# comfort breaks while on long rides?



## oldgreyandslow (11 Apr 2013)

When I was younger I could easily ride 4 hours or so without the need for a comfort break, these days however depending on the weather I often find myself searching for a discrete hedge or similar.

This didn't seem to bother the olympic road race boys 
View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghsdAiLCoKc


However I was wondering what's the story on longer sportives? I've done a few and nearly always managed to either find a suitable public loo, or at worst hopped behind a hedge, but that latter is probably against the law, and as I'm fortunate enough to have a place in the fortchoming Ride London 100 I was thinking it may be rather crowded and there won't be that many hedges/trees etc. I suppose I could wait until Box Hill and have a high level pee.


----------



## Ningishzidda (11 Apr 2013)

With careful liquid intake, I can ride a 100 Audax without the need.
Its usually coffee that make me pee.


----------



## wiggydiggy (11 Apr 2013)

Nearest bush does me, if there isnt a public (or private e.g. Pub) loo near me. Had a few No 2's as well when I've had too although on those occasions I bury the spoil.

Its a health thing, you can and will do damage over time if you keep 'holding it'.


----------



## RedFeend (11 Apr 2013)

Spare a thought for us women. Very hard to squat discretely, hedge or no hedge. It also takes ages to drop one's attire and then make yourself decent again.


----------



## RedFeend (12 Apr 2013)

Looks like a good idea, but still a fiddle compared with what the boys come ready equipped with, and NATO Green? Not sure about that.


----------



## RedFeend (12 Apr 2013)

Many years ago I was out on a day long ( horse) ride. I was absolutely busting, so I got off my horse and squatted down to pee in a kale field. A friend held my horse and we aimed to quickly catch up with the rest of the group. However, someone in 'the group' thought I'd crashed out and fifty or so people (many who knew me) came galloping back to my aid. I've never quite gotten over it.


----------



## fossyant (12 Apr 2013)

Sportives usually have loos at the feeds. TBH I dont usually need to go but remember riding the Cheshire Cat a few years ago and we were waiting over an hour to start on a chilly morning. First feed toilet queue.


----------



## Alex H (12 Apr 2013)

oldgreyandslow said:


> or at worst hopped behind a hedge, but that latter is probably against the law,


 
In France _that is the law_ usually in full view, never mind behind anything


----------



## gavroche (12 Apr 2013)

Alex H said:


> In France _that is the law_ usually in full view, never mind behind anything


This is the law of nature, when it has to be done, it has to be done. That's what trees are for.


----------



## Andrew_Culture (12 Apr 2013)

A river runs through me.


----------



## Alex H (12 Apr 2013)

gavroche said:


> This is the law of nature, when it has to be done, it has to be done. That's what trees are for.


 
Trees? trees have nothing to do with it


----------



## Licramite (12 Apr 2013)

I must admit the water going in rarely gets to my bladder, its leaked out well before.
my main 'comfort break' is getting my arse off the saddle - oooooh -
When I go camping or on long walks I always pack a trowel. - you don't need a shovel/entrenching tool - how big a hole are you going to dig! .

you got to just take the attitude - yea we all do it, if you don't like it don't look.


----------



## HLaB (14 Apr 2013)

I hardly ever need to pee  on a ride whilst moving at least but once stopped water flows through me, given that I don't really drink enough, where does it all come from


----------



## RedFeend (14 Apr 2013)

It's been building up in your bladder all along, but while you are distracted by cycling your brain ignores the urge. Once you stop, the diversion is gone and the physical need to micturate moves up the brain's list of priorities. Look up Maslow's hierarchy of needs if you want to be a geek. 

By the way. Here is a telling off for not drinking enough. You place yourself at higher risk of urinary infections/kidney stones and even collapse from loss of fluids/electrolytes, if you exert yourself over an extended period. Keeping hydrated is really important and ironically we lose more body fluid in extreme cold than when it's hot. 

I had better shut up now.


----------



## Jon George (15 Apr 2013)

If you are ever in Suffolk and pass another cyclist loudly whistling the opening bars of Cheek to Cheek (Lyrics: Heaven. I'm in heaven.), that will be me and now you will know why. (Oh, and this may come under the heading Too Much Information, but I once had a radiologist exclaim 'Wow! What a bladder!' So I have to time my comfort breaks accordingly. Just make sure you don't stumble upon me a couple of minutes before I start whistling.  )


----------



## PK99 (15 Apr 2013)

RedFeend said:


> Spare a thought for us women. Very hard to squat discretely, hedge or no hedge. It also takes ages to drop one's attire and then make yourself decent again.



