread about this on BROL
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=14286&highlight=face+sheild

If that link doesn't work, go to www.bentrideronline.com and search face shield. Looks like those guys have found some interesting choices.

Good Luck,

[7rider]

oh, you poor thing! that looks AWFUL!
how come you didn't take a picture when it was 3x worse!?

I don't know. Partly we forgot, partly I didn't want to memorialize it!

[Popoki_Nui]

Here's a rather unflattering shot of me when I got stung in the inner lower lip by something earlier this summer during a ride. My face ended up about 3 times larger than this picture, but you get the idea. Strong localized reaction, indeed!

Yep, THAT looks familiar! My face was swollen from my upper lip to my right eye, and almost to my right ear. Three days it took to return to normal, meanwhile I was a slobbering, drooling, mess. :(

[Popoki_Nui]

There was a thread about this on BROL
http://www.bentrideronline.com/messageboard/showthread.php?t=14286&highlight=face+sheild

If that link doesn't work, go to www.bentrideronline.com and search face shield. Looks like those guys have found some interesting choices.

Good Luck,

Thanks for the links! Gives me more ideas and choices. :)

[cherinyc]

I got stung on the back of the neck by a bee, while riding, and I thought I had it bad.
Sheesh - this is why I am afraid of these creatures. My bf had one fly into, and get lodged under his helmet when he was riding once. (he shaves his head, so no hair to protect) I wasn't there, but he said he freaked out and was flailing his arms like crazy trying to get to it, had to vear off the road, drop the bike, etc....He said people along the road were just stopping and staring. Sounds kinda funny, but I am sure it wasn't to him at the time.

[li10up]

I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissension...no face shield. I'll take my chances with the flying insect world.

[sp0okYrider]

I guess I'll be the lone voice of dissension...no face shield. I'll take my chances with the flying insect world.

Even with my bee allergy, I am WAY too claustrophobic to even consider wearing a shield. It would take the enjoyment out of the ride. When I had my clinical rotation in the OR and had to scrub and gear up, I had to wear a paper mask and had nightmares for a week afterward about it, lol. I am seriously weird about having stuff in my face. I can't even stand it if someone puts their hand on my face. :eek:

Man that picture looks awful...wow. My dog tries to nip the yellowjackets off her dog food and ends up looking like that too. I have to give her Benedryl for it.

~J

[Popoki_Nui]

Even with my bee allergy, I am WAY too claustrophobic to even consider wearing a shield. It would take the enjoyment out of the ride
~J

I'm little anxious about having a face shield having a negative effect on enjoyment too. But with the reactions I have, I'm more concerned about getting stung in the eye, or worse, in the throat or deeper. That could present some real problems.....

[spokewench]

Sorry I don't have any suggestions for face shields - I think I will take my chances with being stung - I think the face shield would drive me crazy!

BUT, I had to respond - your avatar KITTY is So Good Looking! I'm into kitties, I have a great big old 20 pound Maine Coon Cat! He's handsome too!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Yes I like the avatar kitty too! I have a Maine Coon cat as well- my Pearl is a silver cream tabby.

[7rider]

Yeah,
I'm kinda re-thinking the face thing.
I guess I was thinking of something along this line.
I think the full-face 'bent thing might be a bit much.
I'm a tad paranoid myself, heading into what I term "bee season."
On this saturday's ride, I got hit in the face/neck about 3 times by various critters. I'm a little gun shy that one is going to nail me. Time to stick some Benedryl (sp?) in the saddle bag.

[Popoki_Nui]

BUT, I had to respond - your avatar KITTY is So Good Looking! I'm into kitties, I have a great big old 20 pound Maine Coon Cat! He's handsome too!
Thank you!.....he is rather a handsome guy, isn't he? Me? The proud cat-mom? Nah..:rolleyes: :rolleyes: :rolleyes:
His name is Montana, he's about 12, and one of my rescued kitties.

A Maine Coon, eh? And Lisa S.H. has one too! Magnificent cats, and I'm sure they are gorgeous! Maybe we should start a "pets" thread, so you can share photos of your lovely cats. :D

~Sherry.

[Denise223]

Hi Everyone!

I just saw this helmet "visor/windscreen" when looking at the Louis Garneau site. It looks a bit similar to the photo that Regina posted.

http://www.teamcyclist.com/store/Louis_Garneau_Visor_Windscreen_P636C29.cfm

I hope you all find something that works :) !!

I've been hit in the face/neck by various flying bugs while riding, too. It definitely startles me! Perhaps I'll get one myself.

Peace & Love.

Denise

[Python]

The scary fact is, if you get a bad localised reaction after being stung, if you get stung in the future it can then turn into anaphalactic shock. Doesn't happen with everyone, but can happen. I've only been stung once and that was when a wasp flew up the leg of my jeans and stung my calf. A week later it was still swollen, very itchy and painful.

Suggestion. Take your cycling helmet to your nearest motorbike shop and see if they could fit a motorbike helmet visor to it. I would think one for an open face crash helmet might do the trick. The only thing I can think of is fixing it to your cycling helmet could possibly weaken it.