Ira in Chi

I need some help. My girlfriend is a serious bike commuter: Chicago, 14 miles a day, year round, for at least 5 years. I am very proud of her. Last winter was hard though because she started having respiratory problems. Coughing, shortness of breath, sinus infections, it was getting bad. She went to a doctor and was diagnosed with athsma. She tried asthsma medications, accupuncture, bought respiratory mask designed for cycling, changed the gear ratio on her bike (she rides a fixed-gear roadbike), all with little success. Summer came and things got much better. Now it's winter again and she tells me she is dreading next few months. Because of her condition, commuting is no longer enjoyable, and if things don't change she said she'll quit riding. Has anyone had a similar experience, and have good advice? Public transportation will add a half hour-45min to her trip, and the only other alternative is buying a car.

operator

This isn't going to help, but it seriously sucks to hear that.

CommuterKat

I don't have asthma, but I do get wheezy when I ride in cold weather. I find that hot liquids help a LOT. Is there any way she could carry a thermos with some hot tea in it to sip on a few times throughout her ride in?

slvoid

Try getting a polar bottle with some hot mint tea in it. It should stay hot for over an hour. Plus have her chew gum, it gets the saliva flowin.

stever

i have asthma

i also get wheezy most so in the winter


whats helps with me is havin a puff on inhaler before i go out on the bike

then take inhaler with me...

any other questions send me a pm :-)

slvoid

Don't forget to grab the correct one...

manboy

I have asthma. Sometimes I've had trouble biking or doing any kind of physical activity when it's cold. I would imagine that warm drinks would help, as would proper medication, but sometimes that's just not enough. The truth is that we can't all be bike superheros all the time.

Is there no way she could carpool?

If she doesn't feel like buying a car, mopeds are cool. If she must get a car, that's the way it is--don't let her feel bad about it. Whatever you do, encourage her to ride when she's able but to take care of herself when she's not. Asthma attacks don't do anyone any good, except for the pharmaceutical companies.

Dchiefransom

Before she goes for a moped, I've seen some new scooters that are nice. They have that big flare of body up front that will also help keep front tire spray off the rider. They can go fairly fast, but I'm not sure how they are in the winter.

kurremkarm

How about using a full face ski mask and breathing through the fabric or something like that? Maybe that plus a filter, silly, might look like darth vader but what the heck. One of my biggest fears in life is losing the ability to ride a bike. Strange as that might seem. I had knee problems, first thought was, what if it keeps me from riding? I see people who are paralyzed or blind and think, they cant ride a bike!

Guess im weird. Hope she figures something out because not riding would suck.

Redhed 

Ira,

I was gone most of the weekend, sorry for the delayed reply. I have cold triggered asthma, plus allergies trigger it too. First of all I suggest going to a doctor and finding out if an ADVAIR inhaler would help. This has changed everything for me. I have had asthma since I was born and I have been a guinea pig for doctors trying out the latest asthma drugs since I was little. I have taken many and ADVAIR is the best. You only have to take it 2x per day. Aside from prevention, I have a mask that I ordered, it allows you to only breathe warm air. Since the cold air is what causes the asthma attacks, the air you take in must be warm. Here is the website, https://www.polarwrap.com/cat.html this link takes you to the catalog. I have the Exchanger ST, and I also have the Exchanger II. The ST is what I wear when doing any type of outdoor exercise. The Exchanger II is really for when you are hunting, or your activity level is low. (sitting outside in a deer stand or just not moving a great deal.) I would not recommend the Exchanger II for cycling. There should be a toll free number that you or your girlfriend can call and ask any questions that you have. I talked to a lady there for about 30 minutes one day and she was very knowledgable and very willing to answer any thing I asked about the product. It is worth it. Also I have to agree about the chewing gum, I constantly have gum in my mouth when riding, it does keep the mouth and throat moist, which is very important. Sorry this is so long.....

