Spitting whilst riding

Long_Time_Lurker

I was watching some crappy programme on BBC2 this morning, where they were talking about anti-sociable behaviour.
According to the rough polls they did, members of the public think that the most common anti-sociable behaviour is spitting.

This has led to another debate in the office about how annoying cyclists are - not only do we jump red lights and wear lycra that is too small for our fat stomachs, we also spread disease by spitting everywhere.

I know that doing any excercise will inevitably produce excess saliva, so what do you do?
A full-on hack & cough while you bring up a hairball or do something more subtle?

My MTB riding friends have a tendency to spit, but at the moment it is because of all the bloody flies around the local trails. How are things with the roadies/commuters - all of those car fumes can't be good for the throat?

MonkeyMonster

Only if its a fly.
Snot rockets are disgusting. Snort and swallow - and that is actually better for your immune system to prime against the cold.

elbowloh

I don't "spit" as such as I never get phlegm in my mouth whilst cycling.

I often get a blocked nose those, so a "snot rocket" has been known to be launched by myself occasionally. Never in town/cities, only in the country side and when I know that the area behind me is clear.

veronese68

Yes, for a fly and if there's nobody nearby. So the 2nd and 3rd answers combined for me rather than either one or the other.

Long_Time_Lurker

Thanks all.
I would like to think that I am subtle. As an MTBer it's easier to spit into the undergrowth rather than the pavement and there is rarely anyone about.
The most vocal anti-cyclist lobby in my office live in a 'less desirable' area in Newcastle, so their experience is coloured by the local youths on their BSOs.
(The 'cyclist' versus 'man on a bike' was a previous office debate.)

EKE_38BPM

Veronese68 wrote:

Yes, for a fly and if there's nobody nearby. So the 2nd and 3rd answers combined for me rather than either one or the other.

Wot he sed.

Initialised

Long Time Lurker wrote:

Thanks all.
I would like to think that I am subtle. As an MTBer it's easier to spit into the undergrowth rather than the pavement and there is rarely anyone about.
The most vocal anti-cyclist lobby in my office live in a 'less desirable' area in Newcastle, so their experience is coloured by the local youths on their BSOs.
(The 'cyclist' versus 'man on a bike' was a previous office debate.)

I usually keep one ready when I'm riding through those 'less desirable' bits!

Gallywomack

Don't really get this exercise-induced need to flob, and in fact have never really noticed excess saliva as a by-product of exercise. Maybe in extremis, after a mammoth effort, at a point at which being sick is a possibility - but not in the normal course of things (like say, 5 minutes into a game of football, when a professional footballer might loose his first globules of spit).

Snot, on the other hand - if my nose is running persistently, I'm not above launching a snot-rocket. I'll check behind me to ensure nobody gets caught in the snot cloud, but I couldn't care less if the occupants of cars see me.

bigmonka

There's been more than one occassion when I've had the displeasure of receiving some collateral damage from a cyclist in front of me spitting without looking behind - its a disgusting habit which I think in most cases is more out of habit than necessity. Seriously, how hard is it to properly check behind you before doing something like that?
</rant>

msmancunia

I just have a drink. If I've got a runny nose then I blow it with a tissue - either at a set of lights or on the move. I even dumped a bloke once because he had a habit of spitting in the street. I can't think of many more things that are less attractive to be honest.

menthel

Big flies get spat out- especially the ones that hit at high speed! Otherwise, never.

rubertoe

I suffer really badly with polution - my DNA is all over my commute, i am pretty sure that i can be connected to most crime scenes from work to home...

Basically i am a disgusting cretin. But i do like to be able to breath.

corriebee1

Have to confess i spit occasionally as i do tend to get a lot of saliva build-up when exercising.

I also launch a snot-rocket or two on virtually every long ride. Always off the back though and never when i'm out in front.

sswiss

I do not Gob, but when I have a cold I tend suffer from very blocked sinus's which then free up under exercise and a rise in body temperature...If i tried to swallow that back I'd be sick, hence the occasional Dustman's Blow. It's not nice.

tangled_metal

Personally I do not spit if I can possibly help it but I answered with the fly/cold option purely because in the rare occasion I get a fly in the mouth I have spat it out but only if on my own in the country or just in the country and with my partner/family. I have been known to swallow the fly or hold on to it in the mouth until I can spit it out more discretely.

