CroMo Mike 

Tex Williams - Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette) (1947)


They knew even then....

autater@gmail.c

Just don't inhale.

Flip Flop Rider

anything is possible

Dave Cutter

35 is a good age. There are a lot of things you can do at 35.... despite a crappy lifestyle. It is possible that you might even be able to drink heavily, not sleep much, and eat fried (and other crappy) foods. Of course..... at 35... you are at the end-days of youthful tolerance. But just showing up at the races and being a part of the race will be fun too.

Meanwhile.... in cycling (and every other competitive sport)... some take winning seriously. You'll be racing against people who have never smoked, don't drink or drug, eat right, and sleep 7-8 hours a night.

Just imagine what a well oiled machine you would be.... if you had a healthy lifestyle, heathy body, and a real commitment to win.

I smoked for 35+ years. Most of my friends also smoked. No one my age STILL smokes. And no one I know would suggest to you to anything other than quit.

Milton Keynes

Wasn't there news about vaping causing the same kind of problems as "popcorn lung?" Popcorn lung is that disease that employees of a microwave popcorn plant got from breathing in the dust used in flavoring microwave popcorn. I can't remember the name of the ingredient said to be the culprit, but it's found in vapes.

Milton Keynes

And I guess I'm just lucky because when I was a kid, I worked for my dad at his automotive shop which was also the place where the old guys came to hang out and shoot the breeze... and of course they all smoked. The constant smell of the cigarette smoke totally destroyed any possible desire in me to take up that filthy habit. Though I didn't mind when my uncle smoked his pipe because the smell of that tobacco was actually kind of nice. Still had no desire to suck it into my lungs, though.

And I won't say I've never smoked, I smoked a couple of Cuban cigars while on vacation out of the country. However, I never inhaled the smoke and never cared for the harsh flavor once the cigar got down short toward the end. Not only that, while I didn't mind the smoke flavor in my mouth that evening, I absolutely hated tasting it the whole next day even after brushing my teeth numerous times. But now that I can say I've smoked a Cuban cigar, there's no need for me to ever do that again.

But I absolutely hate being around habitual smokers. The smell of a cigarette just about makes me totally sick to my stomach. Worst is when I have a migraine and my sense of smell seems to be amplified, so that bad odors make my headache and nausea worse. If I have a migraine and I'm around someone who's smoking, it's all I can do to not vomit.

rubiksoval

Go race. If you're fine, great.

If you get dropped within a lap, could be good motivation!

TCR Rider

Even if you can participate in sports while smoking the cigarettes are still undermining your health and there's a good chance they'll ultimately kill you. MY mother died of lung cancer and she got sick about ten years after she quit. Doctor told me the damage was already done so the sooner you quit the better your chances are of leading a normal life.
I quite about 35 years ago when I was 30. It took me a couple of tries but I finally did it. I remember running 3 miles coughing up a lung when I finished and stopping to buy a pack of cigarettes on the way home......lunacy. I used running as a positive reinforcement as something I enjoyed doing more than killing myself with smoking. Five years later I quite drinking altogether. You could say I was an adult onset athlete.
No matter how you slice it smoking is just about the worst thing you could do to yourself. It damages your health more than heroin.

OldsCOOL

Smoking and racing might be a bit awkward. The cigarette hanging out of the mouth definately adds to aero profile though a hot ash down the jersey front may contribute to taking a bad line into a corner.

Stadjer

Enjoy the real thing, but aks the question how many of those 35 cigarettes are really the real thing? I bet 25 of them weren't really that enjoyable. Sincy you're not going to quit anytime soon and smoking can be bad for your health, make sure you truly enjoy every cigarette you smoke, and cigarettes get much better after . Take your time, have a seat, buy some great tobacco and roll your own, make a Japanes tea ceremony of it if you like, just skip the cigarettes that leave you with nothing but a bad taste in your mouth. If you can't quit doesn't mean you have to let go of any control of your habit and addiction at all.

A smoking habit is always going to diminish your physical abilities. It will make it harder to reach a certain level of fitness and will make it harder to maintain that level of fitness, but that doesn't mean you can't reach a decent level of fitness as a smoker. I was much younger when I was still a heavy smoker, but I could compete with the fittest, I just needed a few more weeks to get there. But when it really comes down to every last bit of energy and every last bit of oxygen, the disadvantage of beeing a smoker will be decisive. Once you get to that point, you might use it as an incentive to quit or further cut down on the number of cigarettes. Until then, cycling is good for your abused lungs.

pickettt

You can race, but you can't compete.

caloso

This.

There's only one way to know.

JanMM

The OP's last post was more than a year ago and he hasn't checked back in with an update: Fractured my patella, will I be able to ride at full potential ever again?

italktocats

start smoking weed, its healthier and youll be cool with fixie kids

Phil_gretz

...but you work as a bike messenger and, top tier best case, spend 7.5% of your gross income on cigarettes? No way that can continue. You've heard from others. This must change.

stroudmears

Unlikely to be competitive while smoking heavily. But you can make decent progress as a noob while smoking.