When I need to pee while riding, I stand on my pedals and wait and wait for things to get going. Is there any way to speed up the process? I seem to waste a lot of time.
I’ve never had to pee on the bike and thus, never lost any time doing it. Sorry, I know that was not what you asked, but I just can’t restrain myself when I these threads. Do we see pros peeing on the bike? Why? I’m pretty sure they have determined how much to drink and not more. More is not better for hydration.
Ok, call me an idiot for the unsolicited advice. I deserve it.
Chad
Well, two thoughts…
One, if it takes that long, would stopping not be quicker, and less icky…but if every second counts…
Two, the pros do pee on the bike, if you don’t have to pee during a 180km ride, you’re dehyrdated. There’s this thing called pre-renal failure, it’s not good, actually if the the words ‘renal’ and ‘failure’ are used in close proximity it’s generally bad. If on the other hand you’re talking about a sprint or olympic I’m guessing a visit to the uber aromatic porta-john a couple minutes before is probably sufficient (or do in on the swim so nobody behind you experiences a non-consenting golden shower – just the same old same old as lane swimming after kiddy play hour).
Couldn’t resist the thread either.
I would suggest practicing as much as possible on your training rides, particularly group rides so your comfortable peeing in a crowd. Practice makes perfect.
I’m thinking it’s good thing you’re having some difficulty peeing your pants- your parents invested some time and effort fostering that bladder control skill!
if you don’t have to pee during a 180km ride, you’re dehyrdated.
Of course you are dehydrated. If I go for a run in the morning I’ll be dehydrated. But not so much that it will inhibit my performance. I’m going to turn it around. If you do have to pee during a 180K ride then you don’t know what the proper fluid intake is for your race and you are opening the door on digestion issues. Necessity to pee during long training or racing is just a myth that won’t die. Probably because it gets perpetuated on slowtwitch. 
Chad
I can routinely go the majority of a normal day without needing to pee. If I go before work, I often don’t go again until I get home. Considering that a smart race plan entails hydration management, and a good deal of sweating, I don’t see why one would need to plan around urinating. For those that procrastinate, the swim venue is your toilet.
Wait until you really have to go. With no one around on a downhill, it will happen.
But urinating on the bike is nothing. Not breaking stride while doing so on the run is what seperates the contenders from the participants. Icky some may say. But the top 10% overall in a given race could care less about a little urin. My God…one is all wet anyway. Spashing a lititle water here and there is all one needs. Again it all depends where one is. But for the ones racing at their limits, no way one gives seconds away here and there.
It all adds up at the end.
You got any evidence to back up that ‘don’t need to pee on a 180km ride’ statement? Quick search of pubmed doesn’t really go either way, and the studies they do have refer to well hydrated individuals – not the good and dehydrated. There is good evidence that if you’re dehydrated your performance will suffer…and you did concede ‘of course you are dehydrated’.
So does good race planning now include an IV at the 'ol medical tent?
Steer toward a pole or tree and then turn at the last possible second. Fear helps.
Do you really save that much time by peeing on yourself? Never understood this one…
Well, I could n=1 you and say I’ve ridden seven hours in 80-100 degree heat without peeing with no ill affects, but someone how I doubt that will convince you.
I was referring to the fact that dehydration is not a problem until a certain point upon which your performance then begins to suffer. Dehydration can occur anywhere from just below your optimum level down to the point where your body functions quit on you. I would guess that I finish every race at some degree of dehydration, but still managed to finish duathlons 5Ks at 5:40 miles.
I read an interesting study that showed that elite marathoners all finished with significantly more dehydrated bodies than the MOPers, and the BOPers had actually gone the other direction and were over-hydrated. Which is what happens to many age groupers in longer races when they have to pee. I had a friend who used to head out on the half IM bike leg with FOUR 28 ounce bottles for 2:40ish time in the saddle. He told me he sweat a lot. And had to pee during races. No kidding.
A good friend of mine has often ended his very best races getting an IV in the tent. Obviously the better thing is to not quite need to get the IV, but it did not inhibit him from winning.
Chad
I’m thinking it’s good thing you’re having some difficulty peeing your pants- your parents invested some time and effort fostering that bladder control skill!
First those jerks handicapped me with my genetics, now this. It’s no wonder I don’t win. It’s not my fault.
-Jot
I just sort of go without interrupting my pedaling even. I used to unclip and sort of extend one leg out like a dog pissing on a fire hydrant, but that didn’t seem to prevent some piss from ending up in my shoe anyway. So now I just sort of go in place. Hasn’t caused me a problem yet, though I do wonder if piss corrosion can mess up the components on your bike.
Over the winter months, practice daily while clipped in and on the trainer. You’ve got it when you can do it on rollers.
I find if I loosen the pressure from my shorts it gets the flow going better - but ya, I need to really really go before I can get it out quickly. I was stopped at a stoplight yesterday on a training ride, just put a foot down and let it go – left a long steady river to the gutter. It was really fast actually - if I did that in a race I could probably get it out faster but save on the dismount time. Just clean your shoes when you get home.
A couple questions for you bike-peeing types:
-Do you have to pee all the time on your training rides?
I never do, so I’m curious if you do, and race day is like normal; or do you over-hydrate on race day and thus have to pee.
-How much do you slow down to pee while biking, and for how long? (I highly doubt you are still going at top speed)
I’d be curious to see if you wouldn’t actually lose more time than if you just got off for 30 seconds to take a whiz.
And for any lawyer types:
-Could you get fined for peeing on the bike?
There are public urination laws in many places, and I don’t see how being on a bike would change anything.
http://definitions.uslegal.com/p/public-urination/
Do you have problem with it running down your legs and into your shoes? If so are the shoes washable and how?
I never pee’d on my bike! That is just assininine Pee b4 you get on or hit the side of the road. 1 minute is not going to matter unless your Austin powers and just got out of a deep freeze. If you have to pee in a Oly or sprint something is wrong and you need to see a uroligist ( spelling?).
FSN showed the Spirit of Racine half a few years ago. They showed David Thompson peeing his pants on the run. He slowed to almost a walk and the none tri TV guy thought he was injured but Paula Newby quickly explained he was peeing his pants and actually explained how slowing was necessary to relax muscles and make peeing possible. So yes the pros pee their pants & also must slow to do so.
Funny that you should ask about the peeing laws. I was once a deputy prosecutor charged with enforcing traffic laws. The police wrote tickets for various charges when truckers or other motorists would relieve themselves by the side of the road. I declined to charge indecent exposure because it referred to “a lewd exposure” and required an “intent to shock or affront.” I did find a charge of Depositing sewage on a public roadway. That seemed to fit.
I’m with you in that I don’t get all the peeing.