Ride of the Bumblebee

Ah, yes, the flight of the bumblebee.  The bumbling, too-big-for-their-own-good insects can be found the world over.  The orchestral classic was penned in 1900 by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov for his opera The Tale of Tsar Saltan.  In the story the Tsar’s son, missing his long lost father, transforms into a bumblebee (with the help of a mystical swan with magical powers) in order to fly in an effort to find the man.  At full steam, a worker bumblebee can reach speeds of 10 miles per hour.  That doesn’t sound like too great of a speed until that bee meets the eyeball of a bike rider moving at 20 mph.  And, like Sir Isaac Newton taught us; when two opposing forces meet, bad things can happen.  Old Newton knew a bit about this stuff.  So much so that today a unit of force is known as a Newton.  The other day the SBT noticed a rider moving along without eye protection and we thought of Sir Isaac.

The world needs bumblebees, they are one of the foremost pollinators of plants on earth.  Their big, hairy bodies absorb copious amounts of pollen and with all of the traveling they do to working for their queen they make plenty of stops in a given day.  And they don’t even have to stop to pollinate.  Bumblebees vibrate in flight and those vibrations shake off the collected pollen onto whatever is nearby.  So, the valuable bee is good for us humans.  We ride in their world.  The best way to do it is with eye protection.  

The Prevent Blindness Society of America reports that close to 1,000,000 people will sustain an eye injury at work or at home this year.  Another 40,000 people will injure one or both eyes playing sports.  The number one eye injury reported from a sporting activity is a fish hook cast by an errant angler (paintball is second and closing in fast).  The Society notes that 90% of all eye injuries are preventable.  It makes sense to ride with eye protection.  Safety experts recommend glasses with the following requirements:

High mass impact.  In order to test impact “a one-inch diameter steel projectile weighing 17.6 ounces is dropped through a tube from a height of 50 inches onto a safety lens mounted in a frame. To pass, the frame must fully retain the lens, and no piece can become detached from the inner surface of the frame component that holds the lenses.”  That is enough to fend off a bumblebee or any insect, even most road debris. 

High velocity impact. This test “involves shooting a quarter-inch steel ball at the lens and frame at a velocity of 150 feet per second from a distance of just under 10 inches. The pass criteria are the same as for the high mass impact tests.”  Again, nothing you will encounter on your bike will get past that.

Also, consider purchasing an elastic band that attaches to the back of your temples to keep your safety glasses securely on your head during active sports.  On a bike it is easy to bounce over a road anomaly and lose your glasses.  

And last, you will want to eliminate glare.  Not having to squint will keep your eyes fresh and will fend off fatigue.  Photochromic lenses change for outdoor lighting conditions. An eye care professional can advise you as to which tints are best for cycling.  We want you to have a good ride, and a safe ride.  

The SBT is working on a product review of the best  glasses at this moment and will post it to our website soon.  In the mean time please visit www.stickybottleteam.net for our current Product and Bicycle Reviews.