# How to get Breathe Right Strips to stick better?



## spade2you

I see the pros wearing them and I've tried using them during a TT, but I could never get them to stick for longer than 20 minutes on a hot day. I'm currently shaking off a slight head cold, so I've been using them during my workouts and I can only get it to stick for about an hour before it peels off.


----------



## durielk

Clean the bike grease off your nose with alcohol before application.


----------



## Kerry Irons

*Nose breathing?*



spade2you said:


> I see the pros wearing them and I've tried using them during a TT, but I could never get them to stick for longer than 20 minutes on a hot day. I'm currently shaking off a slight head cold, so I've been using them during my workouts and I can only get it to stick for about an hour before it peels off.


Are you actually breathing through your nose during a TT? It's an open question as to whether Breath-Rite strips are of any use during hard exercise since you are getting all of your air through your mouth.


----------



## spade2you

Kerry Irons said:


> Are you actually breathing through your nose during a TT? It's an open question as to whether Breath-Rite strips are of any use during hard exercise since you are getting all of your air through your mouth.


I know I breathe through my nose during workouts, but I'll be perfectly honest in saying that much like my pedal stroke, I don't think about it during the actual race. I'd like to think there's some degree of nasal use.


----------



## avatar78

The alcohol should help. At the hospital we use wipes called Skin-prep that lays down a layer of stickiness first. Not sure if it's a commercially available product.


----------



## dysfunction

avatar78 said:


> The alcohol should help. At the hospital we use wipes called Skin-prep that lays down a layer of stickiness first. Not sure if it's a commercially available product.


This stuff?

amzon linky


----------



## danahs

you can get alcohol prep pads even from CVS. thats what I use and I have to rip my strip off at the end of my races


----------



## IAmSpecialized

danahs said:


> you can get alcohol prep pads even from CVS. thats what I use and I have to rip my strip off at the end of my races



Yep, same here. It's actually a bit painful sometimes b/c they stick so well after the alcohol cleaning.


----------



## orangeclymer

Having never tried them it has my curiosity as to their effectiveness?? anyone give a before and after use assessment??


----------



## GumbyN

even with alcohol removing extra skin oils, after you work up a sweat (or sweat gets onto the nose strip), they lose their grip.

i've also wondered how they manage to stay on, mine don't, even with using an astringent right before i put it on.


----------



## Hank Stamper

orangeclymer said:


> Having never tried them it has my curiosity as to their effectiveness?? anyone give a before and after use assessment??


I tried them playing hockey. I felt like I could breath great during warm ups but once the action started I didn't notice any difference. Of course there isn't time to actually notice anything about breathing in the middle of a hockey game so I couldn't tell you if it helped or not when it mattered. 
They don't hurt and are pretty cheap so just see give it a try.
I totally think they help with 'ordinary' breathing (which is fairly common on a bike). My nose is pretty messed up from being broken so many times that perhaps the benefits when breathing through the nose are exaggerated on me but I did noticed a big difference.

I've never tried them on a bike. Never though of it but now that I've seen this thread I'll probably give it a try. Nothing to lose really.


----------



## anotherguy

Surgical adhesive?


----------



## yassine

for me, I use nasal strips for snoring


----------



## Srode

yassine said:


> for me, I use nasal strips for snoring


They didn't help with snoring for me.


----------



## Kerry Irons

yassine said:


> for me, I use nasal strips for snoring


And if you had only waited one more month, you could have revived this thread a full eight years after the last post. Necrophillia anyone?


----------

