What are you afraid of whilst cycling

Total of 80 people per year or something, so they're actually a pretty serious deal.

I was once stung by a flying insect on the lip during a club ride. It also splatted against my teeth. The worry was I am hyperallergic to wasps but did not have my epi-pen with me. Thankfully it did not seem to be a wasp as my lip swelled up briefly before going back down.

Flying insects getting stuck in my helmet can be worrying, not good when doing fast descents, worrying if the thing whirring away next to your scalp could potentially kill you.

This. Is quite scary.

Anything can fuck you up on a fast descent. If you go get a moped license they will go on about road rash and tell you that you need leathers, boots, gloves and a massive helmet. And that is to travel about town at 30mph.

Anyone can roll down a hill at 50mph and is extremely vulnerable from everything from a bug in your eye, potholes, sudden bike malfunction, speed wobble, puncture. animals, a gust of wind and more. And all you have to protect you when you hit the concrete is your lycra.

These things kill more people each year in Japan than all other animals put together, so they can't be THAT docile!

Therein bring the question of what's the most dangerous animal in Britain.

I'll tell you.

Water shrews

That's right, fucking shrews.

I tell a lie.

Apparenty, it's the droppings of dust mites.

dust mites! they can't be THAT docile!

It always has to be stressed that hornets are considerably less aggressive than wasps or honeybees. Obviously, that wouldn't help you a great deal if you accidentally swallowed one.

Is this true? I was pursued and eventually stung by a hornet when I was little. I still have the sting in my finger. I’ve never been chased by a bee.

Whilst cycling I'm most frightened by an inebriated ChainBreaker.

Is this true? I was pursued and eventually stung by a hornet when I was little. I still have the sting in my finger. I’ve never been chased by a bee.

Yes. You probably lashed out at it. Hornets sound pretty frightening, especially when they're very close to you, and people try to swat them. That's most definitely not a good idea with a hornet. Leave it alone and it is extremely unlikely to attack you.

There was quite a long discussion in the wasps thread a while back.

There's a wasps thread?!?

I didn't lash out at the hornet, it was obviously just a malevolent little fucker.

https://www.lfgss.com/thread41637.html

UTFS. :)

Most people think they didn't lash out at the wasp or hornet. I've seen lots of examples personally where they did and denied it afterwards. Can you really remember so clearly given that you were a small child? I couldn't.

It is of course possible that you just got too close to the nest?

I wasn’t doubting that there was a wasps thread, just marvelling that one existed :)

I remember the incident pretty clearly as getting stung helped sharpen my mind! I tried to stay completely still and only ran away when it sat on my hand, then it chased me and stung me. There was a hornet infestation at the house I used to stay at in the summer, we were always told not to swat at them and they’d leave us alone. The nest was right in the living room (ironically I got stung nowhere near the nest or indeed the house).

Scooters & motorbikes. Weaving in and out of traffic lanes, cutting me off between buses, using the oncoming lane when theirs is stationary. Mostly the weaving.

I’m scared of squirrels running in front of me and getting caught in my front wheel, and I’m also scared of people jumping out of delivery trucks and jumping onto my head.

Both of which nearly happened this morning.

That probably wasn't a squirrel - it's more likely to be a rat.

That probably wasn't a squirrel - it's more likely to be a rat.

No, but now I'll be scared of rats too.

I was stung on the forehead by a wasp whilst riding last year, I have never seen a sting swell up soo much before! they must fly along with their sting out ready for you!

No, but now I'll be scared of rats too.

Don't be. After the apocalypse they'll be one of the few sources of protein available.

I’m scared of squirrels running in front of me and getting caught in my front wheel, and I’m also scared of people jumping out of delivery trucks and jumping onto my head.

Both of which nearly happened this morning.

I got squirrel strike on my back wheel in Hyde Park a few weeks ago. He ran towards my bike Ronaldo-style with a sort of broken run-up then went for it and I clipped the bugger. The man behind me diagnosed him with a "sore nose".

I wasn’t doubting that there was a wasps thread, just marvelling that one existed :)

I remember the incident pretty clearly as getting stung helped sharpen my mind! I tried to stay completely still and only ran away when it sat on my hand, then it chased me and stung me. There was a hornet infestation at the house I used to stay at in the summer, we were always told not to swat at them and they’d leave us alone. The nest was right in the living room (ironically I got stung nowhere near the nest or indeed the house).
Poor hats :( Can you see the sting in your finger?

I got shat on by a pigeon the other day - reasonably harmless you might think, but my outraged attempts to wipe it off my cheek almost made me hit the curb.