How clean are gel packets?

Oldteen - 2011-05-27 11:13 AM If this bothers you, better not think about what road spray had deposited on the nipple of your water bottle

On winter rides I like to think of that as sodium replacement.

I agree with the others. If this is keeping you up at night triathlon may not be the sport for you. You know that water you get at aid stations? People handled the cups and had their bare hands in the ice after slathering other people with sunscreen and getting the sweat of other people on their hands. The water bottle on your bike? Bug juice, potential animal feces etc.

When I volunteered at the women's changing tent at IMTX last weekend the very sweet older lady running/sponsoring the tent insisted my friend and I wear gloves. She said "you don't want to know what these women have on their bodies" I said "You mean something worse than sweat, blood, urine?" I'm a Mom of 5 kids, bodily fluids don't phase me. I thought it was funny. I had my hands in and out of the vaseline jar more times than I can count and lubed up dozens and dozens of women. Then I reached into the ice bucket to put ice in their bras, shorts etc. and then they would want some in their mouth. All in a days work.

Try not to think about it, otherwise you will go crazy.

Considering that I end any ride long enough to require more than liquid nutrition covered in a combination of sweat, bike grease, snot, Gatorade, and drool...No.  I don't think or worry about it at all.

Yeah, MY milkshake brings all the boys to the yard... :-p

I agree he's probably over-reacting about the gel packets, but I wouldn't want to touch someone else's blood without gloves on.  If it's your kids, fine, but a stranger is totally different.

Good point, I've pee'd in lakes more often than I've pee'd on Gel Packs.

I was watching some youtube video's of IMOO and they had a bunch of water bottles sitting in a kids plastic swimming pool with ice.  riders kept stopping and putting their behinds in the water with the bottles to cool off.  I'm the furthest thing from a germaphobe but that one grossed me out a little. 

I'm walking proof that one can overcome this. People need not to live in fear. Spread the word.

I'm not terribly concerned about.  It didn't stop me from having another a little while later.  Just one of those random thoughts from the road...

I volunteered at a 5k race once.  One of the other volunteers and I was getting all the post race food ready to be put out on the tables.  She was wearing latex gloves and was refusing to touch the bananas.  I pulled the bananas apart and laid them on the table and she went on to tell me how much bacteria is on a banana.  She said she wouldn't dare touch a banana let alone eat it because all the bacteria.  My sister used to teach technical classes with this woman and I mentioned it to her, and she said this woman pretty much only eats packaged processed food because she is so worried about all the germs on fruits/veggies!  Go figure!

jami

LOL, I don't doubt it.   I know a guy who worked for AB and peed in the beer vat.

That's what your immune system is for!

Ah ha! I knew all AB products were pee based!

That's what gives it that distinctive urine taste.