nightshade18

Hi guys,

I say guys as maybe this is specific to us gents, who knows.
So uh, how can I ask this in a gentlemanly manner......?

See, I've been commuting a couple of times a week for the past 3 weeks and I'm having awful, dire difficulty with my err..... internal aero. 11 miles results in 19 trips to the bathroom a day, just for politeness sake. On the evenings I've been having lots of pain with a rumbly tumbly. After a couple of hours the situation corrects itself with the most comical of noises, but still - has anyone experienced this, or know what might be causing it?
It's genuinely embarrassing.

I'm just drinking water by the way

Leisesturm

Having a digestive system is gender specific? Who knew. As to water... well that can't be all your intake. You have a life off the bike, yes?

caloso

This is a diet question, not a commuting question.

nightshade18

No, but don't we have different positions and seats on our bikes? Aren't there women's and men's bikes/ saddles? Could that be a factor? I think I covered that with "who knows?" above. A life off the bike? Sure but I don't have this problem off the bike......

Nope, not at all. This is no problem off the bike, when my diet is exactly the same as when I commute. All I do is cycle to work, hence to me it's definitely a commuting question.

Leisesturm

I suspect that as many women as not ride bicycles and use saddles that are designed for the use of men. The reverse is less common but not unheard of. One does not have to be a physician to know with a fair amount of certitude that these components should not affect digestion to the degree that the o.p. is experiencing. I have to say though, if I thought that my choice of bicycle and/or saddle might be a factor in my issue, I think I would provide their make/model as data in my o.p.

JReade

I don't suspect any part of the bike, but the action of riding is the real culprit. Some people can't eat within X minutes of physical activity, I know I can't eat for about two hours before playing hockey or I'll be sick.

tjspiel

Changes in activity might require changes in diet, or at least the timing. If I'm going for a run, I know that I have to be careful about what I eat before hand.

nightshade18

I don't necessarily think that it is the choice of bike or saddle, only it's not a topic I'm knowledgeable on. If we're safe to rule that out then great.

My brain was wondering along the lines of being hunched over in position that isn't exactly natural. Do women experience problems on a bike that men do not? I have no idea. Only a throw away comment

So if we're talking timing, I typically eat breakfast 15 mins after waking (whether I'm in the car or on the bike), then if cycling it would be another 15mins before I begin my commute. They joys of needing a shower when I arrive mean I save time before I set off
Worth skipping breakfast and getting some food once I arrive at work?

BobbyG

I would see a doctor. Perhaps this is the result of a blockage or constriction that has become a problem when you are hunched over or when your legs are pumping. Your large or small intestine may be pinched, or your gall bladder or appendix has swolen and the cycling position or activity is causing it to over secrete. I don't know how young or old you are, but I know of one young man with a similar problem which turned out to be life threatening. Err on the side of caution and get things checked out.

alan s 

Everything you say points to a health issue, not a bike commuting issue. Get it checked out by a medical doctor. Maybe it's just diet, but as others have said, it could be a sign of something more serious.