Nettles! Any barrier to them

x-isle

With all the rain and sun we've had lately, the local foliage is going crazy.

After some great single track last night, I've got itchy legs from all the nettles that I got tagged by.

Is there anything (apart from clothing!) that you can put on your skin as a barrier to avoid the nettles stinging?

passout

You could try Vaseline - not that I've tried.

AndyGates

Strimmers taped to each ankle?

Actually, luxurious body hair works moderately well.

mr_hippo

Mother Nature is wonderful! The antidote grows nearby nettle patches - the dock leaf - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rumex_obtusifolius

x-isle

Great stuff, I'll remember to look out for over grow dock leaves and ride through them after riding through nettles!

impished

Sounds crazy, but after years of pain and itching, I've found that I no longer feel the nettles!!! :P
That's all you need... Time & sufferance :roll: :oops:

WillGTJumper

Dont be such a woman!!!

terra

I used to take anti-histamine tablets for hay fever (Trilludan), a welcome side effect was nettles didn't sting. Unfortuately since I switched to nasal spray nettles hurt again.

Panhandling Prince

Makes you remember you are alive.

Test your skills... dodge them!!

jayson

As impished said above^^^^^^^^^^ i hardly even notice it anymore, u keep on pedalling and soon forget all about it.

baccaman21

tis true, I think one becomes immune after a while...

clarkson

a quick tip, nettle sting is alkaline or acid or something. putting sweat on it is the opposite, so neutralises it.

when you get stung just rub a sweaty item of cl;othing on it. a glove or part of the inside of your helmet. thats what i do and takes the stnging away.

x-isle

clarkson wrote:

or part of the inside of your helmet. thats what i do and takes the stnging away.

:shock:

clarkson

^^tut tut. think9ng like that.

Noodoo

Yeah, i've found that Dock leaves work really well...
Using them has the added bonus of looking like Bear Grylls whilst out on the trail...

Will Snow

dock leaves??? cant be arsed to spend half an hour rummaging in nettles just to find one of the lil things... ride through the PAIN!!!

h i r 0

As I found last night cycling through the pain is fine at the time.. in fact I felt it quite invigorating to be tingling all down my right hand side after a quick unintentional roll in the nettles. What was a pain, once I stopped, was the nagging. tingling itch all night long and continuing into this morning.

Any good home (ie cupboard) remedies for nettle stings (wasn't going dock leaf hunting at 10pm although in retrospect I wish I had.)

DAZLIN6

Yeah dock leaves are the best give you imediate and lasting relief and they always grow next to the nettles.

BoredHousewife

just wear jeans

brasso

I carry Anthisan Plus which I find give some relief. Its a really small spray so it fits in the first aid kit I carry in my camelback.

vinegar is also supposed to work but I've not tried it.

I'm not a medical person so if you follow this advice its at your own risk.

fireheed

Cold tea works well.

clarkson

vinegar probably would work; its the opposite pH to a nettle sting.

shorty15

I fell into a huge nettle patch while trying to unclip my pedals,how I laughed as I had to roll through them to unclip my other foot from my bike which was on top of me
My legs were still throbbing in bed that night.

steve100

You will become immune (spelling) the more you get stung, although untill this starts to happen it can be very painfull. The chemist does sell anti-histimine creams which work very very quickly after the event I have to carry some everywhere during the summer as I found out this year I am extremely alergic to bee stings, its mad that wasp stings have no effect on me but bees make me swell up in the most hrendous way. But the creams reduce this very quickly.

Steve_b77

Nettles don't hurt that much, that is ofcourse unless you're suffering a mild allergic reaction to them then I can imagine it'd be quite painfull.

Just ride quicker so they don't have as long to gain contact on your skin

redvee

Years ago I was out on with a friend and he was riding a narrow path and lost it and chose to fall 3 foot into brambles. Couldn't do anything but laugh, even more so at his attempts to get out.