I just remembered that this time last year I was wicked sick with a sinus infection (I tend to get them alot) and then I realized that I haven't really been sick sick since I've been commuting. Besides the obvious health benefits of biking to work, I have another weird theory: since I probably blow a dozen air hankies a trip, I bet my sinus is moi clear.

My lady has been full time bicycle commuting for years now, and both this fall and last fall she came down with sinus infections. I work in an industry that doesn't provide sick leave, so my co-workers tend to come to work ill as long as they're able to stand. Sometimes I catch it, sometimes I don't; I tend to get sick about once a year, despite being a full time bicycle commuter and an avid runner (if you want to pass me wordlessly when I'm out running in the fall, pass on the left as I tend to blow snot rockets/loogies to the right). I think that I just caught my lady's head cold, and I've been blowing snot rockets daily for the last month (it's been a cold November).

I think I just got sick on my ride this afternoon, so I guess I'm maintaining the balance of the universe. You're welcome.

Life's been good to me, I haven't had to call in sick since 1997, if I do get sick, all I do is lose my voice, much to the delight of some family members and co-workers since I'm an easy target for their jibes, with no worries in getting any retorts on my part.

Snot rockets are rude and crude and there is no evidence showing that they are associated with decreased illness.

I get sick about once every other year. I've been bicycle commuting for at least ten years. I don't think it makes a bit of difference.

Seriously? I've never met an anti-snot-rocketer. What do you recommend?

I avoided the flu about a week ago. I noticed the symptoms and I loaded up on vitamin C, washed my hands, took medicine and avoided anyone with the flu. I hate being sick, and I am glad I avoided it.

I've never heard of anti-snot rocketing either. Please explain.

I was sick recently with the flu. I don't think commuting had anything to do with it. I get sick as much as the average person. Pretty hard to avoid when you spend 40 hrs/week in an office that circulates the air you breathe with hundreds of other people. If anything, having a 3 y.o. starting pre-school has a much bigger effect.

Did some research with surprising results:

https://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/10/health/10real.html

I've been sick maybe once during the past 8 months despite working in a health care facility. I am careful to wash my hands frequently with soap or dish detergent or whatever is around. I'd say is not uncommon for me to wash my hands once or twice per hour.

The only time I got sick is due to one of my co-workers coming in sick with upper respiratory infection and sneezing and coughing everywhere. We get 1.25 days/mo (15 days/yr) sick leave so he had no excuse...A bunch of us were trying to get him to wear a mask but he refused to do so. We have boxes and boxes of N95 masks at no cost to him. He ended up getting about 3/4 the department sick, about 15 people, over the next 2 weeks.

"The proper method is to blow one nostril at a time and to take decongestants, said Dr. Anil Kumar Lalwani, chairman of the department of otolaryngology at the New York University Langone Medical Center." - from the linked article above.

Snot rockets for greater health! Although apparently just letting it build up to sneeze levels is the best route.

So, are snot-cicles more or less crude than snot rockets? Because it's gonna be one or the other.

I'm not generally blowing snot rockets because I'm sick, but because I'm exercising in the cold and mucus is blocking my airway. When I can, I snort it back into the throat where it accumulates into a loogie that I can spit, which I think releases better (I get less blowback), but sometimes it just wants to come out of the nostril. I'm not about to pull over every mile or so to pull out a hankie and blow my nose, or wipe it all on my gloves. What do you suggest?

I've been fighting something minor for a few weeks. Locals call it "Kentucky Crud". I commute, I still get sick. I won't worry too much about it unless it's flu-like, then I'll take a break.

I've seen too many accounts of innocent bystanders/bicyclists getting hit by flying snot .

I'd suggest pulling out a hankie/tissue/paper towel. That's what the rest of the world does.
Controlling a bike at speed while using a hankie is a good training technique.

You gotta admit snot rockets look crude.
By all means, in a race anything goes.

