Is cycling to work killing me?
Discussion
Got back into riding to work recently and I seem to be slowly returning to shape. The thing is, now I'm taking bigger lung fulls of air I can't help thinking of the huge amount of exhaust and other pollution I'm breathing in!
Don't want to sound like a tree hugger here, but does anyone know just how dangerous taking big gulps of carcinogenic fumes for an hour each day is?
(I hasten to add that's a genuine question, not rhetoric)
Perhaps the more apt question is how much safer would the atmosphere inside my car be on the same trip?
Don't want to sound like a tree hugger here, but does anyone know just how dangerous taking big gulps of carcinogenic fumes for an hour each day is?
(I hasten to add that's a genuine question, not rhetoric)
Perhaps the more apt question is how much safer would the atmosphere inside my car be on the same trip?
Don't worry about pollution
Keep up cycling to work, if you give up you'll regret it
I used to live 5 miles from work & cycle there everyday I could (quicker than car)
I moved about 3 years ago to a house thats 5 mins walk from work
I've put on over 3 stone since then & totally lost interest in cycling
Keep up cycling to work, if you give up you'll regret it
I used to live 5 miles from work & cycle there everyday I could (quicker than car)
I moved about 3 years ago to a house thats 5 mins walk from work
I've put on over 3 stone since then & totally lost interest in cycling
pdV6 said:
Can't remember where I read it but I'm sure the theory was that you get far more pollution in your lungs inside the car compared to cycling the same route.
Probably from the same people that spout the b
ks that if you cycle to work in the UK you'll only get rained on 19 times a year...Buy a cycle mask if you're worried, but they make your face sweaty I find.
Did 12 miles each way most days for 2 years and the health benefits definitely outweigh the possible increase in risk.
Like pdv6 I'd heard the theory that you get more pollution inside the car than riding outside. The theory must have been based on air flows before the introduction of particulate filters though. Not entirely sure how the rest of the theory worked.
I reckoned that I was exposed to the air for about the same amount of time in total (bike v car/bus)but even in London lots of my route was traffic moving rather than being at a stand still so the air seemed fresh. Even when traffic is at a standstill you can filter slowly and carefully and keep moving and so not be exposed for as long.
The best thing was 12 miles home at night after a long and bad day. You couldn't ride home ina good time still feeling sorry for yourself. So even after those tough days by the time I got home I was in a good mood from the ride.
Chris
Like pdv6 I'd heard the theory that you get more pollution inside the car than riding outside. The theory must have been based on air flows before the introduction of particulate filters though. Not entirely sure how the rest of the theory worked.
I reckoned that I was exposed to the air for about the same amount of time in total (bike v car/bus)but even in London lots of my route was traffic moving rather than being at a stand still so the air seemed fresh. Even when traffic is at a standstill you can filter slowly and carefully and keep moving and so not be exposed for as long.
The best thing was 12 miles home at night after a long and bad day. You couldn't ride home ina good time still feeling sorry for yourself. So even after those tough days by the time I got home I was in a good mood from the ride.
Chris
CVP said:
The best thing was 12 miles home at night after a long and bad day. You couldn't ride home ina good time still feeling sorry for yourself. So even after those tough days by the time I got home I was in a good mood from the ride.
The main reason I cycle to work. My stress and depression levels were getting to stupid levels - the cycle does wonders, especially in summer when there are lots of lovely ladies jogging in the park 
Davi said:
The main reason I cycle to work. My stress and depression levels were getting to stupid levels - the cycle does wonders, especially in summer when there are lots of lovely ladies jogging in the park
Completely agree, there used to be one lovely lady taking the same or part of the same route into central London as me. Very fit, funnily enough I didn't try and overtake her as much as some of other riders in the mornign race, the view was too good !Tell you what gives the biggest lift though - the amount of people in the park who smile and say 'morning!' as you go past (if you're going at a reasonable pace and not running over their dog - sorry ma'am but you need to keep that rat thing in check!!!)
If that smile and greeting happens to come from a very pretty dark haired young lady with a fine figure I try not to complain too much
If that smile and greeting happens to come from a very pretty dark haired young lady with a fine figure I try not to complain too much
It was intended to be slightly tongue-in-cheek to be honest - I'm not about to stop because of a few smokey old lorries going past. 
It is interesting though, just curious if there were any figures? Yes, you're exposed for quite a short time (my commute by bike is almost exactly the same as it is by car, but I'm in the suburbs), however, you're sucking in great lung fulls of the stuff, not using a tiny percentage of your breathing capacity like you do in the car. Until some git in an Audi cuts you up of course...
It is interesting though, just curious if there were any figures? Yes, you're exposed for quite a short time (my commute by bike is almost exactly the same as it is by car, but I'm in the suburbs), however, you're sucking in great lung fulls of the stuff, not using a tiny percentage of your breathing capacity like you do in the car. Until some git in an Audi cuts you up of course...
mouseymousey said:
I've been thinking about getting one of those masks because of all the flying insects on parts of my route that hit me in the face.
It's only a matter of time before I swallow a few.
swallowing a few flies doesn't bother me, getting a wasp fly into your mouth and buzz around in there can be a bit disconcerting It's only a matter of time before I swallow a few.
Davi said:
mouseymousey said:
I've been thinking about getting one of those masks because of all the flying insects on parts of my route that hit me in the face.
It's only a matter of time before I swallow a few.
swallowing a few flies doesn't bother me, getting a wasp fly into your mouth and buzz around in there can be a bit disconcerting It's only a matter of time before I swallow a few.
CVP said:
The best thing was 12 miles home at night after a long and bad day. You couldn't ride home ina good time still feeling sorry for yourself. So even after those tough days by the time I got home I was in a good mood from the ride.
Chris
Couldnt agree more.... Chris
although suspect the diesel fumes from the large buses are prob very very bad for you esp' when in stationary traffic
CAB
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