If I do have to spit with people nearby I always apologise/say "excuse me". i know that is all old fashioned but I do believe strongly that spitting is truly anti-social and a sign of ignorance or lack of respect to others. I do however get really bad allergies/hay fever which results in spells where I wake up with a serious amount of phlegm down my throat and slightly on my chest. I do find part way into my commute it clears and I have to spit or I just won't be able to breathe. I always try to be discrete.

As far as snot rockets go, there is no reason that can be acceptable. Mind you, I can't do them never have. I think the consistency has to be right and I must just be a slimer not a snot rocket kind of guy.

twoshots

Spitting I don't do, but snot rocket's will be fired out if I'm sure nobody is following and only into a hedge/soft verge, never on to pavement. Early morning cold weather plus hard efforts always leaves we unable to breath at around the 5 mile mark. But I'm lucky I have a rural commute.

notsoblue

I never spit, seems like a disgusting thing to do in public... And don't get me started on snotrockets...especially cyclists that do it without first checking theres nobody behind them. W@nkers!

Kieran_Burns

I never spit and until Sunday I never snot-rocketed... normally a mighty SNNNNNNNNNNNoooorrrrrkkkkk suffices. This last ride though I could not clear my nose so resorted to the Saturn V Snot launch.

It worked, bloody disgusting though. Effective nasal effluent...

jedster

I think its absolutely disgusting but I do resort to a hawk and sprit when I've got a cold. I do TRY and swallow but most of the time it just won't go down and lurks in the back of my throat meaning I can't breath at all. I'll try to use tissues but sometimes planning fails me...

In my defence I always shoulder check and try to find a hedgerow or similar.

vermin

revolting

ugo.santalucia

The anti social issue is about spitting on the pedestrian pavement... spitting on the road shared with vehicles is not an issue... there's all sorts of crap on a road, including excrements of various creatures, spit won't make it better or worse

sketchley

ugo.santalucia wrote:

... spitting on the road shared with vehicles is not an issue... there's all sorts of crap on a road, including excrements of various creatures, spit won't make it better or worse

+1. I will spit if I cough up something nasty, and snot rocket as my nose constantly streams while I ride. What I put on the road is nothing compared to vehicle pollution including tyre residue which is much more harmful to me then my snot rocket is to them.

msmancunia

It's nothing to do with hygiene - it's just disgusting. If you aren't racing (and SCR doesn't count), then there's no excuse for just sitting up for ten seconds, pulling out a tissue and either blowing your nose or having a good cough.

itboffin

msmancunia wrote:

It's nothing to do with hygiene - it's just disgusting. If you aren't racing (and SCR doesn't count), then there's no excuse for just sitting up for ten seconds, pulling out a tissue and either blowing your nose or having a good cough.

WTAF :shock:

Seriously stopping whilst out riding is reserved for RED LIGHTS and death ONLY!

M
T
F
U

msmancunia

itboffin wrote:

msmancunia wrote:

It's nothing to do with hygiene - it's just disgusting. If you aren't racing (and SCR doesn't count), then there's no excuse for just sitting up for ten seconds, pulling out a tissue and either blowing your nose or having a good cough.

WTAF :shock:

Seriously stopping whilst out riding is reserved for RED LIGHTS and death ONLY!

M
T
F
U

Where in that post did I say anything about stopping? If you can ride no-handed (which I have no doubt you all can do!) or eat (?) a gel on the move,then you can blow your nose!

Agent57

If I've got a fly (or worse, a bee as I did once) in my mouth, yeah. No other reason.

Got a cold? Snort it back and swallow.

Phil_D

I blow my nose on my hand and wipe my hand on my shoulder or leg. No need for tissues.

timothyw

Phil_D wrote:

I blow my nose on my hand and wipe my hand on my shoulder or leg. No need for tissues.

Surely that's quite considerably more disgusting than the odd snot rocket (which I'm happy to indulge in, so long as noone else is around or in the firing line...)

Kieran_Burns

Spit or swallow... the eternal conundrum...

Phil_D

TimothyW wrote:

Phil_D wrote:

I blow my nose on my hand and wipe my hand on my shoulder or leg. No need for tissues.

Surely that's quite considerably more disgusting than the odd snot rocket (which I'm happy to indulge in, so long as noone else is around or in the firing line...)

It dries up fairly quickly in the wind and just brushes off.

Mikey23

@mrsmancunia... you sound like my mother ;-)