Car (bike) sick on the twisties?

**HTFU** · 12th January 2008, 20:55

Anyone else have a problem with motion sickness on the bike ?

I am on the weekend commute from the gravel roads at the top of the Coromandel to Hamilton. Not a problem on the way home on Sunday night but coming over Saturday morning I only need to travel from Colville to Coromandel before I have to pull over and empty the stomach.

I have tried it on an empty stomach to stop the spewing but still feel crap all the way to Thames where a 30min rest and some food sorts me out. I am normally relieved to make it here because it is flat from then on to Hams. (how shit is that - I am hanging out for the straights)

Today I tried a bit of toast and some sultana bran but had to leave it on the side of the road up from Wilsons Bay this morning. Ended up having a shit day at work feeling like I was sea sick.

I am sure I am not pregnant but I am sporting a bit of festive midriff and this combined with this morning sickness makes it seem like I will be the one producing our third child

I have had a go at persevering with a bit of the tried and true HTFU but it just isn't working.

Any tips ?

**99TLS** · 12th January 2008, 21:00

my daughter used to get really bad car sickness til we went to the local chemist and bought some wrist bands with a pressure point on them, did wonders for her hasnt been sick since(approx 2yrs) cost about $ 15. will find out name of them

**99TLS** · 12th January 2008, 21:04

there called THE SEA BAND hope this helps

**Trudes** · 12th January 2008, 21:04

Himmmmm, strange, at least you manage to get your helmet off first!! Yep, try sea legs or those bands you can get from the chemist. Have you had your ears checked? Could be an inner ear thing, something to do with balance....

**HTFU** · 12th January 2008, 21:05

Originally Posted by 99TLS

there called THE SEA BAND hope this helps

thanks will try that

.

**James Deuce** · 12th January 2008, 21:12

Nothing wrong with you. It's all in your head. HTFU.

**HTFU** · 12th January 2008, 21:13

Originally Posted by Mrs Kendog

Himmmmm, strange, at least you manage to get your helmet off first!! Yep, try sea legs or those bands you can get from the chemist. Have you had your ears checked? Could be an inner ear thing, something to do with balance....

Yeah - was close a couple of times - and had a new helmet with different stap system

.

Funny you say about the ear thing because when I started using ear plugs I felt that was making me a bit queasy and that was on my relatively straight commute from Oto to Hamilton.

Balance is pretty good I thought, I paddle a K1 racing kayak and can balance my mtb on the spot no worries. Just stood up closed my eyes and balanced on one leg at a time no worries also. May look into the inner ear thing (or at least get someone qualified to do so)

Thanks for that.

**HTFU** · 12th January 2008, 21:18

Originally Posted by Jim2

Nothing wrong with you. It's all in your head. HTFU.

The puke was almost all in my helmet

.

Although proven to be effective in most situations, HTFU has failed me thus far. But as the saying goes "if at first you don't HTFU then try and try again"

**xwhatsit** · 12th January 2008, 21:22

Odd. Sometimes feel that way in a car, but on the bike it's far better. In a car, you have lots of lateral force knocking you from side to side; on the bike, one leans to compensate for those lateral forces (otherwise you'd fall over), so it's a much smoother ride.

I don't doubt that you're looking through the corners properly, but perhaps looking through the corners, you know, MotoGP style with your head dead horizontal w.r.t. the ground, as that seems to cancel out the inner-ear thing some feel.

**HTFU** · 12th January 2008, 21:31

Originally Posted by xerxesdaphat

Odd. Sometimes feel that way in a car, but on the bike it's far better. In a car, you have lots of lateral force knocking you from side to side; on the bike, one leans to compensate for those lateral forces (otherwise you'd fall over), so it's a much smoother ride.

I don't doubt that you're looking through the corners properly, but perhaps looking through the corners, you know, MotoGP style with your head dead horizontal w.r.t. the ground, as that seems to cancel out the inner-ear thing some feel.

again another possibility I guess. I have raced mtb for years and looking through the corner is a prerequisite for going fast down hill. Not sure what I do on the motorbike though, so will take note of my head position and where I really looking, maybe I am looking down at revs and speed and stuffing with my focus. I do wear prescription glasses for distance on the bike as well.

