Urinating on ultras

snilard

snilard

Guru of hot glue gun
Reading reports from Sebring one question is growing in my mind. From reports I get impression that You are riding all time. I understand that you can get bottles and food from crew while riding slowly thu pits.

But You have to pee. I have to stop at least once in 2 hours for this need. How do You solve this problem?
 
RojoRacing

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
This was actually a huge issue during my 24hr race last year with me stopping to pee around 30 times. It was mentioned in my "road to 500 miles" http://cruzbike.com/forum/threads/the-road-to-500-miles-in-24hrs.8915/page-6 thread after my race that some riders use an external catheter to pee while riding. I initially scoffed at the idea as being too outlandish but upon further thought it might not actually be a bad idea. I actually ordered a few items from that blow out medical place mentioned in the other thread and the stuff arrived the very next day California. I'll probably give it a try on a longer indoor session before hitting the open road. I was debating wether or not to creat a new thread for this dilemma but if you want me to report my findings I'll be more then happy to share them here.

Jim Park told me he doesn't bother with a catheter and states your body with adjust to the extra pressure on your kidneys. I will say I thought body was slowly adjusting during my race but if it was it was happening far too slow. On a day to day basis I can barely make it through a 1 hour lunch ride before I'm doing the pee pee dance.

So far I ordered each of the three items Larry mentioned as well as a few different sizes for testing this first time around. Initial impression are that the catheter seems rather well made especially for a sub $1 item. The extension tube you attach to the catheter is a lot larger in diameter then I would have expected and I'd think routing it would be cumbersome. I'll be experimenting with some smaller tubing being carful it doesn't restrict flow in any way.
 
RojoRacing

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
Well what can I say, I'm just a normally very hydrated 30 year old :p

When the catheter idea was originally pitched to me I immediately started to backpedal from the conversation thinking to myself "geese, it feels like I just walked into the wrong party" :eek:
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
First I have to say: What a title for a forum thread!!!

Jason, I did what you did - tested on a trainer at home and just let the tube run into an empty milk jug.
It does take a little practice to actually get a "flow" going - in that you have to relax enough to get started, but once you do - well, nuff said!
In reality when actually riding outside, you can pick a nice short downhill run that you are coasting on - and then the relaxation issue while pedaling is pretty much a non-issue.
I also bought whatever sized tubing fits into the end of the catheter, and taped it up so it would not slip. I think it is smaller and more flexible than the connector thingy you usually connect to the it. Then I measured just enough tubing for me to be able to "hold it away from the frame" a few inches. When not used, I just stuff in into my shorts.

I do not now how some people do it (ride for hours and hours and hours) without peeing!
I read in Marco Bahlo's race reports that he only peed one time (1 time!) during his entire 24 hour at Sebring ride in 2015, and I think that was after 23 hours! Amazing - but he is amazing 533 miles on an UPRIGHT in 24 hours!!
I just do not see how you can do it unless you are forcing yourself into at least some sort of minimal dehydration.
Me, it seems like I have to pee at least once an hour, and it I don't it just gets more painful and more painful as I wait. Maybe that means I am drinking too much, not sure.
I think in my Century record attempt last year that I did not go for the entire 4 hours - so that's probably a record for me!
 
RojoRacing

RojoRacing

Donut Powered Wise-guy
Well I've done 24hr Mtb races and only had to pee twice so yeah on a DF bike your just not pressing on you kidneys. I find good hydration on a DF bike will see me peeing once every 6ish hours. That can be hard with massive temperature swings in ether direction.

So Larry the connector thingy you linked in the other thread comes with a think tube fitted onto a 3" hard plastic barb fitting. So the barb fitting fits into the catheter and the large tube is already fitted around the other side.

So if I'm understanding you correct your not using the barb or the hose it comes with in lieu of a small tube that fits directly into the catheter end where the barb fitting normally goes and you using tape to keep it from falling out? This is exactly what I was planning on trying so I'm ordering some smaller tubing today. You don't know the OD/ID of the tube your using now do you?
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
RojoRacing said:
So if I'm understanding you correct your not using the barb or the hose it comes with in lieu of a small tube that fits directly into the catheter end where the barb fitting normally goes and you using tape to keep it from falling out? This is exactly what I was planning on trying so I'm ordering some smaller tubing today. You don't know the OD/ID of the tube your using now do you?
Click to expand...
Correct Jason. Don't order anything
I am pretty sure I bought it at Lowe's. It could be a rather "funish" exercise to take the catheter down to Lowe's and wonder around the "tubing dept" waiting for some poor unsuspecting (shop-floor-person-helper) to ask if you need help! :p:D;):oops::rolleyes:
I know I did not order anything from the online store.
I'll measure the OD/ID tonight when I get home and post it here.
 
V

VenRiderGuy

Well-Known Member
While I have not ridden in any Ultras or other, long-time-riding-without-wanting-to-stop activities, I have walked considerably, miles up and down, in hot climates (China for instance), hydrating myself constantly, and was surprised that I seldom felt the urge to go, only maybe once or twice during a 15 hour day of activity. I unscientifically attributed it to the fact that I was always in a mild sweat. Maybe one needs to dress to promote a condition of constant sweating thus minimizing the need to eliminate otherwise. I don't think that it is a good idea to put off for too long when Nature does call. My two cents....

And, should we ever meet, I will make certain that I ride way behind you guys with your "medical equipment" in use.
 
B

bladderhead

Zen MBB Master
Perfect English title, for something people do not normally talk about. Experience tells me that copious perspiration alleviates this problem, but probably not significantly so if you are doing PBP or something. Experience also tells me that it feels a lot worse on a DF. Pressure on the kidneys is probably not a significant factor, but pressure on the bladder definitely is.

I feel I have to contribute to this thread, given my username.
 
JOSEPHWEISSERT

JOSEPHWEISSERT

Zen MBB Master
Blood Flow to the Kidneys
When you exercise, blood flow to your kidneys is diminished due to an increase in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the "fight or flight" component of the nervous system. This reduction in blood flow is necessary to maintain your blood pressure as blood vessels dilate in your working muscles. Because of the decrease in blood flow, the amount of fluid filtered by your kidneys also is reduced during moderate to intense exercise, resulting in decreased urine production.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/529262-does-exercise-affect-the-urinary-system/
 
LarryOz

LarryOz

Cruzeum Curator & Sigma Wrangler
JOSEPHWEISSERT said:
When you exercise, blood flow to your kidneys is diminished due to an increase in the activity of the sympathetic nervous system, the "fight or flight" component of the nervous system. This reduction in blood flow is necessary to maintain your blood pressure as blood vessels dilate in your working muscles. Because of the decrease in blood flow, the amount of fluid filtered by your kidneys also is reduced during moderate to intense exercise, resulting in decreased urine production.
Click to expand...
There you have it! If you have to pee a lot whilst riding, then you are not working hard enough - so pedal harder, pee less.

I can relate to this; I hardly ever have to pee during my 30 or 60 second sprint intervals because I am at maximal effort, but when I ride multiple hours at only 150 watts I have to go all the time.. :)
 
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