Bladder control in cold weather riding!
 

Man, this is killing me. In the summer, I can easily crank two hours before having to relieve myself. When the weather is cold (less than 60 F, is cold for me), I can barely make it 30 minutes before being in pain.

I can only attribute this to not sweating it off. Problem is, I have to make sure I don't go further than my pit-stop allows. No way to go in the woods since I have to drop my drawers to go.

I hate this, I could still do more, if not for the pit stops.

The other problem is, once I pull those bike shorts down, it is darn near impossible to get them back up, not to mention all the layers of clothes I have on (bike shorts, long underwear, then regular shorts)

I have such an issue with muscle cramps that my trainer told me to drink a lot when riding, be even cutting back on the water doesn't help.

Sometimes I can barely get in the door after 30 minutes without...well you know.

Not ready for depends YET!:D But I wish I had a solution.

Am I the only one with this problem?

No.

My plumbing seems to get a little more active as the temperature decreases. This is yet another reason that winter sucks.

What's more, there aren't as many leaves on the trees, so you have to get farther off the road when nature calls.

Between getting older, being cold and as cyclists we're all ways well hydrated, so it equals more pit stops. I ride in the country so stopping at natures calling is no problem.

A well known defense mechanism of the body to keep its core temperature level in cold weather is to remove water.

So, dress up warmer.

I haven't noticed this problem. But you're a boy, why drop your drawers? Try wearing bike shorts with nothing underneath and tights over the top, or better yes, tights like PI Thermal or Amfib with a pad, depending on temperature, so only one layer and easy to pee over the top.

Try putting HEED or NUUN in your water bottle.

I don't notice it when I'm riding so much, but once I come into a warm room after being chilled it becomes a priority. I drink a lot less on rides when the temps are 30s - 50s F than I do at 70+ degrees so maybe that makes a difference. I dress in bike shorts, maybe a base layer, and windproof runners pants (Sport Hill) with two to four layers from the waist up depending on conditions and don't have a problem making a pit stop. OP, what are you wearing that makes answering the call so much more difficult in the winter than in the summer?

Frequent urination is a classic sign of diabetes so have a blood test to rule that problem out to be safe.

I'm not of the opinion that lots of hydration in cold temperatures will mitigate cramps. Cramping reasons can be a bit complex - its not always hydration. Being active gets the kidneys going. Maybe warm up on the trainer at home about 15 minutes before going out to ride. And as Carbonfiberboy said, you only need shorts and tights (no bibs). I also concur that a blood test is in order just to be sure there is no underlying issue.

http://www.amazon.com/s/?ie=UTF8&key...sl_i6s8dqejm_b
How about this ?

That might be a little uncomfortable on a ride :lol:

This is not a NEW thing, I go through it every time the weather gets cold. My rides are in well populated areas. Dropping them and going will get you registered as a sex offender around here.

Today I did not hydrate as much earlier in the day. Made it over an hour before having to circle back home. Sill miss those 30 miles each day in the summer without stopping.

Corn is mostly harvested by now around here. Well, not really around here in the suburbs, but rural roads aren't far. Cornfields are a wonderful thing, once it gets tall enough in the summer.

Back when I was Active Duty, we were cautioned to be well aware of the need for hydration even in below-zero temps. I don't remember all that was said, but I do remember them saying that insufficient hydration at low temperatures made you more susceptible to cold injuries.

I agree! There are real dangers... winter and summer... with dehydration. And you don't want to make yourself sick while cycling alone ether. I don't know enough about "proper" ways to hydrant to offer advice. But here is what I do:

I try to keep my hydration level... well level. In other words I try to minimize the highs and lows. I have a high tech scale that reads/displays my hydration levels. Monitoring is better than guessing.

I eliminate both alcohol and caffeine from my diet... or at least moderate it.

I refuse to cut short a ride because I need to pee. I know where every park [with an unlocked and winter available restroom] is located. PLUS where every coffee, donut shop, and gas station is.... along my various routes.

