[California L33]

I’m not quite sure what forum to put this in, so I’ll try here. It’s kind of a training question. Does anyone make a filter mask suitable for use while riding? I’ve always been a little disgusted by getting bugs in my mouth, particularly at twilight when there are lots of them about. Today I had an encounter with an insect that was a bit more serious. I was going downhill into a stiff headwind at around 20 MPH. What I believe was a bumblebee was going in the other direction at probably the same speed. The impact was wicked. It felt like a punch. I was spitting bee parts out a lot longer than I wanted to. The stinger lodged in my lip and it took me half a minute to clean off the bee debris enough to find it and remove it. I’m going to try to attach a photo of the result.

Bad as it was (I’m mildly allergic to bee sting) it got me thinking that it could have been worse. An inch over and it might have gone straight down my throat like so many unfortunate gnats already have, and I wouldn’t want that kind of swelling there.
So, we already wear helmets to keep our skulls safe in the event of a spill. We wear glasses to keep the bugs out of our eyes. Does anyone make a filter mask designed for athletes? Dust filters would be too constrictive. Heat exchange masks are out for obvious reasons. It would have to be made of something like screen door material so it wouldn’t restrict breathing but would keep nasty things out of our mouths.

 

[boon]

although not quite a bug filter, i think the Respro anti-pollution masks would do the job.

boon

 

[filtersweep]

Keeping your mouth shut will save you 3 watts in aerodynamics... which is almost as important as the weight you'd save if you shaved off your moustache

 

[sol 518]

It'd look silly but you could get one of those head nets. It'd fit right over your helmet

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0005002941044a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&No=40&Ntt=bug&noImage=0&Ntk=Products&QueryText=bug&Ntx=matchall&N=4887&Nty=1

 

[bas]

I saw 2 people today with face masks.. probably for the pollen which is starting heavy.

I've also never been hit by so many dumb bugs today. I guess it will take some time before they learn to get off the bike path or else they will die.

 

[CyreneSong]

Ouch!

I used to work as a summer camp nurse and we had a girl swallow a bee while she was running down a hill. It stung her on the throat on the way down. Not sure if she was allergic or if it was just severe swelling of the throat from the sting, but that was the longest five hours in the ER I've ever spent.

 

[moose8500]

God seeing that pucker pop up there was scary... For the bugs, just learn to shut it!

 

[Kerry Irons]

Reminds me

That picture reminds me of one of those crude insults that got thrown around by young boys: "Grow a beard and I'll marry you." Sorry about that

 

[California L33]

God seeing that pucker pop up there was scary... For the bugs, just learn to shut it!

I liiike to kisss.

(Unfortunately my lips aren't quite so luscious today.)

 

[California L33]

Keeping your mouth shut will save you 3 watts in aerodynamics... which is almost as important as the weight you'd save if you shaved off your moustache

Hey, the pro riders don't shave before a race, so I figured if a little was good, a lot would be better.

(Seriously, what is that with not shaving before a race? Is it supposed to be like the dimples on a golf ball, or what?)

 

[Angelracer]

Insects happen... I had a yellow jacket that flew into my jersey which was unzipped in the warm summer weather. I got stung a few times and pulled over and pulled my jersey off and shook the damn thing out.

 

[California L33]

although not quite a bug filter, i think the Respro anti-pollution masks would do the job.

boon

I looked at those. There are a couple of problems-

1.) It gives you a distinctive Hannibal Lecter look.

2.) It looks like it rides high enough up on the face to interfere with glasses. Check out the photo. The cyclist there isn't wearing any.

3.) How would you drink with the dang thing on? You're safe from bugs but not from heat stroke.

In Googling around I did find a mask I thought might work. It would deflect insects from the mouth, but still leave it open to drink. I think it might give some aero benifits too. Probably too late for this year, but I bet we see a lot of the pros wearing them in '07 TDF. I'd pay for OLN coverage if we could get the whole Discovery team in them.

I was thinking along the lines of maybe just forgetting about a mask, then I went riding today- 18.5 miles, 2 bee strikes- much slower this time and no damage to me (don't know about the bees), one to the helmet, one on the chin about an inch away from the last one.

 

[California L33]

Insects happen... I had a yellow jacket that flew into my jersey which was unzipped in the warm summer weather. I got stung a few times and pulled over and pulled my jersey off and shook the damn thing out.

But a hardcore cyclist would have left it in and used the stings as motivation to go faster I get the point, though. If you're in hazmat suit pretty soon you're not having any fun at all.

 

[California L33]

It'd look silly but you could get one of those head nets. It'd fit right over your helmet

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/links/link.jsp?id=0005002941044a&type=product&cmCat=search&returnPage=search-results1.jsp&No=40&Ntt=bug&noImage=0&Ntk=Products&QueryText=bug&Ntx=matchall&N=4887&Nty=1

You're right about silly, but I think yours is the most workable idea yet. If I remember right, I've seen some pull up half head nets that might work better.