Peeing

[brokemyback]

Apologies for the bodily function subject, but I’ve got to ask. When I changed from DF to recumbent, I noticed an abrupt change in peeing while cycling. On DF I would stop maybe once during a 45 mile ride. However, when I switched to the recumbent there was a sudden change - needing to stop 3-4 times or sometimes more during the same length ride. Has anyone else experienced that? Is it just me?

 

[Always-Learnin]

I have not experienced that 'yet' but I am 67 so it's likely coming. I was actually wondering about a discrete way to 'do my business' while riding. Perhaps an option for you?

 

[cpml123]

Apologies for the bodily function subject, but I’ve got to ask. When I changed from DF to recumbent, I noticed an abrupt change in peeing while cycling. On DF I would stop maybe once during a 45 mile ride. However, when I switched to the recumbent there was a sudden change - needing to stop 3-4 times or sometimes more during the same length ride. Has anyone else experienced that? Is it just me?

YES! I noticed that four years ago since I started riding. It's has not gotten better. I am 52 yo, and I have myself checked out yearly. My friends now just automatically ask me if I want to use the restroom whenever we go by one.
I raised the issue at another forum. Someone mentioned it had to do with elevated legs and feet. On the DF bike, legs and feet are the lowest part and water keeps going lower into the legs. For recumbent, the kidneys and bladder are near the lowest parts of the body, and water accumulates there more significantly. Therefore, it needs to be let out more often. That makes sense to me, and I am sticking to it!

 

[bladderhead]

When you are climbing, the lowest part is your head, so the water goes there. Do not know why that occurred to me.

 

[brokemyback]

Water head! I haven’t experience that yet. Cpml123, I’m really happy to hear it’s not just me experiencing the frequent-stop problem. After reading the cruzbike thread on ultra distance racing, I may try compression socks before a ride to see if that will chase the pee out of my legs before a ride.

 

[Always-Learnin]

 

[Beano]

Riding a recumbent disrupts the blood pressure around the body due to the legs being elevated.

As a result of this the body releases a hormone called vasopressin which function is to regulate the blood flow/pressure. It causes the kidneys to absorb water and as a consequence you pee.

On another note, this is the reason that VO2 power on a recumbent tends to less then what the same individual can do on a DF bike, elevated legs means a reduction in the hydrostatic pressure. Basically you have not got gravity helping you circulate the blood to your legs and back to your heart/lungs on a recumbent as much as on a DF bike.

 

[bret]

Basically you have not got gravity helping you circulate the blood to your legs

Perhaps the 'compression' athletic wear would be helpful?

 

[billyk]

Sorry, @cpml123, @Beano 's hypothesis rings truer (but I know nothing about it myself, maybe it's just his two dollar words).
And @bladderhead , if your head is lowest then even on a V20 it means you're climbing a 20 degree slope. Color me impressed.

I have not noticed the pee situation myself, but I ride a Q45 so my legs are considerably lower than my upper body.

What I do notice is that while on a DF when you fart you get a little burst of speed, on our bikes it just slows you down ...

And fyi, if you put @ before someone's name in a post, it notifies them they've been mentioned. Also offers to fill the name after you type a few letters.

 

[xtalbike]

Riding a recumbent disrupts the blood pressure around the body due to the legs being elevated.

As a result of this the body releases a hormone called vasopressin which function is to regulate the blood flow/pressure. It causes the kidneys to absorb water and as a consequence you pee.

On another note, this is the reason that VO2 power on a recumbent tends to less then what the same individual can do on a DF bike, elevated legs means a reduction in the hydrostatic pressure. Basically you have not got gravity helping you circulate the blood to your legs and back to your heart/lungs on a recumbent as much as on a DF bike.

Thanks for the explanation! I had been wondering about the increased need to pee since moving to the recumbent too. I think you're absolutely right about vasopressin being the issue. It got me to looking things up on google. I've also often experienced light-headedness when getting up from the bike after a long or hard effort. It seems that the literature on the effect of position on vasopressin levels goes back to the 60s when they measured much lower levels in people when reclining vs standing so I guess being on a recumbent lowers rather than raises the level. Vasopressin is also associated with orthstatic hypotension which is light-headedness when standing up. Since vasopressin reduces kidney fluid uptake this makes sense. I think it may last a while because I often have to pee frequently for the rest of the day after a ride and the dizziness after standing up can last into the next day, especially after a really big ride.

 

[LarryOz]

I think everyone is different. If I am really going all out like a 100 mile record attempt - full power I do not have to pee at all. I am probably dehydrated to some extent. I have talked to guys that ride 24 hours and some say they only pee once. Wow!. But when I do a 12 hour or longer event I drink more and pee more. I wear a condom catheter with a tube - never have to stop to pee again. It is not fun getting off, but it is worth it in the end.

 

[RojoRacing]

I'm pretty sure my first complaint when first getting the V20 was this thing is impossible to ride, my very next complaint was, "why do I have to pee every 15 minutes in the first 90 minutes of a ride?" I'm not sure age has much to do with it because I'm close to half the age of many on here and it still affects me 5 years later.
On top of the kidneys and bladder being lower on a bent, you also are applying direct pressure to them compared to pretty much any other activity during your day so you can expect them to protest by lightening their load. I'm just glad the bent position does trigger that other body function the same way.

 

[Beano]

I think everyone is different. If I am really going all out like a 100 mile record attempt - full power I do not have to pee at all. I am probably dehydrated to some extent. I have talked to guys that ride 24 hours and some say they only pee once. Wow!. But when I do a 12 hour or longer event I drink more and pee more. I wear a condom catheter with a tube - never have to stop to pee again. It is not fun getting off, but it is worth it in the end.

That's interesting, I think there is a difference between having an urge to pee, (like the OP) and having an actual need to pee, in that your bladder is full and it needs emptying.

 

[cpml123]

My latest strategy is to drink less before and during the ride but drink a lot right after. It has decreased the need to pee every half hour for the first two hours. However, I end up getting dehydrated and have bad headache afterwards, so this may not be a good strategy.

 

[bret]

It is not fun getting off, but it is worth it in the end.

We'll have to wear them with EVA suits, so it's good practice for when we all go into space.

 

[bladderhead]

I wear a condom catheter with a tube

So the famous Morciglio Cruzbike has two water bottles. One full, one empty. At the end of the race the water has mysteriously moved from one to the other.

 

[Don1]

I was wondering if Larry still did the catheter. Might need a recap on its setup n use, Larry.... (Oops, unintended pun)

 

[CuHead]

Season reaction? Hemisphere? Summer perspire and winter urinate.

 

[TransAm]

I think everyone is different. If I am really going all out like a 100 mile record attempt - full power I do not have to pee at all. I am probably dehydrated to some extent. I have talked to guys that ride 24 hours and some say they only pee once. Wow!. But when I do a 12 hour or longer event I drink more and pee more. I wear a condom catheter with a tube - never have to stop to pee again. It is not fun getting off, but it is worth it in the end.

My other sport is cross-country soaring (glider flying). I have done many non-stop flights >12h. Using a condom catheter plumbed to the outside is a lot easier than peeing in a bag in turbulence. But if the outside air temp is below freezing, you need to blow it out if you want to be able to pee again later. You also need to add a quick disconnect fitting to allow for a possible bail-out without a nasty surprise!

 

[brokemyback]

... need to add a quick disconnect fitting to allow for a possible bail-out without a nasty surprise!

Now that's a detail I hadn't considered! I've thought about a dead-man switch to kill the throttle in case of bail out, but not a quick disconnect.