I'd say a couple other things: even in summer, I sometimes go out for 2 hour training rides and don't drink anything. In winter, say 55° and on down, I may drink as little as 12 oz. in three hours of hard riding. My performance is not decreased by slight dehydration like this, in fact it is probably increased. I also don't cramp.

Cramps on the bike are invariably caused by undertraining, hard as this may be to hear. Night cramps are another story. No one knows why those occur. Cramps, whenever they occur, including incipient cramps that haven't fully developed, can be stopped in seconds by eating 1-2 regular, name-brand Tums. This works for everyone who's tried it AFAIK.

As far as researchers can determine, cramps have nothing to do with hydration or electrolyte levels, either on the bike or at night. Good study of cramping in athletes here:
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2007...ramps-part-ii/

I probably should note that I've done a bit of riding, including double centuries, RAMROD, and brevets, up to 18 hours of riding/day.

I've never had any leg cramps when riding, but I have been battling for a few years where the muscle in my inner thigh goes off later that evening. Sometimes completely incapacitating me. My wife thought I was having a heart attack the first time. This year, I have been using an electronic NEMS unit on my leg after rides, and hydrating more. I'm happy to say, it's been at least two months now since I have had an attack.

The first time it happened, three days later, the inside of my leg from my groin to my knee was completely BLACK! The sports trainer where I went to try to sort this out believes it was a lack of hydration in my muscles. So I drink a lot during the day. Yes, I do drink coffee, and I doubt I will give that up, but I do not drink alcohol, so I need some vice :rolleyes:

One of the places I bike is through the public park, but now they have all the bathrooms locked :cry:

Also a sign of prostatic hypertrophy, benign or malignant. A large fraction of men suffer from this, increasingly so as age increases. Perhaps the astronauts have a work-around?

http://www.oneonthego.com/MEC-Tip.jpg

If it's only your adductors which ever cramp, do you work them at the gym on an adductor machine? Do you squat? Coffee and alcohol don't have anything to do with it. Probably some signaling screwup in the nerve bundle that controls that muscle. Stretch when you get back, like this:
http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...1#post15372967

If you never cramp on the bike, don't drink anything for 2 hours before you go out, then have a glass of water when you get back.

I have started stretching when I get back. Also, I don't have bladder frequency problems when not riding.

Found several solutions:
-electric hand warmer inside the pants (warning: risk of explosion that could hurt a little)
-wool hat inside the pants
-bubble wrap
-hot tea in a small bottle where?....inside the pants
-boxer with a windproof front
-2 or 3 heavyweight wool boxers sewn together

Is it possible that as it gets colder your caffeine intake goes up? I had a large Starbucks peppermint mocha wuss drink about an hour before I rode yesterday, and chased it with some diet Coke, and then wondered why I had to pull off the road and pollute Floyd's Fork.

As Jan pointed out, it gets more challenging this time of year to find cover.

Bottom line is to be wary of your caffeine intake.

not at all everything is flexible and non intrusive....much more confortable than the incontence briefs


or bubble wrap

Happens to me too. It's not a ride if I'm not watering a bush this time of year. I pretty much only do mountain biking when it gets cold, so finding a private place in the woods is not hard. The only good thing about cold weather peeing is there are no mosquitoes to bite you on the rear.

First question is: What is your usual urination interval? Don't expect more on the trail than is normal for you. It is normal to urinate when first going into water or cold. Look up: anti-diruetic hormone. But, once that initial event takes place I've never experienced any increased urination in cold. A preventive pee just before going outside is often useful.

Are you over hydrating? Some folks I know drink way too much in anticipation. Fluid in the right amount at the right time is the key. Remember you get fluid from your food too, not just drinking. So, if you just finished a huge plate of rice and beans you also took in a huge amount of water wiith it.

Privacy: It only takes from 20-30 seconds to pee. Add another 30 seconds or so to handle clothing and you are in business. So, dress for success and plan ahead. Also, don't worry about what people think you are doing as long as they can't see what you are doing. Even in the heart of the big city there are lots of places where turning your back and proper stance will keep you lawful.

Works for me so I hope it works for you.

Good luck.