I read some other threads about masks, but wanted to add my opinion after having bought one.

I bike 3-4 days a week, 40km round trip in Tokyo. The air here is not terrible, but I have to ride on major roads and there are no nice trails or anything like that. I spend a lot of time behind buses and delivery trucks and after the first few weeks of commuting, I got tired of that taste in my mouth. By the time I got to work, I could feel a dry tickle in my throat and would cough. I hated to think I was breathing in some garbage into my lungs every day.

I read quite a few people who said they had a hard time breathing with these masks on when they really got going, so I was a bit nervous. However, I found a local supplier and decided to try it out. If it didn't work, I could use it when I clean my house or something. The mask arrived the next day (and I found that my local shop - Nukaya Ebisu also sells them) and I tried it on the way home.

It fits well. I have a small head, but ordered the large. I'm 6ft 1in guy, not sure what my hat size is. It fits well, and is comfortable. I had the nosepiece a little snug the first time, but after adjusting that it really is comfortable. It doesn't get in the way of my helmet, but does mess with my earphones. Also, depending on your sunglasses, the nosepiece maybe in the way and mess up the fit.

I have some pretty good sized hills on my ride and even going at full huff and puff up them, I have no problems taking deep breathes with this thing on. I noticed a huge difference in quality of the air I was breathing. I can sit behind a bus and feel the heat of the exhaust, but barely taste or smell anything weird coming through the mask. I'm very satisfied with it. I bought extra filters and wear it morning and night.

If you're worried about pollutants, I say try it. If you can't adjust or feel it's in the way, you can always use it for painting or cleaning.

Man that sucks, hope the mask works out for you

I concur. The mask has been better than I anticipated. My major complaint is that it's sometimes hard to keep air from coming out the top when I exhale, and my glasses can fog up. It's great with goggles during the winter, though...actually keeps the face warmer.

I've ridden in 90's temps in Chicago with it already. I like to think it simulates training in the mountains. I've also noticed less lung irritation when using it in traffic, and even on my weekend rides without it, I find it's a bit harder to breathe after a good ride. I definitely recommend anyone riding in urban areas to use one of these.

Funny that you say you can't smell anything. Maybe it's my fit, but I notice I can smell things even when wearing it (hot dog stands, weird exhaust, paint nearby).

You know AP, that may be the thing for the pollen season down here.
A Starwars looking respirator helmet showed up in a couple of the other forums this week.
Look Sir, droids
Same thing in Road Cycling

Well, I can smell some stuff, but not as much as before. There are some amazingly huge construction trucks along the side of the road where I ride, and I'm not sure what they are doing but whatever it is comes through loud and clear into my nose and it's terrible! However, it's not as bad as before.

I'm sure this would be good for pollen season.

I keep mine pretty tight and when I do wear my sunglasses I haven't had problems with fog. But I don't wear my sunglasses anymore as I find the mask sunglasses don't get along well. I thinking of getting a newer helmet that is smaller than my current one, and hopefully I can use my shades or goggles again.

If you're interested, here are some pics of the used filter and new filter to see how much funk it stops.

Hey, thanks for the info. I think that could be a pretty good idea for the winter, here, but I wouldn't use one in the spring and summer months.

I think that a filter like that could be pretty useful here in france. Over 50% of cars are now diesel and the fumes are much dirtier than gas engines. The worst was when I was passed by a slow moving cement truck, and then a military truck and bus. They really pipe out the soot!

I have been blessed in my home town and in the springs the air qualities has been great. Except for in the springs this belching diesel pick up truck on hodgeson road was horrible.

I love Grand Rapids MI becuase all of their busses run off biodesel and electric unlike some other places

Just saw the pic, do you really breath in that much gunk in 1.5 months!? Yuck! I wonder if it is the same stuff that accumulates on your rims...

The stuff on your rims is mostly from your brakes.

After the star wars helmet thread and last nights ride through gnat central I was thinking of picking one up. For 2 miles I was just being pelted by gnats from head to toe and I had to keep my mouth closed and breath slowly through my nose with my head down or I'd suck them up.
With your success it seems it might be worth a try. I wonder if i'll survive 100+ with it though. Does it have a drink hole or something?

You know, it's really quite sad that we need such a device. Let's hope it's not required equipment for our kids...

So far I dont think I'd need one.... If I rode down town, that would be a different story.

How's a Yankee like you survive in the land of the rising sun? Huge culture SHOCK?

Billy

I don't think that the stuff on bike rims are mostly from the break pads... there isn't enough brake pad to supply all that dust. I think it is picked up (mostly in the rain or on wet roads) from dust and soot from cars. That stuff, comes from car brake pads, car tires, and possibly diesel particulates. So with out resorting to chromatography or taking out a mass spectrometer, I stand by the hypothesis that the soot that was filtered is probably much the same composition as the gunk on your rims.

My Safari is my rain/snow/road salt/daily commuter. The rear has some chain lube gunk,but the front is fairly clean,and it's never been given a proper bath. My Fuji cross bike went from canti's to V's,was only ridden in nice weather,and my hands would get dirty just airing the tires. My old Coda Comp was really bad;the entire lower bike got covered in brake crap. In both cases things improved when I went with Koolstop salmons. Rim brakes dirty your rims.