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A reader recently got in touch asking about tips for preventing flying bugs from ruining a ride, and I was wondering if anyone had any tips.
- Bug spray: Do you put it on before a ride, and if so, is it effective once you start sweating?
- Does sticking an arm up in the air really keep bugs away from your face?
Any specific advice for dealing with mosquitos, gnats, and/or black flies would be greatly appreciated!
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Ride faster! But really, in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, filled with mosquitos big enough to carry you off to their secret lair, I just kept moving. As long as I was moving, I was fine without any insect repellent. A problem only arose once I stopped.
That said, sometimes there’s not much you can do. A bee hit me in the face and stung my lip at the beginning of a ride a couple weeks ago. Bug spray won’t help you there 😉
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Just chase them down with water from by Camelback and consider it protein. Living in the Southeast it is just something I cope with. I agree stopping for a minute can be aggravating as it seems your are instantly attacked. I do rub down with Avon’s skin so soft bug repellent line on some trips. Especially long ones where I will take breaks along the way. Seems to help with biting insects… not so much with knats.
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I nearly choked to death on a big black fly while riding in Upstate New York. I probably set all the Strava KOMs getting back to the trailhead–the only way to keep them away was to ride, and fast!
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It’s one of the problems I have too. Putting bug spray is a bit, uhmmm, doesn’t feel good. 🙁
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Getting out super early in the morning helps in many places. Beat the heat and the bugs … … but watch out for the spider webs. Also the Kite Patch is very effective against mosquitos.
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Hah not seen anything until you have encounter the Scottish midge. May be a wee 2mm in size it is a <insert swear words here> nightmare and they bite leaving you itchy and with a chicken pox look. Keep moving or ride on a windy day. Plenty of lotions to help some are better than others.
The video is extreme
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Eyewear is a must. It seems like every time i forget my shades, a small bug gets in my eye. I did have a bee go in my mouth once. No sting but it was still pretty unpleasant. Not sure how to prevent that one. Maybe grit my teeth together while riding… During group rides, it’s innevitable that we need to stop at a trailfork to wait up for someone usually getting devoured by mosquitoes in the process. On really bad days, we started doing “rolling breaks”. Usually an easy, flatter area. Slow enough to catch your breath but fast enough to not let those vampires catch up to you. One more thing, Deep Woods Off makes bug repellent “towelettes”. Super lightweight and compact, perfect for stowing away in your bag. If you have a mechanical or need to stop, you’ll be glad you have these.
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Dude, those midges look truly awful.
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Knowing where and when Im riding is key. If I know I’m riding around lakes really late in the afternoon, I’ll definitely put on OFF spray before a ride. If its waterton canyon, I need a before and halfway, those horsefly are just menace. But overall, not too bad here in the frontrange.
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I don’t like using any spray, especially during ride. Sunglasses, photo chromatic or clear lenses for evening and night. And just keep moving. In some places, near swamps, better to keep your head down to prevent inhaling one of those flying critters. If must stop to fix flat, they will motivate you to do it faster then F1 pit-stop team.
However I spayed myself well when rode tick infested trail – they don’t like 100% DEET
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