Real fitness ..

valheru

Commuting into work today, a 15 minute bike ride to the station, as i was going up the last hill (while not the steepest hill in the world, at 7 in the morning its a couple of minutes of hard work), I was following a bike up the hill. I managed to catch up right at the top, but he was going at a decent pace most of the way. However throughout the climb i could smell cigarette smoke, and sure enough as i passed him he had a cigarette hanging out of his mouth.

Now he had his hands on the bars the whole time up the hill, so that means that every breath he took up the hill was full of smoke. Add in the fact that his bike was an apollo 'full suspension', that was bouncing like a pogo stick all the way - and it probably weighed a few tonnes as well, means i think potentially this could have been the 'fittest' rider i have ever come across!

cooldad

You obviously don't smoke. You can breath without taking a drag.

Anonymous

I used to pass people on the climbs in CYB, one handed whilst smoking.
After a while I stopped being able to do it. After a longer while, riding became a struggle.
Then I stopped smoking, and it's getting easier and easier again.
Either the guy was pretty fit, like you say, even though he was still smoking, OR maybe you're not as fit as you thought you were.

allen.coulson

When I smoke I ran a lot just to kid myself that it would compensate. Made me fitter and I still do it even though I dont smoke.

I'm going to re-start smoking when I'm 70 because;

a)I enjoyed it
b) It will kill me before I go mad.

tsenior

obviously you will be fitter if you dont smoke but you can be fit and smoke (you're just more likley to get critically ill earlier in life)

i'm sure plenty of pro sportsmen smoke, Zidane off the top of my head.

i cant seem to drop the last 1 or 2 rollups i have in the evenings but it doesent seem to affect me that much, i'm not fast but think have reasonable stamina (ths may just be bloody mindedness though)..

wobbem

Get fitter, eats beans and fart when you pass him 8)

Northwind

There's an old boy that lives down my street, I think he's about 70, rides an old shopping bike that looks like it's as old as he is. And at least once a week just when I'm really getting into my stride on the massive hill that leads up to my village, he overtakes me like I'm standing still

Still, I'll be faster and fitter than him soon, he'll be dead.

RLyons

One of my biking mates smokes and is fitter than I am even though we pretty much ride the same amount as each other!

I put that down to me not being very fit though!

cat_with_no_tail

Northwind wrote:

Still, I'll be faster and fitter than him soon, he'll be dead.

Spat coffee all over my keyboard.

Cheers.

diy

If you take away all the downsides of smoking nicotine itself is an adrenaline inducing , beta blocking, apatite suppressing stimulant which would definitely give an addict a boost.

Long term of course the carcinogens, radioactive metals etc etc. mean its probably safer to shoot up with race horse 'roids than smoke as a fitness additive.