Location: Noosaville, Sunshine Coast, Australia
You know you're out in a mixed group on the tracks or on the road and you just gotta go...and there are no toilets available.🙄
What do you do?
Males: Is it good manners or ethical to pop out around behind a tree?
Females: What do you do?
Location: Northern Florida, USA
Regardless of gender and whether modesty is your thing or not; you need to consider who else might be around, be they other cyclists or traffic. I certainly use a call of nature break to do more than just that. Check your bike, eat/drink, bring down the heart rate for a spell. Racing is a different story.
I do carry some TP for just in case since it takes up very little space, and I have been stuck with the leaves alternative in the past.
Take care,
Jesper
"I am become Death, the destroyer of bicycles." NJS
Very relevant topic. As a guy, I never felt comfortable 'just watering' the plants. I would wait for a gas station/store restroom. Eventually, I learned to answer nature’s call when it actually called, instead of holding it in and suffering.
Like Jesper suggested, I now time these breaks to fuel up, hydrate, take a nap, or cool down if the terrain has been tough. And, I always carry TP and hand-sanitizer/soap-bar.
The definition of modesty varies depending on where you are. In South America and India, people often just step behind their vehicles and handle nature’s call. So, I learned to do my thing while holding my bike, especially when there are no trees or supports to lean it against.
In mixed groups, we’d split up, with some acting as 'lookouts' while women and men relieved themselves in separate areas along the route."