There I was, just bicycling along pulling a steady 20mph clip, and then I saw IT. About a half mile down the road was probably the biggest, nastiest, juiciest Junebug I had seen in my entire life. I tried to avoid it by swerving all over the road. I even played chicken with a semi truck hoping the junebug would pick out the larger target, but it’s no use.

The monster was headed directly for my face, on a course to hit right between the eyes. In a sudden burst of adrenaline, I made one last ditch effort and veered left just before it hit me. The Junebug tried its best to swerve back into my eyes but it missed and caught me on the cheek. The force of the blow threw me completely off my bicycle. Once I finally hit the ground I tumbled backward 15 or 20 feet.

Picking myself up, brushing myself off, and preparing to start out again mildly stunned, I got stung by a bee. The junebug just goes on about it’s business, seeking out the next unsuspecting victim.

The next day I started looking for armor that wouldn’t restrict my ability to pedal.