New Hampshire is supposed to be the epicenter for the highest rates of Lyme disease, so we regularly check for ticks. I have never had a problem riding, but as work has me hiking through fields and woods many days, they are a fact of life. Daily tick checks are necessary. Poison ivy? Well, it seems to be many places, except in the woods. If you wash off the oils before they have a chance to settle in, most folks find it isn't a huge problem.