Unexpected Hazards of Bike Commuting

This was not one of the perils I expected to encounter while commuting by bike.

When I decided to get launched back on the bike-commute thing, I had been more concerned with the relatively hostile mood of morning commuter motorists (a significant factor here in Mass.), as well as the condition of the roads along the way (major potholes as well as nifty storm-drains that aren't always 'grid' patterned but are instead horizontal slots - sometimes running in the direction of travel).

I was hoping to use more of the bike paths, but my route runs cross-wise to the general direction of most of the bike paths near me. Still, I have a couple routes chosen that at least use more 'secondary' or less-trafficked roads, with some shade, and it's working out alright. So far.

This morning though...
So, I'm riding along, and encounter two bumblebees having some kind of dogfight - right at eye-level for me, and I couldn't just go around: cars beside me, naturally.

What else to do?
*DUCK!*
and hope they don't end up *thwacking* down the back of my shirt, just to add to my difficulties.

I escaped unscathed, this time.
As one friend put it, can you imagine trying to explain this one at the emergency room?

And on the eve of Bay State Bike Week,

...with the price of gas not quite $4/gallon, please take a peek at this recent article by the folks over at EcoGeek: 6 Stupidly Simple Steps to Saving Billions of Gallons of Gas
all the more reason to hit the road on a bike. Speaking of which, if you're in the Boston area (or curious about why we're so nuts about our roads) you may want to check out Bicycle Driving.

Bay State Bike Week

In other states, it's a month, but here in the Bay State, it's only a week, May 12 - 18. Still, in the interest of supporting the idea that people should spend more time on a bike or at least not in a car, because I miss bicycling to work, and just generally voting with my feet; I plan on commuting by bike at least a few days per week throughout the warm months here. Thanks to Katie for motivating me to get involved in my state and be counted.

I also "registered" as an individual participant in Bay State Bike Week, after which the website assured me that they'd be in touch soon. I'm really not sure what they think they're going to be in touch with me about - I know my way to work, I know how to ride a bike, I already spent 7 years commuting by bike (and not owning a car during that time), I know what route I'll be taking, and I'm even going to go out of my way to use as many portions of bike-trail (such as there are) as possible, in order to reduce my risk of traffic-induced injury. Not to mention those post-winter frost-heave induced canyons we blithely call "potholes" - they're often a foot deep. Wheee!

Still, if any of you are local to me and want to register as a "buddy" - regardless of whether we really are going to commute together, it would be great to increase the sheer visibility of the event. I may also finally join MassBike as well... At any rate, drop me a comment and let me know.

And if my family are reading this, yes, I will indeed be wearing a helmet. (Now I feel like Red Green).