Question for female riders

[danncam]

Dear Female burners,

I have a 13 year old who is getting into riding. We did the great vic bike ride with her school a couple of months ago and had a blast. The other day went for a quick ride but cut it short because of her period pain. She also told me she rides with both a tampon and a pad. (She rides with knicks).
Is that the best way to organise herself or should it be one or the other? My wife doesn't ride as she is more of a roller skater.

 

[Pebble]

All you can really do is not go for the longer rides during that period (pun not intended) or at least in the heavier part of it anyway. Tampons alone would be more comfy but I think she's doing the right thing to prevent leakage because changing that sort of stuff trailside isn't that practical.
Periods suck.

 

[pinkbike]

G'day - at that age it's tough because I think girls at that age are super self conscious about periods too. Personally I would never ride with a pad, I don't use tampons since discovering the mooncup a couple of years ago (you can google it) but it's probably not something a 13 yo is likely to want to use. I also have the motto that the chamois in my knicks will soak up anything if there's any issues, again a 13 yo might not be quite so pragmatic about these things ... afterall we all know elites pee in the knicks in races when they need to, and the knicks go straight in the wash when I get home. Black knicks won't show anything, a decent chamois absorbs a fair bit. But whether I would have been happy with this set up 13 - not sure.

It's really all down to her, at that age periods can be fickle and unpredictable meaning leakage is more likely. Period pain is also more of an issue at that age and tends to settle as girls get older. Exercise can also speed up the flow of things making the bleeding heavier over that short period of time you spend riding, although exercise is purportedly a good thing for period pain it's all very individual.

I think it comes back to her - whatever she feels comfortable with and give her loads of support with whatever her decision is.

p.s for the record I've never peed in my knicks.... yet ;-)