Today I was passed on the Shared Use Path by a guy wearing a mask. He was in full racing Spandex on a road bike and steaming along pretty fast. He was wearing some kind of protective type mask I never saw before. It was gray in color and cone shaped, made of rubber and fabric. It had about three little cartridges which were white and the size of screw off Coke caps. With his red Oakley sunglasses he looked pretty alien.

I have seen and worn many protective masks from Home Depot, Graingers, and the Army, and this one didn't look like any of them. This is not especially allergy season here, and the air no more foul than is average in this political state. Actually things are pretty good now. Does anyone know what it is? Was it Bubble Boy out for a spin? Maybe an oxygen reducer to train for racing in Bogota?

Like that?

https://image.made-in-china.com/2f0j00OSDaHEmBntbs/Silica-Gel-Dust-Mask-double-dust-filters-.jpg

M.

No, the cartridges were much smaller and the mask was conical and partially fabric construction. I would have recognized that one, I've used one. It was not like anything commonly seen.


I just looked "protective masks" up on google Images, and looked at everything that came up, and didn't see it.

Hmmm,,, Who was that masked man**********

I think he was riding a Quimosabe road bike, silver in color.

in my area
serious racers seldom use the mup
for fast training rides

your description leads me to believe
this is a racer wannabe
with a bit of ocd
or germ phobia

edit
https://www.toolexperts.com/respirato...gy-rz-n99.html

I agree about racers, I just said this guy was a serious spandex wienie. With the glasses and mask you couldn't see his face at all. Maybe He really was ET!

The mask was a little similar to that one, but it was not that one.

Is this the guy?

Heh! He wore yellow, but it was spandex not hazmat togs.

I solved the mystery. After wandering aimlessly through Google I stumbled upon "elevation training mask." It is a mask that has varying levels of resistance to breathing to build your breathing muscles with varying levels of asphyxia. Sounds terrifying. The design is based on that of the Israeli gas mask, and comes from the University of Nait.

There is also an altitude training mask somewhere that actually removes some oxygen from the air you are breathing to simulate Denver.

I can see where EPO and auto transfusions would be more attractive than these masks.

entertaining nevertheless

Huh. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that either of those exist. The second sounds like it might be cheaper than moving to Colorado (wonder if they actually work...).

Could it be an oxygen training mask?
https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...ed=0CF8Q9QEwBQ

From one of those elevation training mask sites: The elevation training mask makes you work out more efficiently, reducing a 60 minute workout to 20 minutes.

Not only do you not have to go to Colorado for your Rocky Mt. High, but you don't have to waste as much time working out!

Nothing like this, right?



Maybe this:



or this:

Maybe this: https://www.trainingmask.com/?gclid=C...FY97QgodsmQARA

It was similar to this with three small plastic "cartridges". But as I stated in the OP it was conical with the large circumference around the mouth and nose but not covering the eyes, and the point of the cone forward. Think about pictures of the plague masks from the middle ages.

This training mask is in two pieces with the valves on the inner silicone mask over the mouth and nose, and an outer neoprene or fabric mask holding the inner part in place. The outer part is variously styled apparently. I gather from reading that the object is to add resistance to the effort to breath thus building up the breathing muscles of the diaphragm and chest. It all sounds a little S&M.

The whole principle of a training mask is completely backward.

What is currently known about altitude training is summed up in the phrase "Live high, train low".
i.e. spend resting time at high altitude (or a low-O2 simulation) to increase hematocrit score,
but do training at low altitude where the higher level of O2 enables the athlete to push the body to higher training intensity.

Was it Bayne coming to kick some ass?

Maybe it was Big Bird in his cycling outfit,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,******************************???

Let's hope it wasn't this:

Maybe it was someone with a leather fetish? Or even worse?