Have done 35000km in the past year and a half and its only this ride that does it to me and sometimes the one out to Marokopa (maybe its what they grow up in those Coro hills and Kawhia Coast thats doing it). Both are really windy roads and morning seems to be the time that I have felt sick on these rides.

**crashe** · 12th January 2008, 21:32

Motion sickness: caused by an imbalance in your inner ear.

If you don't normally suffer with any kind of motion sickness then get your ears checked out for a (minor) infection. As this could be the problem

Are you using earplugs?
Maybe your ears are filling up with too much wax.... get that also checked.

Car sickness: I suffer with it and have tried all sorts of things.
The best thing to date that actually works...... is that when ever you are in the car, pretend that you are driving the vehicle.... like hold your hands out on your lap as thou you are steering..... also have your feet doing the same thing at the same time as the driver.... brake change gears etc etc.... you are also looking at the same things as the driver.... The movements are only small, but you are concentrating on as thou it is you behind the wheel.
If possible get in the front passenger seat.

For anyone, like myself that suffers with motion sickness, it really is a right pain..... no rollercoaster, ferris wheel rides hell even sitting in a rockin' chair and someone moves it can set off the motion sickness. Forget about going on a boat...... unless it really is a calm day and you go to the back of the boat...

Good luck sorting this problem out.....

**HTFU** · 12th January 2008, 21:41

Originally Posted by crashe

Are you using earplugs?
Maybe your ears are filling up with too much wax.... get that also checked.

Car sickness: I suffer with it and have tried all sorts of things.
The best thing to date that actually works...... is that when ever you are in the car, pretend that you are driving the vehicle.... like hold your hands out on your lap as thou you are steering..... also have your feet doing the same thing at the same time as the driver.... brake change gears etc etc.... you are also looking at the same things as the driver.... The movements are only small, but you are concentrating on as thou it is you behind the wheel.
If possible get in the front passenger seat.

For anyone, like myself that suffers with motion sickness, it really is a right pain..... no rollercoaster, ferris wheel rides hell even sitting in a rockin' chair and someone moves it can set off the motion sickness. Forget about going on a boat...... unless it really is a calm day and you go to the back of the boat...

Good luck sorting this problem out.....

Will try my next ride without the plugs over the twisty bit of the ride to see what happens.

As for the car I don't have a problem with motion sickness, but did develop it on the boat in my late teens (apparently quite common). Shit I even got it surfing a few times.

(but not really funny)

**crashe** · 12th January 2008, 21:45

Originally Posted by Robignevil

Will try my next ride without the plugs over the twisty bit of the ride to see what happens.

As for the car I don't have a problem with motion sickness, but did develop it on the boat in my late teens (apparently quite common). Shit I even got it surfing a few times.

(but not really funny)

Yep when I tried ear plugs, I found that they don't allow the wax to drain or come out by natural causes..... (if you know what I mean)

So I don't use them at all.....

Sounds like you suffer with minor motion sickness....... for certain things only.

I don't get it if I drive the car........ or even when I ride my bike.

But worth getting your ears checked out....... just to be on the safe side....

**xwhatsit** · 12th January 2008, 21:50

Yes, ear plugs might be behind it. Now that my bike idles, I don't have to keep my ears out listening for any misses (in order to give the throttle a blip), so I've started wearing my passive noise-cancelling earphones connected to iPod. Felt slightly weird going through some twisties tonight, didn't feel quite so natural. Getting used to it though. Having ears sealed against air-pressure changes might play merry hell with your inner ear. This ride change elevation very much?

**karla** · 12th January 2008, 21:53

No one has mentioned this but it has never failed for me or anyone I know - growing up on the Haast-Wanaka road, gravel and dusty, I was always sick but this worked 99% of the time.

A brown paper bag next to your skin - put it under your t-shirt.

I don't know why it works but it does. We used to give them to tourists all the time. It's a cheap fix

I'd check out the ear thing tho' - do you keep hearing that suggestion?!