Quote Originally Posted by Grog View Post
Not 100% sure, but I think in triathlons it's actually not permitted to go on the side of the road or otherwise "urinate in public." The rules are supposedly so that the people who live alongside the race courses don't get fed up with the lack of... hmm, manners of the racers. Hit the portapotty or be disqualified.

Thus it somehow (in a distant way) makes sense (sort of) to pee in your shorts and wash out with a water bottle if you are going for the money, i.e. top spots.
In general urinating in public is a big no-no in the road racing community too. If you get caught taking a break in the bushes at the start, rather than waiting for the potty line, you will get tossed out. In the race its a bit of a different story, but being discrete is generally a good thing and of course, mind where you are at - not in a residential area please.... There are only a few races long enough that we ladies (and really most of the men's races too) do that justify pee breaks, and the only neighbors around are of the mooing sort, who generally don't care about what's by the side of the road