[Closed] Bloody Midges

I use car keys to scratch them. Can be a bit bloody and traumatic but very good at relieving the itch.

yep i was on a 3 hour ride last nite and the midges were terrible... only if you stopped riding tho... they ate you up in 10 seconds flat...lol best to keep moving...glad i put my buff on actualy cos its a bugger when ya cant itch ya head through ya helmet...my buff didnt let the head midges in...just munched away at my arms...lol

There's some Avon product - 'Skin So Soft' i believe - the forces use. It's reputed to be the best deterrent you can get. Job done.

p7rich - Member
There's some Avon product - 'Skin So Soft' i believe - the forces use. It's reputed to be the best deterrent you can get. Job done.

You want some Smidge.

There's some Avon product - 'Skin So Soft' i believe - the forces use. It's reputed to be the best deterrent you can get. Job done.

Oh yes! Yes it is!! It's Skin so soft, soft and fresh, replenishing dry oil body spray. Works an absolute treat and i always take when going west coast Scotland'ing HUGE midges up there! 😮
Just be VERY careful around the eyes - can 'sting' a tad!

Lanacane cream (sp?) is what you want now they've got you.

F-104 Starfighter'll do it. A totally proportional response to a hungry midge IMHO.

Had to stop and got caught in a swarm of biters.

Ice or make an X with your finger nail but don't scratch them.

Are you definitely sure skin so soft works against midges?! I've still got some in my drawer that I've never used.

My legs are shot from this weekends riding in Scotland. Now I know why there were blokes in knee length socks. I'm not laughing anymore.

Can midges bite through tights?

If not then I think I might have a cunning plan to defeat the little blighters....

Skin so soft works by putting an oily barriers layer down through which they can't bite. Needs applied quite thickly, and if you miss an area they will bite there.

Smidge seems to be well regarded for actual deterrent effect.

OP: if your ankle has swollen up are you sure it was a midges bite. Cleg bites are much worse and can tend to become infected, possibly requiring professional help.

Neck a non-drowsy antihistamine before going into combat. Makes you invincible!*

*Does not apply in Scotland. Or parts of Yorkshire.

I got eaten alive by midges on the Ullswater shore path the other week and couldn't escape from them as I had to remove the bent hanger/mech/chain and make it singlespeed. I was absolutely peppered with bites and was itching like a b@stard.

Last night wasn't as bad but they are definately out and about. Need to get out of the sheltered valleys and forests and get up on top. There were no midges at 760 metres on top of Red Screes last week.

I was in Scotland a couple of weeks ago and the midges there were a nightmare. I made the mistake of stopping to answer a call of nature mid ride. Standing still for more than five seconds is not a good idea with hungry midges around.

OP: if your ankle has swollen up are you sure it was a midges bite. Cleg bites are much worse and can tend to become infected, possibly requiring professional help.

The swelling's cos I've got 3 bites just above my sock line very close together and I spent all day on my feet yesterday, better this morning.

Where's the best place to buy smidge, do Boots/Superdrung etc do it?

Some branches of Tescos are selling Smidge.

At least one bike retailer is also selling it online.
http://www.thebikechain.co.uk/Smidge-Midge-Repellant-2012052301/

Avon Skin So Soft didn't really work for me, but Smidge does. The only things I would say about Smidge is that it is only effective where it is applied i.e. it doesn't seem to give off an odour that repels them. By way of example my forearms and legs were bite free after applying it but I didn't take my watch off when applying and so missed some small area around there and it was bitten to bits.

Just make sure you ride with Snakebite, he always gets the midges instead of anyone else. Cuz he stinks of sheet.

Just make sure you ride with Snakebite, he always gets the midges instead of anyone else. Cuz he stinks of sheet.

It flows in such abundance when he starts talking.

Got a flat last night and was literally eaten alive in minutes. Fastest tube change in history.

I'd have ridden away on the rims!

Am I the only one who added an extra 'N' into the title?

Looking at the state of my lower legs I should probably use some deterrent! Why am I so tasty?

Midges are God's way of telling you stay clear of the heathen nations.......

We got attacked by midges at Coed Y Brenin last week. On the Monday we didn't notice any on the trails but once we got back to the visitor centre they descended upon us. I got a nasty bite on my calf that swelled up for a few days and our daughter looks like someones been putting cigarettes out on her legs. A few days later we were back and they found me again out on the trail (on the fireroad before 'Pink Heifer') when I had to stop to break and fix my chain.

Too windy here in Lancashire for midges, they're all grounded.

logical - Member

Am I the only one who added an extra 'N' into the title?

Go on, enlighten me?

Edit: You don't mean before the "d" do you? 😯