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Smoking & riding at the same time

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Old 10-07-09 | 10:45 PM
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Smoking & riding at the same time

Is it me or do I see more & more people doing it? Mostly Chinese food delivery guys. Most of the time they have an electric motor on their bikes to help.

But as a smoker for 20+ years, I always enjoy a smoke after my rides with a pint of iced cold Guinness.

But recently, I did something that gave me such a high. I would light up while riding. I started doing this on a daily basis and it has become a habit.

I normally cross the Manhattan Bridge to get to work. On my way to work, I light up after I hammer to the middle of the bridge. It's my daily interval training. I would coast the entire way down feathering the brakes and enjoying my cigarette.

On my way home, I take the Brooklyn Bridge and usually light up once I reach the mid point so I can coast my way down.

I'm really enjoying my rides a lot more nowadays. With a cigarette lit, I have to monitor my speed. If I don't feather the brakes, and end up going too fast, the wind will eventually end up putting out the cigarette.

Anyone else do this?
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Old 10-07-09 | 10:49 PM
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I do this when I'm not pretending to get doored
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Old 10-07-09 | 10:52 PM
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The picture you paint makes me smile, kind of looks funny in my head. I don't smoke, but I'd like to see this. The only thing that would make it more funny is if you were riding a recumbent, but I imagine you don't. Good times
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Old 10-07-09 | 10:53 PM
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I see it sometimes, and it disgusts me.
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Old 10-07-09 | 11:13 PM
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bar-mounted ashtray?
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Old 10-07-09 | 11:16 PM
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The only time this would suck for me is if the person in front of me was smoking. If that were some I'd simply blow by then so I get no smoke, there is now way a smoker is going to stay ahead of me, smoking anyways.
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Old 10-07-09 | 11:29 PM
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Originally Posted by Scheherezade
bar-mounted ashtray?
I had one, but took it off. Ashes kept flying everywhere. The ashtray went on that wingnut mount on the right

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Old 10-07-09 | 11:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr_Fred
Is it me or do I see more & more people doing it? Mostly Chinese food delivery guys. Most of the time they have an electric motor on their bikes to help.

But as a smoker for 20+ years, I always enjoy a smoke after my rides with a pint of iced cold Guinness.

But recently, I did something that gave me such a high. I would light up while riding. I started doing this on a daily basis and it has become a habit.

I normally cross the Manhattan Bridge to get to work. On my way to work, I light up after I hammer to the middle of the bridge. It's my daily interval training. I would coast the entire way down feathering the brakes and enjoying my cigarette.

On my way home, I take the Brooklyn Bridge and usually light up once I reach the mid point so I can coast my way down.

I'm really enjoying my rides a lot more nowadays. With a cigarette lit, I have to monitor my speed. If I don't feather the brakes, and end up going too fast, the wind will eventually end up putting out the cigarette.

Anyone else do this?
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Old 10-07-09 | 11:44 PM
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Originally Posted by Totaled108
The only time this would suck for me is if the person in front of me was smoking. If that were some I'd simply blow by then so I get no smoke, there is now way a smoker is going to stay ahead of me, smoking anyways.
I'm sure these guys can stay ahead of you.....

Actually, maybe not. They're probably 80 years old now.




I also see I'm not the only one that enjoys these two activities together. If Russell & Leo does it, I don't feel too bad.



And if you given the chance, the leader of the free world would probably do it too. Let me put 1+1 together.





I felt guilty at first for doing it. But I'm sorta glad I'm not alone.
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Old 10-07-09 | 11:45 PM
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Originally Posted by Mr_Fred
iced cold Guinness
Sacrilege!
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Old 10-08-09 | 04:09 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr_Fred
I'm really enjoying my rides a lot more nowadays. With a cigarette lit...
Good for you. Sucks for the cyclists behind you.
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Old 10-08-09 | 04:51 AM
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Originally Posted by Luddite
I see it sometimes, and it disgusts me.
Ascending a hill. Why not . In case you have an oxygen deficiency. You can replace it with CO or CO2.
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Old 10-08-09 | 04:58 AM
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The picture I have in my head is a recumbent, a cigar, and some scotch. Maybe a handlebar mounted TV.
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Old 10-08-09 | 05:11 AM
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I picture the guy I see doing it all the tme near my house. Looks like a meth tweaker, rides with a cig hanging out of his mouth, a cawboy hat and cowboy boots.

