Car (bike) sick on the twisties?

[HTFU]

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?

Yeah goes from sea level up a windy gravel road then back down to Colville. then on sealed roads up and down to Coromandel. Not really high but maybe 150-200m on some of the hills. Got really nauseated going up the big hill to the lookout at the top of the Wilsons Bay Hill (overlooks Auckland and the Thames coast.) It is about 300m or so.

Felt better going through Coromandel and the straights just past it and then it hit me again coming up the hills and twisties again as I headed towards the Thames Coast road.

I use those ear buds that go into the ear canal as well.

[HTFU]

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?!

The old brown paper bag trick aye (did you make a killing on the bags)

Sounds like the drinking a glass of water upside down to cure the hiccups remedy.

At least if it doesn't work, I can use the bag to spew into .

[car]

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....

That's what I was going to suggest. One of the many, many things I've been checked out for in recent months. "Vertigo" isn't restricted to fear of heights it seems, but covers a wide number of balance disorders.

Your GP should be able to run you through a few simple tests.

[McJim]

I only get motion sick if I'm the passenger - when I'm doing the driving/riding I've never even thought of it.

Nae luck.

[ipod1098]

try chewing gum

[crashe]

I use those ear buds that go into the ear canal as well.

Ok I have been thinking some more about this overnight at 2am (woke up thinking about your problem)..... as you do

I am taking it that you are on a sportbike.....?

Is it only happening on certain corners or certain twisty corners......!

I hope this is all gonna make sense... or that you get what I mean......

1. Are you just flip flopping your bike back and forth when cornering?
2. Or are you getting your butt off the seat and leg down?

If it is the first.... maybe that is too much motion for your inner ear balance to deal with...... getting my drift here?

That flip flop back up and over of the bike all the time may be the cause of the motion sickness...

As I don't own a race/sport bike, I am guessing that by sliding your butt over and off the seat (like racers do) and you are taking full control of what you want your bike to do. Take total control over your bike when cornering...to stop the motion sickness from happening...... you get what I mean..?

Maybe look at changing your riding technique for a little while and see what happens. Since it isn't always happening all the time......




So you have a few choices to look at.......

1. Dr to check your ears - infection or too much wax
2. Ride without the earplugs - to stop the wax build up - or different earplugs
3. Look at your riding on the corners etc - flip flop or butt off seat with knee down
4. The brown bag to upchuck in...... lol.
5. Saving the best for last - buy a cruiser then you wont have this problem

[slopster]

For what its worth changes is elevation cant effect the function of the inner ear though in extreme cases they can cause it to burst. You would probably feel a lot of pain if this was the case though. The inner ear has fluid sloshing around and uses this movement to detirmine lean angles etc so pressure changes won't effect this.

[mowgli]

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.

There is no good reason to be looking down at your speedo or revs during a turn. Get set up on approach to the corner then keep your eyes up. This help keep your head still and thus your eyes, ears and brain singing the same tune.

In flying the most common things that lead to motion sickness are: tiredness, dehydration, anxiety, colds and the come down after an adrenalin rush.

The last one is funny and catches a lot of non-fliers by surprise when they score an aerobatic ride. Imagine your disappointment if after holding it together through all the exciting bits you lose your lunch flying straight and level returning to the airport.

It's because one of the side effects of adrenalin is nausea. This happens because blood is diverted away from the stomach to the limbs ready for action. The nausea is increased if you've recently (within that last hour) eaten.

[dnos]

Wow dude hope you sort this out.
I had an experience with feeling "bike" sick on a ride a few weeks ago, however I was severly hungover so not too surprising.
Definitely try the above suggestions, and perhaps a ginger beer with breakfast or ginger tablets, they seem to work when I'm on the boat.

[Insanity_rules]

Himmmmm, strange, at least you manage to get your helmet off first!!

I had a mate that didn't! Took a couple of minutes to scoop the sick out of her helmet.

Not a pretty sight people.

[skidMark]

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 ?

lean over further.

get there so fast that the motion sickness can't kick in.

[yungatart]

You could try peppermints....or ppeppermint essential oil..couple of drops in the front of your helmet should do the trick.
Good luck in sorting it.

[Beemer]

I was almost sick once on a trip down south. It was really foggy and my visor kept misting up (I was a pillion) and I honestly felt like I was going to faint or throw up. We had to stop for a while until I felt okay and the mist cleared a bit.

I was co-driving in a rally once and another couple both got sick on one of the windy sections - the co-driver AND the driver! That was really unusual. One guy said his co-driver had done the old projectile vomiting into the air vents and he had to strip the car down afterwards to get it all out!

[Wannabiker]

Make sure you ave good ventilation in the helmet....vents open and plenty of fresh air coming in. Ginger....gingernuts are helpful.

Be careful with some motion sickness tablets (medications) they can cause drowsiness!!! Check on the packaging!! (designed for being a passenger...not pilot)

[karla]

4. The brown bag to upchuck in...... lol.

You may well laugh - but I'm serious! Gotta admit though, I started wondering myself if that was what it was all about ...

so I googled it and came up with this:
This remedy came to us from Hawaii, Afghanistan and Switzerland. Take a big brown paper bag and cut off and discard the bag's bottom. Then slit the bag from top to bottom so that it's no longer round, but instead a long piece of paper. Wrap the paper around your bare chest and secure it in place. Put your regular clothes on top of it and travel that way. It's supposed to prevent motion sickness.
http://www.herbal-home-remedies.org/...n-sickness.htm

Have you tried it yet? I'd be fascinated to know now if it works. Note - it's got to be brown paper. You can get these bags when you buy eggs at the diary (take the eggs out!)

Sucking on a piece of ginger root sounds interesting ... but closing your eyes wouldn't work too well

I like SkidMark's suggestion too ~ good thread, I've read lots of good ideas.