Cycling and smoking

Can you actually enjoy cycling while being a smoker?

Whether it’s just casual riding or something more intense. What have you all experienced?

Gerald Moore5 said:Can cycling and smoking coexist?

Whether one is just riding for leisure or training with some degree of intensity, I wonder what your experiences have been.

I suspect you already know the answer.

Hey,
you’re just sitting there smoking while the bike is right next to you...

I really hope we don't have to remind you that smokers end up gasping for air every time they hit a steep hill in the Rockies..

Adam Chase5 is here to back me up on this observation.. 🙂

I know a guy... he cycles, runs, moves like lightning... and smokes like a chimney. 😁

rapidscout26 loves stats so he can light them up, and honestly, he just keeps getting better as he climbs Mount Everest, despite his age😬

There is nothing quite as infuriating as standing there after a 30-25 miles break, only to realize I left my lighter sitting on the kitchen counter back home. 🤦

@Matthew Booth74...

If you want to know about lighting up, ask Jane Doe. That guy can burn through three packs in one sitting and won't stop until the air is thick enough to choke on... as if he were trying to summit Mount Everest.

...and he’s easily 6 to 8 years older than I am. 😬

You simply can't head out for a drive without having your toolkit ready to go 😁

I spent more than half my life chain-smoking, and let me tell you, it absolutely trashed my lungs. Since I quit, I feel better than I ever have in my entire life. I’m crushing it on the road now. There is just a massive, undeniable difference.

Send me the link to your Strava profile. I want to see how this nicotine withdrawal is actually affecting your performance... and while you're at it, how old are you again?

What’s the current going rate for a pack of cigarettes? $7.25 If someone goes through one pack a day, $220 they’re looking at about $7,920 a year—quite a significant amount of money just to watch it vanish into thin air. It’s a shame, really.

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ruggedraven22 said:How much does a pack of cigarettes cost now $7.25? If you smoke one pack a day $220, that’s 7,920 a year. That's a massive amount of money just going up in smoke... what a waste
.

A smoker could argue the same thing:

How much does a decent bike cost $2640!
I'd rather smoke a pack a day and chill at home without breaking a sweat.

To each their own.

David White5 said:I smoked for more than half my life, and it absolutely wrecked my conditioning. Since I quit, my riding has been better than ever. I can tear up trails now. The difference is night and day.

Exactly.
For me, I couldn't even ride for thirty minutes without feeling like I was going to pass out.
Now that I haven't touched a cigarette in a couple of years, what Lance-sleep said is true—I can crush climbs, and being out in nature just feels better.
Then again, you always hear about those guys who smoke like crazy but still rip through mountain bike trails like pros. Take Prosinecki, for instance. That guy smoked constantly and was still one of the best players on every team he played for.
Ultimately, I have massive respect for anyone who can cycle while smoking. Personally, I just can't do it.

rapidscout26 said:Send me the link to your Strava profile so I can actually see what this nicotine withdrawal is doing to your performance, and while you're at it, just tell me how old you even are.

I'm 39 years old now, and looking back, I spent fifteen years straight smoking from age 15 to 30, then picked it right back up between 35 and 37, so those damn cigarettes absolutely wrecked my body. I’m not posting this on Strava because, honestly, privacy means everything to me and I'm not looking for anyone breathing down my neck.

Matthew Booth74 said:Well, a smoker could just as easily argue:

How much does a decent bike even run you? $2640!
I’ll just smoke a pack a day and chill at home without breaking a sweat.

Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

But you know what's gonna happen—some smoker hits 50 and realizes he should've spent that cash on a ride instead, while a real biker won't have a single thing to say about it!

David White5 said:What is a smoker going to say when they hit 50 and realize they should have spent that money on a Harley instead? A biker isn't going to complain about a thing!

Cut the crap.

The most intense people are always the former smokers... they act just like Jehovites. I have yet to meet a single person who quit smoking and actually put those savings aside. Like Asheron says, if you love something, set it free...

rapidscout26 said:Cut the crap.

The absolute worst people are the former smokers... they act just like those Jehovite fanatics. I haven't met a single person who actually quit smoking and managed to save that extra cash. Like Asheron always says, if you want to be a martyr, go right ahead...

Oh, how wonderful. This whole thread is supposed to be about quitting smoking, right? Well, newsflash: I've saved that money more than a few times over.
To me, the biggest losers are the ones who are just deathly jealous of everyone who actually had the guts to quit.

When I was out on the Transversal this year with BK Sutla, damn, half the group were smokers. And they’re hiking uphill like they’re being chased by the devil—even though not everyone is hitting those 3x7 levels.

So, you get all sorts in that area. I'm just a recreational smoker myself, but I find myself stopping regularly once spring hits—I can personally feel the strain when oxygen absorption starts dropping.😁

Gerald Moore5 said:Can you balance cycling and smoking?

Whether it’s just casual riding or something more competitive, what have you guys found?

I have to wonder why you're even bothering to start such a pointless thread.😁We all know exactly what nicotine and the extra junk in cigarettes do, and we know how much damage that sludge does to the entire body. Just admit you were bored and decided to kick off some nonsense topic because there was nothing better to do.

Gerald Moore5 said:Can you ride bikes and smoke at the same time? It’s a bit of a question, isn't it?

I haven't the slightest clue. I don't smoke, and I don't drive.🤷

rapidscout26 said:There’s nothing quite like those former smokers—they're built different.

David White5 said:The ones who get the most worked up are those bitter types—you know the ones—who can't stand seeing former smokers move on.

The ones who think they’re the biggest shots in the room—those are always my favorite.😬

All jokes aside—smoking is an undeniable handicap when it comes to athletics. Spare me the anecdotes about seeing some guy who smokes like a chimney still sprinting uphill like a pro. If he wasn't smoking, he’d be even faster. Period.
It’s the same story with Prosinecki—as someone pointed out earlier. The guy was a pure genius, but his fitness was always a mess, mostly because he couldn't quit smoking. If he hadn't been a smoker, he would have been right up there competing for the title of best player in the world.

rapidscout26 said:Cut the crap.

Former smokers are always the most intense... almost like they're on some mission for the Jehovites. I haven't met a single person who quit smoking and actually saved that money. As Asheron would say, you get what you pay for...

Speaking as a former smoker myself, every time I head out for a run or a bike ride, I end up dropping anywhere from 5 to $6.75 bucks on a drink... and honestly, it adds up quickly enough.