I'm doing really well on trying to quit, but even smoking I couldn't do it when riding.
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Old 10-08-09 | 05:25 AM
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Originally Posted by whatsmyname
sacrilege!
+1
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Old 10-08-09 | 05:37 AM
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Nope. I never picked up on this habit and am glad for it. It would just stand in my way of enjoying life!

I'm still trying to get a buddy of mine to quit (not a cyclist).
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Old 10-08-09 | 06:47 AM
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On a sunny day, riding to play frisbee golf, I like cruising on my IGH with a big cigar. Didn't know it could anger folks, my 2nd hand smoke smells better than a diesel's
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Old 10-08-09 | 06:59 AM
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Originally Posted by dellwilson
Good for you. Sucks for the cyclists behind you.
...and everyone who has to deal with the butts that you litter all over the landscape. Who told smokers that this was okay, anyway? Every time I see a smoker just flick their butt on the ground like their mom was following behind them cleaning up, I want to punch them in the neck. I want to punch their mom in the neck too.
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Old 10-08-09 | 07:07 AM
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Yup.
Many smokers seem to take their habit as a license to litter.

I quit some 11 years ago. Thus, rectifying one of my worst mistakes.
The only people you see riding and smoking around here are the day laborers type.
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Old 10-08-09 | 07:11 AM
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I've ridden while smoking a cigar.
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Old 10-08-09 | 07:19 AM
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Old 10-08-09 | 07:46 AM
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I'm glad I stopped 3+ years ago. I'll have a cigar every now and then, but I can't picture riding a bicycle while trying to stoke a stogie. I'll keep those confined to the deck chair on my patio.
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Old 10-08-09 | 07:55 AM
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No. You should really quit you know.

I'm big on personal liberties, but also big on understanding the concept of externalities. Smoking has huge externalities - smoke and litter.

I'd prefer not to have to ride behind you smoking, and look at the road covered with your cigarette butts. But then I'd prefer not to walk behind someone smoking, and look at the sidewalk covered with their cigarette butts either. Or ever be near cigarette smoke or cigarette butts.

Clearly, I think smoking is dumb. But, you can certainly do as you wish. But when your habit seriously affects me? No. I don't like that.
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Old 10-08-09 | 07:58 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr_Fred
I'm sure these guys can stay ahead of you.....

Actually, maybe not. They're probably 80 years old now.
Or dead of lung cancer.
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Originally Posted by Bjforrestal
I don't care if you are on a unicycle, as long as you're not using a motor to get places you get props from me. We're here to support each other. Share ideas, and motivate one another to actually keep doing it.
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Old 10-08-09 | 08:25 AM
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Originally Posted by Mr IGH
On a sunny day, riding to play frisbee golf, I like cruising on my IGH with a big cigar. Didn't know it could anger folks, my 2nd hand smoke smells better than a diesel's
That's very subjective and quite debatable... I, for one, would probably rather smell diesel exhaust.

Originally Posted by Artkansas


Or dead of lung cancer.
I love that picture, though. Makes me laugh to imagine Armstrong, Popovych, and Kloden just riding along near the front of the peloton lighting up... (PhotoShop/GIMP project???)

Originally Posted by CCrew
I picture the guy I see doing it all the tme near my house. Looks like a meth tweaker, rides with a cig hanging out of his mouth, a cawboy hat and cowboy boots.

I'm doing really well on trying to quit, but even smoking I couldn't do it when riding.
I quit this past winter myself after about ten years smoking. I didn't cycle regularly or very seriously when I smoked, but when I did ride, I didn't/couldn't combine the two.

I do see a guy almost every day lately on my commute home in the afternoon who stops at any one of a handful of different spots along the MUP and sits there with his bike, in jeans and a white tee-shirt, puffing away, enjoying the day. Good for him, I guess. He looks like he's been smoking a long time; it shows. But at least he's riding, I guess.
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