I think one of the most annoying things riding a bicycle is bugs. A couple days ago we rode by a bunch of bee hives. As we rode by there were bees flying everywhere. One went in the front of my shirt and went all the way around to my back. We were barreling down a steep hill at 25 mph and I got braked and stopped as fast as I could, and as John rode up wondering why I stopped I was pulling my shirt off over my head. Got him out and didn’t even get stung!

one night camping I hung my socks on a bush to air out a bit. I only have two pair so they get kind of stinky. In the middle of the night some kind of mean bug crawled into one of my socks. The next day while riding I felt something bite me on my ankle under my sock. It was a very painful bite. Stopped quick and pulled my sock down but didn’t find the critter, but my whole lower legg swole up and I had a rash all over it as well. It all cleared up by the time we reached camp that evening. I shake out my socks good now before putting them on.

today we rode through an area that was thick with these little, bitty bugs. Hundreds of them got stuck in my sweat. They didn’t bite but as they buzzed around in the sweat all over my body trying to get free and it drove me crazy. Kind of like being tickled by a whole bunch of little feathers. 

And then there is the everyday mosquito that is a constant annoyance for me. I am a mosquito magnet. When you ride a bicycle your behind sorta sticks up in the air making it a prime target, but I have on padded bicycle shorts and a pair of regular shorts on over them. Seems impossible that a mosquito could bite you through that, but they do, many times. Montana Mosquitos must have really flexible beaks.