You need a shee-wee


----------



## theclaud (15 Apr 2013)

PK99 said:


> You need a shee-wee



That's a TMN to TMN!


----------



## slowmotion (15 Apr 2013)

gavroche said:


> This is the law of nature, when it has to be done, it has to be done. That's what trees are for.


 It isn't just the French who do it in plain sight.....the Belgians are at it too....
[media]
]View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uskD5RuKqbA[/media]


----------



## Matthew_T (15 Apr 2013)

all my long rides are usually through the countryside. It would be very difficult to get anything over 30/40 miles through towns. Bushes or fields are a godsend.


----------



## DCLane (15 Apr 2013)

One of these usually comes in helpful:


----------



## compo (15 Apr 2013)

Trees and bushes are fine for passing urine (for us fellas) bit as a sufferer from IBS it is the other end that can become a real problem.


----------



## Herr-B (15 Apr 2013)

RedFeend said:


> Spare a thought for us women. Very hard to squat discretely, hedge or no hedge. It also takes ages to drop one's attire and then make yourself decent again.


You can't fool me, I've seen The Full Monty, I know what you girls can achieve.


----------



## RedFeend (15 Apr 2013)

Herr-B said:


> You can't fool me, I've seen The Full Monty, I know what you girls can achieve.



What we do is called contortion!


----------



## Arjimlad (16 Apr 2013)

Oxford park & ride car park hedge. Sorry but I had no choice in the matter.


----------



## SatNavSaysStraightOn (17 Apr 2013)

I have to confess that anything under the 35 mile mark rarely need me to stop for a comfort break. My OH on the otherhand will stop 3 or 4 times in that space of time and finds trees rather useful. We did toy with re-naming our journal to "scent marking our way around the world" because of the number of comfort breaks he requires.

I do remember one rather embarrassing moment on tour though when I did need a comfort break and in the absense of all trees/walls/hedgerows had to use some low lying bushes for cover. the sort of bushes that are up to your knees nothing more. Believing it to be clear, I did the pull shorts down & squat in 1 movement  . This was followed by the squealing of car tyres and a lot of dirt being thrown up into the air. A car ran off the road - they did recover, so no harm done, but the really embarrassing part is the country we were in at the time - Sweden. Of all the countries we passed through (possible the wrong phrase) Sweden is the last country I would have thought this would have happened in. My OH makes sure he mentions it at regular intervals.


----------



## RedFeend (17 Apr 2013)

SatNavSaysStraightOn said:


> I have to confess that anything under the 35 mile mark rarely need me to stop for a comfort break. My OH on the otherhand will stop 3 or 4 times in that space of time and finds trees rather useful. We did toy with re-naming our journal to "scent marking our way around the world" because of the number of comfort breaks he requires.
> 
> I do remember one rather embarrassing moment on tour though when I did need a comfort break and in the absense of all trees/walls/hedgerows had to use some low lying bushes for cover. the sort of bushes that are up to your knees nothing more. Believing it to be clear, I did the pull shorts down & squat in 1 movement  . This was followed by the squealing of car tyres and a lot of dirt being thrown up into the air. A car ran off the road - they did recover, so no harm done, but the really embarrassing part is the country we were in at the time - Sweden. Of all the countries we passed through (possible the wrong phrase) Sweden is the last country I would have thought this would have happened in. My OH makes sure he mentions it at regular intervals.


You must have a beautiful bum!


----------



## SatNavSaysStraightOn (18 Apr 2013)

RedFeend said:


> You must have a beautiful bum!


The daft thing is, my OH confirms there was nothing to see, it was all in their imagination (and probably best left that way as well)!


----------



## coffeejo (18 Apr 2013)

On holiday in Shropshire last year, we were walking over the Stiperstones and there was no way I was going to make it down to the village so told everyone I'd catch them up. The hill was deserted but, as you'd expect, just as I got comfortable, someone came along the path in the one direction where I had no cover. Pelvic floor exercises - absolutely worth it


----------



## User16625 (18 Apr 2013)

oldgreyandslow said:


> When I was younger I could easily ride 4 hours or so without the need for a comfort break, these days however depending on the weather I often find myself searching for a discrete hedge or similar.
> 
> This didn't seem to bother the olympic road race boys
> View: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghsdAiLCoKc
> ...




If a horse can drop a load on the road legally then why cant humans answer the call of nature in a bush? Basic human needs aswell as rights.

I got caught short on the way up to the summit of snowdon once. I went behind a rock to relieve myself and just as I was finishing, the mountain train completely full of people suddenly appeared from around a bend. It felt comical aswell as embarrassing tbh. Never had much trouble when cycling.


----------

