40
submitted 1 year ago by Showroom7561@lemmy.ca to c/bicycles@lemmy.ca

I cycle quite a bit (500-1000km / month), but my recreational routes have all been near areas where I know I'll have access to public toilets and clean drinking water.

I'd love to venture out onto more rural roads and areas, way outside of areas that might normally have toilet access, but that's quite literally the only thing holding me back from doing so.

What are your strategies? Piss by the side of the road and hope nobody sees you? Squat out in a heavily forested area and risk ticks?

This is not a topic that ever gets talked about with cycle tourists, endurance riders, and other long-distance cyclists, so I'd love to know how to approach this!

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[-] Nemo@midwest.social 4 points 1 year ago

Pack your own water, use the restroom before you leave. Unless you suffer from some kind of bowel distress ailment, you should be good for four hours or so at a minimum, probably a lot longer.

[-] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 10 points 1 year ago

Unless you suffer from some kind of bowel distress ailment, you should be good for four hours or so at a minimum, probably a lot longer.

I do, and my rides can be well over eight hours long. Not that I'm stopping every hour or anything, but knowing how others do it in advance can give me some ideas at least.

[-] StringTheory@beehaw.org 1 points 1 year ago

I’m missing 1.5 meters or so of gut, and find that being very strict on timing of food intake makes output predictable. I schedule rides around input/output. Following strict eating “windows” is a bit of an adjustment, but it makes life in general a lot easier.

[-] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago

I’m missing 1.5 meters or so of gut

Stoma then?

[-] StringTheory@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

Not yet. I have a reconstructed stub going to the rectum, which acts as a holding area. Kind of like a j-pouch but using a stub instead. It has settled in well, but at the beginning I had to wear diapers for several months. I’ll move on to a stoma if the stub fails.

Stoma and stub each have their advantages and disadvantages. I learned a lot about managing my stub from a stoma support group, highly recommend reaching out to “interesting guts” groups. They have tons of good information and creative solutions!

[-] Showroom7561@lemmy.ca 2 points 1 year ago

Cool! I've got a stoma, which does have pros and cons, but likely a massive pro when it comes to "going #2" in strange places. LOL

I mean, I could probably rig something to hang off my bike rack so that it looks like I'm fiddling with my pannier or doing something to my rear tire, when I'm actually just emptying/swapping out a bag ;)

I probably do have it easier than squatting out in the bush, so I might have to invent some solution to make it super quick, clean, and easy.

[-] StringTheory@beehaw.org 2 points 1 year ago

If you figure out something, be sure to share your solution. Could be very cool, for all kinds of activities. Some kind of accessory Ortlieb roll top bag with a heavy liner and absorptive pellets… mad scientist time!

A few people online said after their stubs failed and they went to stomas, that the stomas were pretty good. It does seem like for biking or hiking managing a bag would be a bit more stealth than squatting behind the shrubbery!

this post was submitted on 18 Aug 2023
40 points (97.6% liked)

Bicycles

3085 readers
1 users here now

Welcome to !bicycles@lemmy.ca

A place to share our love of all things with two wheels and pedals. This is an inclusive, non-judgemental community. All types of cyclists are accepted here; whether you're a commuter, a roadie, a MTB enthusiast, a fixie freak, a crusty xbiking hoarder, in the middle of an epic across-the-world bicycle tour, or any other type of cyclist!


Community Rules


Other cycling-related communities

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS