Cyclists who smoke

dilemna

Stopped to see if a cyclist was ok earlier this evening. It was dark and the middle of nowhere. He had what looked like a reasonable road bike with a possible flat. He was not on a BSO. The response "Yes mate. Just having a fag!" :shock: .

Are cycling and smoking incompatible?

noiseboyfeetman

I did find it quite amusing when I did the Magnificat this year and followed someone with a puncture repair kit, energy bar and pack of Marlboro Lights in his jersey pocket.

capt_slog

It seems odd to me.

Although I have seen the overcoat and cap types stop for a ciggy, it doesn't make any sense to me when it's someone who spends any sort of money to make cycling a 'sport'; no amount of fancy kit is going to compensate for bad lungs.

On a side note, I saw a kid on one of those plastic, hairdryer 'motorbikes' the other day, he was riding along whilst manoeuvring a cigarette through the opening of his full face helmet.

meagain

I smoked fags from age 9 to 63. Switched to a pipe when formally diagnosed with COPD. Last few weeks on vape shisha things. Nicotine is my drug of choice. Yes, smoking is likely to be "Cause of death", but hey we all have to die of something.

The State certainly can't afford the sort of longevity for which the health lobby appears to be aiming. The anti-smoking drive is the most economically illiterate public policy of all time. "I know, we'll collect less tax AND ensure that more and more people need social and health care for 5, 10, 15 years, rather than a few weeks in hospital and then shuffle off at 67. What a whizzo idea!"

Rigga

A couple of my mates who I MTB with smoke roll ups. Quite often we'll stop halfway round Dalby or Cannock while they roll up. They do get funny looks from time to time but hey ho.

team47b

Only the same as cycling and eating all the pies, innit

markhewitt1978

Cycling and smoking is better than Not cycling and smoking?

cornerblock

A couple of months back I saw a guy riding no hands whilst smoking and carrying a petrol can. Fair enough I thought. What can possibly go wrong?

Mikey23

Going after the ultimate KOM no doubt ...

Alain Quay

meagain wrote:

I smoked fags from age 9 to 63. Switched to a pipe when formally diagnosed with COPD. Last few weeks on vape shisha things. Nicotine is my drug of choice. Yes, smoking is likely to be "Cause of death", but hey we all have to die of something.

The State certainly can't afford the sort of longevity for which the health lobby appears to be aiming. The anti-smoking drive is the most economically illiterate public policy of all time. "I know, we'll collect less tax AND ensure that more and more people need social and health care for 5, 10, 15 years, rather than a few weeks in hospital and then shuffle off at 67. What a whizzo idea!"

Will try and list some reasons why you're wrong.
1) reduced fitness and quality of life. Doing your bit for the economy by dying early ain't the greatest of aspirations
2) people in proximity to smokers who die of cancer; impact of this on families, etc
3) millions of man-hours per annum lost due to illness ("Productivity losses due to smoking among workers cost the US economy an average of almost $97 billion yearly")
4) it's not just cancer, it is amputations etc and other cost burdens on the national health service
5) being enslaved to unethical tobacco corporations
6) all the money that adults spend on fags that might be better used elsewhere
7) cigarettte butts and litter
8) 3/4s of Brits support the ban on smoking in public places

9) someone else can take over..

southdownswolf

Cornerblock wrote:

A couple of months back I saw a guy riding no hands whilst smoking and carrying a petrol can. Fair enough I thought. What can possibly go wrong?

Was he riding fixed?

Pituophis

southdownswolf wrote:

Cornerblock wrote:

A couple of months back I saw a guy riding no hands whilst smoking and carrying a petrol can. Fair enough I thought. What can possibly go wrong?

Was he riding fixed?

I bet he didn't have any lights on either!

cornerblock

Pituophis wrote:

southdownswolf wrote:

Cornerblock wrote:

A couple of months back I saw a guy riding no hands whilst smoking and carrying a petrol can. Fair enough I thought. What can possibly go wrong?

Was he riding fixed?

I bet he didn't have any lights on either!

Seeing as it was daytime he didn't really need them, one wrong move though and he'd have been lit up quite well.

ozzzyosborn206

A guy over here who races smokes, never seems quite right when you have just finished the club 10 or a crit race and he sparks up

clickrumble

Wasn't there some guy in the news a bit last year, seen lighting up and holding a gin and tonic after doing a bit of cycling? Bloke with sideburns, can't remember his name now.

cesco

After years of messing about with my 80's peugeot, I bought my first proper road bike last summer from the money I saved with quitting that awful habit (20 a day). It was replacement therapy too: the longer I couldn't go out riding, the stronger the urges would come back. Also, in the beginning I missed the satisfaction of lighting a post-cycling fag to 'open the lungs.' My fitness definitely improved, gradually.

After three months or so, I started having the "occasional" cigarette again. I'm now smoking 10 a day. It doesn't help that it's turning wetter and darker outside, and that work is busy at the moment. I hated my first ride after a couple of cigarettes the night before. The gradual progress was almost gone immediately; coughing my lungs out and all.

Just saying I understand both sides. Obviously it's not a healthy choice. If only it was an easy choice. I hate the habit, the health effects, but sadly I also love it just too much. A lot of riders used to smoke in the 70s/80s, but even with today's knowledge there are still pros that smoke off season or occasionally. It's just hidden from the media. Plus the main difference is, they have got character - the balls to just give up when they need/want to.

