Hardest thing to train yourself to do...

[Scott]

Okay, been riding for a couple weeks now. This is rather humorous, but still kinda serious... The thing that worries me most is that when I get hit in the face shield with a bug I still jerk because it scares the piss out of me. I have the same reaction every time; I get pissed at myself for flinching because I know it's dangerous, then I laugh a bit because it is kinda funny.

I'm assuming I'll get used to it...

 

[oldfast007]

So, easy fix, get a friend with a cork gun have him stand in front of you (with your helmet on) and keep firing random shots,then prcoceed to move around the house(still wearing helmet) and he can take concealed shots at your head till you get used to it:rockon: j/k

It is a simple matter of time, you either will adapt or you won't, remember the first time as a kid your father struck a hammer and you blinked? now you probably don't any more. Good luck...

 

[steveindenmark]

Better still get him to have a shotgun with buckshot in. Sometimes you run into swarms of bugs and this will really get you ready for them. A few barrels of buckshot and the single bugs will not be a problem anymore.

The worst time is when you open your visor a little to get some air and and a bug flies in and crawls across the inside of the visor while you are riding.

It happened to me last weekend. A great big, red angry looking bastard. From 120kph to a total stop and helmet off in about 3 seconds, total....

Steve

 

[FZ1inNH]

I don't have a problem with getting hit in the shield. I have an issue with the big buggers that catch me in the throat at speed! OUCH!!!

 

[fast blue one]

Take your time and you'll get used to it.
If they are that worrying though, are you travelling at the right speed for your abilities.

 

[christod1]

Actually I kind of enjoy watching bugs hitting my visor and then exploding....
Some years ago I also got hit on the neck by a wasp. I was doing about 100 km and that really hurt. Fortunately the wasp did not sting me. It was probably more shocked then I was...

 

[abacall]

The worst time is when you open your visor a little to get some air and and a bug flies in and crawls across the inside of the visor while you are riding.

This happened to me for the first time yesterday. Man that really does get you.. I had the angry buzzing right by my ear, mid turn.

Honestly, the easiest way is to just get used to it. Try riding through some farmland area. Lots of buggies. Start slower so you won't get splattered right away, then increase your speed as you get more comfortable.
I went on a long ride yesterday and had to stop several times to wipe my face shield. Luckily I knew that would happen and I was carrying Windex wipes.

 

[Scott]

The shop I had the sliders installed at just happened to have the icon tank bag I've had my eyes on for a while, so I grabbed it. Putting windex wipes in there is something I hadn't thought of, but I'll definitely have to do now!

 

[Botch]

I don't have a problem with getting hit in the shield. I have an issue with the big buggers that catch me in the throat at speed! OUCH!!!

OUCH is right! This just happened to me yesterday. Afterwards, I stopped at an Arctic Circle for a burger, and the cute little gal taking my order started freaking; I reached up and the damn dragonfly was still stuck to the top of my jacket! Freaked me out a bit too.

 

[aussiejules]

Ikeep getting bee's ending up in my helmet, and its always when going too fast in tight winedy areas, i had one go from my helmet into my jacket, this scares the sh-t out of you, trying to stop in a big hurry where safe at the mean time watching the suckers out of the corner of your eye. I have also had a leaf blow up under my visor and proceed to go under my sunglasses and sit across one eye once again scarey, suddenly deapth perception out of window.

 

[Scott]

Okay, this is UNBELIEVABLE considering I just posted this today, but...

Tonight I went to a local state park to take some pics. It's a one way trail through the entire park. I was stopping periodically to take pictures, and the max speed limit is only 25 anyway. So I'm starting back up after a stop and I leave my visor up cause I'm not going that fast. As I get up to 20-25 I think "well, might as well put it down just in case I get a bug in the eye". When I close the visor, I see a spider. Keep in mind I have SEVERE arachnaphobia. So I go to wipe the spider off the front of the shield... it doesn't move. IT'S ON THE INSIDE OMGWTFBBQBACON. I start to panic, then realize I absolutely cannot. When I focus back on the road I'm heading towards a ditch. I gather my senses, pull off to the right and QUICKLY take my helmet off and get the freaking thing off my face!

Forget wrecking, I nearly died of a heart attack.

Then of course I think about this post and start laughing... Now I do a spider check every time I put my helmet on.

 

[HavBlue]

Hey, at least you have a face shield. Try riding down the road only to meet a big bug head on with a cruiser helmet and now you are riding with one eye because the other one on your glasses is covered in bug guts. You'll get used to it or wish you had when you find out that flinch just cost you; meaning as you flinched a hazard came up and you missed it because of flinching.

So, from now on, no more flinching......

 

[CHEMIKER]

I kept seeing this title come up today and I was thinking the whole time "what a baby, just suck it up and stop flinching. I hit bugs all the time and they're no big deal". Well, karma was swift today, when an F-ing PTERODACTYL hit me in the visor at 70mph on the way home! I could feel the mass of the thing. I guess even though I hit bugs all the time they're probably relatively small. Geez this thing was huge! I was laughing at myself all the way home after that while trying to see around its remains on my visor.

I think focusing on not flinching is the way to go. It surely took my much needed focus off of the road for a couple of seconds. At 70mph that's plenty of time to miss something in the road or another vehicle that I should be reacting to...

 

[AJ Babaganoosh]

I was riding down the road I live on at about 45 mph and had a wasp/hornet/whatever hit my neck and sting the **it out of me. I managed to keep control and never stopped. I am a wasp magnet and will get stung if there's one within 20 miles of me. This one kind of surprised me though because I'm going 45 and it got me on the BACK of the neck. I'm thinking this one must of really wanted me but it's a one in a million thing. One month later, same road, same spot, same speed... BAM! stung in the back of the neck again! Like I said, I am a wasp magnet.

 

[Avalon786]

This happens to me also and when i hit a big bug that splats or bounces off D) i still kinda jump and get a short spike in adrenaline. I think its just a common reflex for me but i know what it is and i expect it mentally but it'll always have an element of suprise. I think the thing is to just acknowledge what happened, shake it off and keep riding
Also a few days ago i was riding with my brother and all of a sudden i hear some loud cursing, it must have been loud because he was a full bike lenth behind me, we both had full face helmets with closed shields riding at 45 mph and i heard him clear. Turns out he got stung by a bee right on top of where his jacket zipped up, so just below his throat, he thought it was a rock that hit him until we got home like 10mins later and noticed the stinger was still in his skin

 

[jrf]

I've had bugs hit my helmet windsheild alot. Every now and again a big one will hit and I do kind of jerk just a little but not enough to lose consentration.


BUT






A few years ago I was riding along when all of a sundden I felt this liquid type substance on the lower half of my face. A bug had hit dead center on the air intake of my helmet and you quessed it, all the guts and what ever else came thru and covered my mouth and lower face. I'm just glad that my mouth was shut or I would have pucked.

 

[bluenova]

I've only ever got a wasp inside my helmet once; last summer. It's amazing how quickly you can stop and get your helmet off in that situation. I keep my visor closed now on buggy days.