Runny Noses on Rides

[redeyedtreefr0g]

Hi there!

I'm new here (as of this morning! yay), but I saw this thread and just had to look. I starting riding my bike regularly with the start of the school year by commuting to work in Oregon last year. This year I'm in Colorado. I noticed with the hot lovely summer weather here that my nose was finally NOT running constantly like it did my entire first year. With the drop in temperatures, my nose again plagues me.

Like most other posters, I usually only have an annoying drip of nearly-water fluid, unless I get a cold. I had a plastic crate behind my seat last year- it was super convenient to reach back and grab a washcloth that I carried around. This year I replaced the crate with a homemade saddlebag- no convenient spot for the "hankie"! So far I use rear pants pockets in a pinch, or ore often the handwarmer pocket of whatever jacket I have on. Draping the washcloth over the handlebars unsecured (though I thought it was pretty well stuck) did not work and is a sure way to loose your hankie. I'm considering one of those extending ID badge clips.

I blow my nose one-handed into the wind. I try not to do this when anyone is available to witness me doing it. This not only saved the precious hanky space from being over-loaded and soggy, but not wiping my nose that much helps to keep it from getting quite so raw. I also have a special stick of chapstick just for rubbing inside my nose. If you don't think its worth it during the day (such as if you have to continually blow your nose all the time and would therefore simply wipe the chapstick off again) you can apply the chapstick pretty liberally at night, and wake up with your tender nostrils in MUCH better condition for it. Twisting the stick, especially for inside nostrils, seems to apply it better than trying to wipe it on as you do for your lips.

[gocard]

I'm digging up this thread as I find it very applicable especially for this time of the year. I have been riding with a lot of tissues since I can't stand a runny nose and reusing already sodden tissues doesn't feel so great either. It's just so annoying with the constant sniffling that doesn't go away without a good nose blow. I'm going to try a handkerchief or wristbands like others have mentioned. I'm so envious of my riding buddy and others who don't have constantly running noses when riding! Argh

[Skippyak]

I use hankies that I make myself from flannel, if you can find double sided quality flannel all the better. Snot rockets disgust me. People take the piss out of me for my hankie though, because I am British LOL. Anyway, flannel works well because it is much softer and more absorbent than cheap hankies. Scabby noses do well with lanolin. We only have tissues in the house for visitors. We all use hankies now.