Winter Cycling - my balaclava is utterly disgusting after riding...any tips?

so, it's been cold enough to use a balaclava on most rides these days. my nose drips all over and the moisture from my mouth seems to drip down and collect a little below my mouth. this morning that soggy mess had frozen! it was nasty.

i wash the thing after every ride, but i actually find using my balaclava a fairly disgusting prospect. am i the only one with these problems?

Take a look at this product. I don't have one yet, but have heard that it works well.
http://www.psolar.com/index.html

What's the stuff they spray in rental bowling shoes? I'm sure that would work. :D

My balaclava gets pretty gross too. I wash it a couple of times a week, but between washings I make sure it's dry. And I try not to think about it too much.

Take a look at this product. I don't have one yet, but have heard that it works well.
http://www.psolar.com/index.html

yeah, i had looked at that earlier. that may solve one problem, but the leaky nose would still remain. although i'm not sure there is much that could be done about that.

Uh, don't ride? Seriously, all that greasy stuff, think of it as a badge of, courage? Honor?

Uh, don't ride?

definitely out of the question!! :lol: i'll take the frozen snot over not riding.

I can't say that it is a real problem for me. My balaclava's and earbands get disgusting after many rides and then i wash them.

I have a couple so I'm typically donning a new one every day.

You could carry and extra or wash the one you wear out every day when you get to work and also when you get home. It will only be dirty on the bike for a while.

If you keep the front of your face warmer your nose will probably not run as much. So the polar thing might help.

Also, if you keep your sinuses warmer your nose may run less. Try ski goggles or motocross goggles with a face protector.

I can handle a nasty balaclava.
Last year I used dirty underwear for a facemask, that way I could get more use out of them before washing them, and boy was that a disaster at times!

Yuck. If I wash my balaclava every week I'm usually good, but I forgot to throw it in the wash 2 nights ago with the rest of the cycling stuff. I thought it was going to rise up and attack me at work today.

Come to think of it, I should throw it in the wash with some other stuff right now. Thanks for the reminder. I'm off...

Get a whole bunch and go through em daily. Try to use your mouth more when breathing. Down to about 8 degrees earlier this week, I only needed the balaklava over my mouth and nose for the first 5 minutes then I was warm enough to lower it.

I have the ones from underarmor which is a balaklava thats separated into 2 sections, I can pull the mouth/nose section all the way down if I need to.

I assume you're talking about your saliva getting in the mouth area. If it's 10F or above, it's not hard to just pull the 'clava down and have your mouth and chin exposed. Your ears and most of your face will stay warm, and if it's already warmed up, then your mouth and nose will remain warm (if it's about 10F or up).

so, it's been cold enough to use a balaclava on most rides these days. my nose drips all over and the moisture from my mouth seems to drip down and collect a little below my mouth. this morning that soggy mess had frozen! it was nasty.

i wash the thing after every ride, but i actually find using my balaclava a fairly disgusting prospect. am i the only one with these problems?

Unfortunately, no. I hate the balaclava, try all sorts of tricks to avoid using it. Unfortunately, when it hits -25, -30 etc. there seems to be no other option.

I bought a couple & rotate them. Mine get really evil after one ride. Breathing in through the nose & out of the mouth seems to stem the tide of mucas, slightly.

I've had no problems this year with just wraping a long scarf around my ears and mouth and then neck and every time I put it on, the area where my mouth and nose last were is now in a different spot. I feel too much like some kind of criminal with a balaclava anyway.

I picked up a neoprene type face mask (seirus combo scarf). It's got small holes so you don't build up a ton of moisture in breathing, and leaves the nose somewhat open which made keeping drips under control much easier.
While it doesn't come off perfectly clean I found it collected a lot less stuff and was easier to get on and off than a full balaclava.

I've had no problems this year with just wraping a long scarf around my ears and mouth and then neck and every time I put it on, the area where my mouth and nose last were is now in a different spot. I feel too much like some kind of criminal with a balaclava anyway.

Yeah, the balaclava does make one look like a dork. But your solution seems a bit hard to implement with a helmet.

You do wear a helmet, right?

I picked up a neoprene type face mask (seirus combo scarf). It's got small holes so you don't build up a ton of moisture in breathing, and leaves the nose somewhat open which made keeping drips under control much easier.

Linky?

Yeah, the balaclava does make one look like a dork. But your solution seems a bit hard to implement with a helmet.

You do wear a helmet, right?


Of course, it holds it all together.

Take a look at this product. I don't have one yet, but have heard that it works well.
http://www.psolar.com/index.htmlWith one of those and my glasses I'd look like a Darth Vadar wanna be.

I feel too much like some kind of criminal with a balaclava anyway.

lol... i've had several people comment that i look like i'm going to rob a bank. makes me feel like i'm an urban guerrilla (as opposed to gorilla).

can't say i have any tips though; i find mine gets damp, but not crusty. maybe it has to do with the material? i think it's some kind of cool max stuff (from mec, very resonably priced if i recall).

ah the joys of winter cycling: snot, sweat and tears!

can't say i have any tips though; i find mine gets damp, but not crusty. maybe it has to do with the material? i think it's some kind of cool max stuff (from mec, very resonably priced if i recall).




i think mine gets extra nasty because i frequently pull down the front at times. i like unrestricted breathing, but then i pull it back up when the wind gets to be too much. so, when i have it down, all that wetness can freeze very quickly. when i pull it back up i'm literally putting my frozen breath and snot back across my mouth.

yummy! :D

Wow. These thoughts are definitely going to stay with me the whole (subway) ride home :D

It makes those winsome summer discussions about butt cream seem endearing... (snicker).

glad to be of service. :D

can't say i have any tips though; i find mine gets damp, but not crusty. maybe it has to do with the material? i think it's some kind of cool max stuff (from mec, very resonably priced if i recall).


I think it's because you women just don't produce anything dirty or unseemly, unlike us men.

Everybody knows women are angels.

I think it's because you women just don't produce anything dirty or unseemly, unlike us men.Oh Yea? Well, where do you think men come from Hmmm?

Oh Yea? Well, where do you think men come from Hmmm?

Touché!!!

Best BF reply so far....

You can reduce snot dripping by sniffing the stuff and swallowing it before it drips onto your mask. Moisture from your mouth that collects on your mask cannot easily be avoided. OTOH, all these are natural substances - they are you. Why do you find them gross? They are not gross, not full of germs, they are just a natural bi-product of life.

Enjoy being warm, and stop worrying about being stylish.

Gross would be the after effects of frost bite on otherwise exposed cheeks or nose or chapped lips.

I wear a mask that covers my nose, cheeks, and chin - it velcro's in the back. Holes punched in the mouth area allow moisture to escape and me to breath in/out through my mouth as nature directs me.

If you are going to ride in serious cold weather for any distance at all, you need to protect your face - so, learn to live with that healthy "grossness." It's good for you!

Caruso

I think it's because you women just don't produce anything dirty or unseemly, unlike us men.

Everybody knows women are angels.

:roflmao: you haven't met me... have you?



You can reduce snot dripping by sniffing the stuff and swallowing it...

Caruso

i find that gives me a belly-ache sometimes though? is that just me? :o