Ira in Chi

Thanks for all the replys, they are really helpful. To answer the questions, the carpool option looked attractive but fell through. She does use advair and it improves things alot. She has a couple different face covers, but not a specificly designed mask. I think a scooter or moped would be good, but it gets pretty cold here in Chicago so it might be just as bad. Anyway, thanks again. Especially for the "be supportive if she needs to get a car" reminder. Many of our friends are "lifestyle cyclists" which, while by no means is a bad thing, often breeds quite a bit of anti-car zelotry.

tulip

I have mild asthma that gets worse in cold, dry weather. I take albuterol inhaler when I need it. It helps alot.

Dahon.Steve

I have asthma and there is nothing that can really be done about it. If the temps are really low, I'll have an attack within 2 or 3 miles. At that point, I'll come to a total stop and have to wait until the condition gets better. After that, I'll be able to travel another 5 miles before getting another attack.

I really don't commute by bicycle anymore and use lightrail. My commuting distance is about 10 blocks so here's my recommendation. Why not get a folding bike? She can still take the bus with a 16' inch wheel folder and get off half way and ride the rest of the trip?

cerewa

I'm sort of a borderline asthma case... my asthma troubles are pretty much non-existent most of the time.

But for me, biking in really cold weather is terrible if I allow myself to be stressed about it. But then it's really not that bad if I make myself calm down and relax. I get kind of freaked out by the cold sometimes, particularly if I'm in a hurry or not dressed warm enough (both of which get my adrenalin going and get me riding really hard.) When that happens, I have a hard time breathing.

billh

I have mild exercise induced asthma that is worse in cold dry weather. A couple hits on the Albuterol inhaler works for me, before and after ride.

steve_wmn

It looks like you've already got the best available medications for her asthma, but you haven't mentioned it so maybe you need to examine your household environment to attack the triggers for her asthma. Does your girlfriend wake up in the morning hacking and sneezing or do her problems only surface when she gets out on the bike? If she'd having problems from the time she gets up she's probably got a dust mite problem. Dust mites in bedding are a common asthma/sinus allergy trigger but they can be controlled by washing your bedding a lot (maybe once a week) and vacuuming with a HEPA equipped vacuum every night before bed.

randya

I've had allergies all my life and recently developed asthma, which was initially induced by a flu virus about six years ago, and is now triggered by allergens of various types, most particularly cat dander, pollen, dust mites and diesel exhaust. I started out using an Albuterol inhaler, which is a simple bronchio-dialator; now I'm using Advair, which really helps, but does contain steroids, if that's not your thing. I find that taking routes with the least amount of motor vehicle traffic on them is the best thing for me to do to prevent an attack while riding. Bundling up with a nice warm scarf that keeps my throat and chest warm also seems to help in the winter, as does leaving some extra time for the commute and riding a little slower.

pseudobrit

Have her ask her doctor about Intal (cromolyn sodium). It works wonders for preventing cold air induced attacks for me, but is not much help the remainder of the year.

And I've used Turtle Fur ever since my earliest snowboarding days.

PanPanX

hi, sorry for bumping this topic back up. i was wondering why you would recommend the ST model over the II model for cycling. what about the full head cover one? yes i know i could call but they will give me a biased opinion. do these block out the smog and stuff also?

Redhed 

The reason is that the full head one does such a good job, that you can't get your breath fast enough when doing any exercise. When you are hunting, which requires hours of sitting completely still, your breathing is slow and measured, and this is perfect for the full head air exchanger because it provides the most "air warming protection". The smaller one allows more air through so you can breath easier during activity. No matter what they both warm the air, but the smaller one allows more air. I hope that made sense.

Redhed 

Oops I meant "breathe".

steveknight

Advair is so epensive and my pathetic insurance won't cover it. is there anything else besides abuteral?

Steven Golding

I have the same toruble with Athsma... I hit the inhaler 2x prior to a cold weather ride and then once after... the trick is to wear a scarf over your face so that the air coming in is warmed somewhat... a deep hooded jacket can help as well although it looks goofy

If the Athsma is due to just the cold and not a more serious issue then warming the air coming in should be the answer... definitely ask your doctor about your condition to be safe of course!

chicharron

LOL

chicharron

Ira in Chi, it sounds like you're getting pleanty of good advice. I was going to suggest an albuterol inhaler just before she rides in cold weather. And also a paper face mask. My doctor says that I have exersise induced asthma.