You get sick once every 2 years and you don't think cycling makes a difference???

I've never seen this happen, I don't know anyone who's seen this happen, and I don't know anyone who knows anyone who's seen this happen (as far as I know). And while I've heard it alluded to whenever the anonymous drafting issue comes up here, I've never read an account where someone has actually seen it happen.

Really, the whole rest of the world? 'Cause I see an awful lot of cyclists, runners, and skiers spitting and blowing snot rockets (skiers are the worst for snot rocketing). When skiing my hands are attached to ski poles, which makes reaching into a pocket for a hankie or really doing anything other than poling incredibly difficult (plus it would totally throw off my rhythm); when running I don't even have pockets; and when biking, yes there are times when I could grab a hankie and use it. However, in the winter when this is most frequently an issue I spend a lot of time riding in loose snow, and you really want to keep both hands on the bars in that case; plus I'm not interested in carrying a snot rag around with me, I think it's gross.

I think that it's a matter of context, whether they look crude or not. Indoors: yes, exercising outdoors: no, as long as you don't blow into a crowd of people or anything. Of course it's possible that I'm just a crude guy, but I just don't find most basic human bodily functions (like mucus production and expectoration) all that gross.

Dude, turn in your mancard at the nearest collection center. The only time this applies is when cycling w/females...and only if you've got your eye on one(or more...one never knows, nowadays) of them. Otherwise, and I quote, 'anything goes'.

OK, guys, have at it, then...........
But please be careful where you have that thing aimed.

Handkerchiefs are good alternative to snot rockets. I use them. Paper, degradable, eco, 1 euro for about 30 hankies. You just ride with hands on your nose instead of brakes for a while - when it is safe.

Nothing against snot rockets though, they work, and are eco - bio degradable! Although they doo look crude. -10 to charisma for every snot rocket. -20 if a woman is within 1000 meters - they WILL be looking at you when you do it!



I haven't been ill since I started cycling to work and leaving the office window open all year long. Just got used to heat and cold and no problems ever since. However, after passing the age of 25, football injuries have become a norm. Rarely such that I can't ride a bike or work in the office, but still unpleasant.

Fair enough, although you get a +5 to your target number when rolling a charisma check on any seduction attempt for using RPG terminology in conjunction with 'the ladies'.

I've seen my lady blow snot rockets; she thinks it's gross, but necessary at times. So I'm pretty much off the hook, I think.

edit: It occurs to me that, given the popularity of RPG video games, people might be referencing attribute penalties without understanding what rolling a skill or attribute check is. I think I just failed my saving throw vs. old age.

Just getting over a mild 3 day cold thingy. Just congested and low energy really. I mostly blame an extreme amount of stress right now for making me vulnerable to it. They're downsizing and I don't know yet if I'll be retained. My position is going away and there's fierce competition for the few remaining positions available to all of us being cut. Not used to this, never expected it in my industry.

I commute and I get sick extremely rarely (much less than those around me), but I have no idea whether commuting/bicycling is the reason. It would be nice, something else to add to the "benefits of commuting" list, but there's no science to prove it

As the OP, I am very pleased with the elevated discourse of this topic. I was curious, however if we men are working on the wrong assumption, that women find the practice rude n crude, but also that they do not participate in said practice. Any women out there air-hankiers?

Oh shush.

It's not like he's aiming for people to hit. And if some stranger is drafting without asking, he's risking anything that drifts back anyway.

Actually I have been sick- thanks for asking. I had the sinus infection from hell last fall and recurring colds all the way through june of this year. It kept me off the bike for a while but I am quite committed to commuting every day. Im hoping that with some miles behind me I can not get sick as much this year, but I don't know if riding really makes any difference- as evidenced by recently coming down with another cold. I am also trying to eliminate as much as possible eating refined sugar, taking a multivitamin, etc. Probably a bit on the paranoid side bust last year was absolutely terrible. Here's to a better year and to many a snot rocket on the trails.