Bitten on the bike

[MORNE]

Magpie attack: Australian cyclist dies while fleeing swooping bird: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-49711147

 

Seems like it's not uncommon to get attacked by magpies there, the government even issues warnings about it. Apparently painting eyes / dots on your helmet helps (they might still swoop, but should turn away) and adding zip ties:

 

oooo.jpg

proof that everything wants to kill you in oz and probably will

[RobertWhitehead]

I've had a couple of near misses: Blesbok in Suikerbosrand ran directly at me with it's head facing down ready to give me some horns  .

 

And a snake coiled up and got ready to bite but fortunately for me it's timing was little off so it missed my ankle and I managed to pass it on a district road.  

[fusion01]

Way most dangerous critter is the of the human kind. And why MTB is way way safer in spite of all other critters! I've ridden over pufadders and they didn't do ****. Now throw a hand gesture at a driver for shitty driven offenses and watch them bite!! Wanna road ride? Don't say I didn't warn you!!

[DJR]

Magpie attack: Australian cyclist dies while fleeing swooping bird: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-49711147

 

Seems like it's not uncommon to get attacked by magpies there, the government even issues warnings about it. Apparently painting eyes / dots on your helmet helps (they might still swoop, but should turn away) and adding zip ties:

 

oooo.jpg

If I pitch up with a helmet full of cable ties like that, my riding buddy might just die from laughter.

[MrJacques]

If I pitch up with a helmet full of cable ties like that, my riding buddy might just die from laughter.

 

 

 I've seen similar ones at PnP

 

[Robbie Stewart]

I was ascending up the vineyard climb at Contermanskloof last October, and as I came around a switchback about halfway up, I managed to look down and noticed a large, thick golden coloured snake slither away about 20cm away from my leg. It had it's head in the undergrowth, so I could not say what it was, but it was either a cape cobra, or a mole snake. The cobra would likely be lethal, seeing as medical assistance is needed rather immediately after getting bitten. The mole snake, although not lethal, would take chunks of flesh with it in the fight. Either way, not fun.

So then, the following day I decide to skip riding Contermans for obvious reasons, and decided to rather go try my luck at Bloemendal. Queue my descent down Lombard's Terra. At the bottom, a few turns away from the end, I come around a switch back at speed, and there, in it's full glory is another golden critter lying across the width of the st. Furious dragging of back wheel, some brown fluid coming down my thigh, and a bit of foul language, and it decides to turn back and disappear back in the grass...That was the queue for me to head back to the car park.

[Knersboy]

Ticked many of the boxes above, ticks, bees, wasps, flies. Most common where I ride in the summer are what I call bitey flies (blind fly, horse fly). They seem to like black and always bite me through my gloves on my hand. Same place I got a little wasp in my wide open jersey coming down a really technical descent. Bugger got me 3 times.

 

Got bitten by a friggin lady bug going up Sani pass, who the hell gets bitten by a lady bug? I didn’t even know they could bite. You need to add them to the list please.

 

But what I hate most are torre. I dunno why but I have a unjustifiable fear of them.

[eddy]

Been stung by bees on 6 occasions whilst riding.

 

I am acutely allergic and have had to give myself adrenalin injections each time so they have all registered.

[porqui]

Attacked by Guinea fowl

[patches]

Only stung by bees while riding (2 separate occasions). 

 

Off the bike, and not on the list I've also fallen victim to:

 

• NZ Sand Flies (like a super itchy mozzie-bite that lasts 3-4 weeks)
• Tsetse flies (Zambezi valley)
• Water boatman (yes they bite! Bit me between my toes while wading in a river. Was pretty painful for what it was)
• Toddler
• Fishing lure. I left a fishing lure on my opened sleeping bag while on a camping trip in Zim. When I climbed into bed I felt a "bite" on my butt, and shot out of bed thinking I had been bitten by a snake.

[J∆kk∆ls]

Cycling bug! badly infected life long symptoms.  

[Zatopek]

Maybe add plants to the list. 

 

Here in Belgium there's some kind of stinging nettle. Get a good brush of it across your leg or face and you're going to be in agony for a solid while. Burns like hell. 

There was one day in the Pyrenees when i picked a nice green shaded spot to sat down and take a breather... a burning ass (yes it go trough stretched lycra) does indeed help with motivation on a long climb    

[Zatopek]

Missing from your list is the dreaded horse fly. I was once joined by a dreaded pair of the critters at the bottom of a monster technical long climb on a sticky summers day. The fekkers hounded me the whole time up the hill and between pushing cadence, concentrating on the technical climb and trying to brush the pair of them away.. It was hell!

 

And cant simply ride faster 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horse-fly#Description

 

 

 

Horseflies can lay claim to being the fastest flying insects; the male Hybomitra hinei wrighti has been recorded reaching speeds of up to 145 km (90 mi) per hour when pursuing a female

[Rocket-Boy]

I have been stung by bees a few times and had a lot of narrow misses from dog bites doing district roads past farm houses.

Worst I can remember wasnt cycling, it was rock climbing...

I was up really high on the end of the pitch of rope with my brother quite far below on belay duty.

I had a bit of a jump to the next grip which was a bit of an overhanging rock.

So I jumped and got a grip then reached back down with one arm to chalk up again...

That was when I heard the buzzing, there was a hornets nest at face height while I was dangling there. Next thing Im getting smashed by a bunch of angry hornets stinging me over and over again. 

I tried to jump away from the face but my brother hadnt realised what was happening and why I was yelling so much so he wasnt letting me down.

I would just swing back to the face and the swarm and get nailed again!!

 

Got let down shortly after but I had been stung so many times in the armpits and face etc

Definitely not my favourite experience that one!

[blondeonabike]

Day one of a recce ride on the freedom challenge route through the umko valley....pepper ticks galore, plus golden orb weaver spiders. Add lots of acacia thorns scratching your arms and legs to pieces while you are carrying your bike through the bush. It was a long day. I found pepper ticks all over for days afterwards.

[Vetseun]

Is this possibly a spider that nibbled on my leg?