Bathroom Breaks

[singha711]

I have notice that with the pro men's races, the guys can just go the side of the road and go while they continue riding. How do the pro women do it???

Just Curious,

Singha711

[maillotpois]

I suspect this is one of the reasons the pro women's races tend to be shorter distances. I can do 115 miles in 5 1/2 hours without a bathroom break. This has to be about the limit, time-wise, for how long you can hold it.

This is just a theory - anyone with a real answer should jump in!

[Nanci]

I've done a pee break with the guys. They pull off the road as soon as they get out of town- I just back up against a fence, or bushes, or tree line, whatever. If you've gotta go, you've gotta go. I can be back on the bike faster than most, too.

Nanci

[Tuckervill]

I was in the national guard for 10 years. I spent every summer in the woods in the company of 300 men and 9 women. We sometimes had portapotties, but no way was I using a portapotty after 300 men. So, I girl-scouted it out in the woods. One learns how to do this discreetly, and to ask for privacy without embarrassing anyone.

I've also been known to pull the car over to the side of the road just so, open the car door and step outside and pee in the little shelter there between the door and the car.

Karen

[Geonz]

At the GITAP ride last year, it wasn't quite late enough to sing "The corn was as tall as a ladies' room stall" ... but hey, the *average* age on the ride was 56. So, if somebody went into a cornfield, you didn't look.

We teach our riders, "Drink before you're thirst, eat before you're hungry, and pee before you have to."

(And if you go to some of those other cycling forums, you can find lots of other stories...)

[Eden]

None of the races that I've done has been long enough that I've needed a pee break, but I heard that the women's pro -1-2-3 field had an agreed on pee stop in their race last weekend - so everyone stops. My question is where though? They keep announcing at the local races this year that anyone caught urinating in public will be DQ'd and I don't remember any port-a-potties on the course. Guys might be able to sneak it, but women are pretty obvious.

[bikerchick68]

I suspect this is one of the reasons the pro women's races tend to be shorter distances. I can do 115 miles in 5 1/2 hours without a bathroom break. This has to be about the limit, time-wise, for how long you can hold it.

This is just a theory - anyone with a real answer should jump in!

Good gawd you're fast! I can do 115 miles in 6 1/2 hours IF I push HARD!

[maillotpois]

Good gawd you're fast! I can do 115 miles in 6 1/2 hours IF I push HARD!

This is a race I do in November every year (El Tour de Tucson), no stops at all and you're just hammering the whole time, working aggressively in groups, etc.. It's a lot of fun!! Fairly flat/roller-y course. And I never stop to pee! It'll be a challenge this year because of the focus on long distance stuff, but toward October and Nov I will start to do more speed work. I need to try to get closer to DH's time - he went under 5 hours last year!

[Grog]

BF told me recently that when we're exercising we produce some hormone that prevents us from having to pee, something about keeping water to sweat and regulate body temperature instead of wasting it by peeing.

So I guess the harder we work, the less we have to pee...

[RoadRaven]

Don't forget also, that men's bladders are about 4 times as big as ours... so they can hold more than us...

I've never been in a ride/race that is so long I have to stop to pee either...

[CorsairMac]

This is a race I do in November every year (El Tour de Tucson), no stops at all and you're just hammering the whole time, working aggressively in groups, etc.. It's a lot of fun!! Fairly flat/roller-y course. And I never stop to pee! It'll be a challenge this year because of the focus on long distance stuff, but toward October and Nov I will start to do more speed work. I need to try to get closer to DH's time - he went under 5 hours last year!

OT: you're doing the Tour de Tucson this year too?....my friend has talked me into doing it also! we might have to "chat" as the time gets closer!!

*reminding self - just don't ride behind MP and her snot rocket launcher!*

[maillotpois]

OT: you're doing the Tour de Tucson this year too?....my friend has talked me into doing it also! we might have to "chat" as the time gets closer!!

*reminding self - just don't ride behind MP and her snot rocket launcher!*

Great ride. I have done it the last 5 - 6 years. It is super well supported, fast and fun and they hold traffic for you!! We can talk more as it gets closer - I am excited just thinking about it!!! I have unfinished business as I crashed out last year. (So stupid and so not my fault!!!) Planning to come back with a vengeance!!

Re: snot rockets: that's frankly the hardest thing for me in a group situation like that. I'm almost never at the absolute end of the pack, so there's no clear shot. And I have not yet been able to bring myself to snot off into my shoulder/jersey as one coach advised me. And I have a constant runny nose issue when I ride (probably allergies I am too lazy/skeptical to have diagnosed).