/2cents

finchy

Clickrumble wrote:

Wasn't there some guy in the news a bit last year, seen lighting up and holding a gin and tonic after doing a bit of cycling? Bloke with sideburns, can't remember his name now.

Somehow I can't see Bradley Wiggins being a regular smoker.

Frank the tank

Many people smoke and drink and are bloody good cyclists.

You're here ONCE, do what you enjoy and the self-righteous can do as they like.

I've never smoked and drink moderately and I'm a sh1t cyclist really..........................but I am happy and enjoy riding my bike.

mouth

When I first left education I used to run a paper shop. Every now and then toe spotty kid whose job it was to deliver the Sunday papers wouldn't bother to turn up. Naturally we'd have been out the night before and got hammered. It was customary to stop for a tab when you were filling in for him on the MTB. Mrs. Brown at 63 Park even used to make us bacon butties. Them were the days. I used to live on a diet of long hours, B&H, Danepak and Stella. How I made it to 25 before suffering an acute MI I will never know.

Frank the tank

madasahattersley wrote:

Frank the tank wrote:

Many people smoke and drink and are bloody good cyclists.

You're here ONCE, do what you enjoy and the self-righteous can do as they like.

I've never smoked and drink moderately and I'm a sh1t cyclist really..........................but I am happy and enjoy riding my bike.

If they smoke regularly more than about 10 a day then I don't believe they can be 'bloody good cyclists.' The affect smoking has on your lungs is huge.

It does seem unfair, but I know some who have well abused their bodies and are right fit bu99ers and I'm not just on about ciggies either.

crispybug2

carl69

Earlier this year a bloke turns up for the Sunday club run, definitely looked up for it nice bike all properly kitted out. We tell him about the different rides and speeds etc and he says he, s up for the long ride, no problem. A mile in we go up a small incline, he starts shouting for us to stop. We all think he, s got a mechanical so turn around to see him lighting up. "Just give me a couple of minutes this fag will sort me out then I, ll be with you again", he says. We, re all laughing taking the mickey, however it got less funny when another 20 minutes in he does the same. We tell him it might be best if he waits for one of the slower groups to come along in a few minutes but quite happily he thanks us for waiting and tells us cycling isn, t really going to be his thing and he, s off home. Top bloke but completely round the twist. Never seen him since.

cornerblock

He probably found a club that suited him.

rodgers73

What about cyclists who use those electric fags? Are they any good or do they still mess up your lungs??

ballysmate

A smokin' cyclist.

rjsterry

Ballysmate wrote:

A smokin' cyclist.

Love the guy photobombing on the right.

cornerblock

rjsterry wrote:

Ballysmate wrote:

A smokin' cyclist.

Love the guy photobombing on the right.

Prefer her myself, buy hey whatever floats your boat.

freddiegrubb

For my sins I'm also a tennis player, in the local league I've actually warmed up before a match against a player who was smoking.I was tempted to start the habit as they stuffed us (doubles).

sloppyschleckonds

carl69 wrote:

Earlier this year a bloke turns up for the Sunday club run, definitely looked up for it nice bike all properly kitted out. We tell him about the different rides and speeds etc and he says he, s up for the long ride, no problem. A mile in we go up a small incline, he starts shouting for us to stop. We all think he, s got a mechanical so turn around to see him lighting up. "Just give me a couple of minutes this fag will sort me out then I, ll be with you again", he says. We, re all laughing taking the mickey, however it got less funny when another 20 minutes in he does the same. We tell him it might be best if he waits for one of the slower groups to come along in a few minutes but quite happily he thanks us for waiting and tells us cycling isn, t really going to be his thing and he, s off home. Top bloke but completely round the twist. Never seen him since.

Vtec?

fenix

meagain wrote:

I smoked fags from age 9 to 63. Switched to a pipe when formally diagnosed with COPD. Last few weeks on vape shisha things. Nicotine is my drug of choice. Yes, smoking is likely to be "Cause of death", but hey we all have to die of something.

The State certainly can't afford the sort of longevity for which the health lobby appears to be aiming. The anti-smoking drive is the most economically illiterate public policy of all time. "I know, we'll collect less tax AND ensure that more and more people need social and health care for 5, 10, 15 years, rather than a few weeks in hospital and then shuffle off at 67. What a whizzo idea!"

You are just justifying your addiction to yourself mate.

You probably won't pop your clogs quickly. It might be a long drawn out procedure of years with many stays in hospitals and lots of treatment, lots of money spent on you.

Smoking never appealed to me.

bompington

Fenix wrote:

meagain wrote:

I smoked fags from age 9 to 63. Switched to a pipe when formally diagnosed with COPD. Last few weeks on vape shisha things. Nicotine is my drug of choice. Yes, smoking is likely to be "Cause of death", but hey we all have to die of something.

The State certainly can't afford the sort of longevity for which the health lobby appears to be aiming. The anti-smoking drive is the most economically illiterate public policy of all time. "I know, we'll collect less tax AND ensure that more and more people need social and health care for 5, 10, 15 years, rather than a few weeks in hospital and then shuffle off at 67. What a whizzo idea!"

You are just justifying your addiction to yourself mate.

You probably won't pop your clogs quickly. It might be a long drawn out procedure of years with many stays in hospitals and lots of treatment, lots of money spent on you.

Smoking never appealed to me.

Errr.... check the date on the post... he's probably dead already