Smoking and cycling...

What the hell is laser therapy? (oh, I see someone asked the exact same question up there, ignore me :)

I quit this year, definitely good for general health and fitness though it hasn't made me cycle or run any faster than i used to! That's mostly because I had more incentive to finish while I was smoking... The only thing that kept me going to the end of my first 1/2 marathon was the knowledge I had a pack of Marlboro Lights waiting for me :)

Gave up 15-16months ago after 20+ years of smoking. Fitter & in better shape now than ever. Giving up is fucking hard! I just stopped. You have to really want to stop - I really enjoyed smoking, so it needed a switch in my way of thinking for me to stop. Not wanting to die in front of my kids finally sorted it for me.
My personal method of rewarding myself with class a's for staying off the fags is probably not to be recommended to everyone.

Smoked since I was 14, gave up in October last year. Patches and books are for fanny's, it's all about will power. You have to prepare yourself mentally for a few weeks, set yourself a stop date and stick to that date. Helps if you actually *really *want to stop too rather than just 'giving it a try'
Haven't had one since, not even a spliff
Once you get past a month then it's completely down to you, first month is tough, especially when having a pint
After that month though you'll feel completely different and better for it. Can even do the Mrs for longer now too! ;-)

From a 20 a day to a social smoker....patches helps...

gave up for about 2 months then got very drunk and it all kicked back off, but with in that 2 months like playswellwithotters the mental checklist was being ticked off, as as for cycling stamina im sure it improved, lungs not wanting burst if i went flat out for oooh over 10 seconds, now im back on them...feeeling the impending doom with each one. But never give up giving up...

Smoked since the ripe old age of 13 cos i was hard! had 3 month break in '96 when i did London to Paris started again on the third day after a frenchman offered me a Gauloise (lethal) when i was knackered and low on will power!

Am now in week three of cold turkey ! you need a reason to stop ...mine ???

3k dental work ( football accident) will fail if i carry on!

I could smoke 3 right now.

Am now in week three of cold turkey !
3k dental work ( football accident) will fail if i carry on!

I could smoke 3 right now.

Hang in there brother.

they carry their lungs on their handlebars, cheeky.

10 cigs = £3 (they were when I quit 6 months ago)
£3x7=£21
£21x4 = £84
£84 = some odd piece of bling for my bike.
Bollocks to health issues. I would not have my nice shiny things if I still smoked.

I could do with a cig right now, but finances are still reeling from new cog, pedals and shoes. I think I might buy a Nitto seat post next month.

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That photo's great.

I've cut right down as my cycling has improved. But I always carry a 12g of GV and some Rizzla in my saddlebag (to sometimes smoke at the top of hard-climbs, preferably with a cold Stella).

This helped me go from 10 a day to 10 a month.

Shit man, I probably smoke more than 10 a month and i don't even consider myself a smoker!

That photo's great.

I've cut right down as my cycling has improved. But I always carry a 12g of GV and some Rizzla in my saddlebag (to sometimes smoke at the top of hard-climbs, preferably with a cold Stella).

This helped me go from 10 a day to 10 a month.

that's fabulous

I stopped due to the trauma of finding out that a gang had sent my smoking buddy from the Bahamas to the big blue yonder. We used to go down from Melbourne Florida to the Florida Keys twice a year to stock up on special blend "supplies", but one year when I came back from vacation, I found out that I would be smoking on my own. I stopped.

What people DON'T tell you though, is that you can still have cravings even 20 years after stopping.

I gave up 6 months ago and before that gave up a few times. Your fitness levels will improve greatly, absolutely no doubt about it! You'll have energy in the morning, your hangovers will be less tough. Food and drink will taste beautiful so you'll eat more but that's ok cos you'll be cycling loads.

The cravings can be a bit tough but I actually enjoyed feeling the "poison" leaving my body but check what your body will have to go through so you can prepare yourself.

You need to feel shit before you feel better but it's well worth it!

Good luck!

All true,

but you can't beat a nice ciggy eh?

i been smoking about 10 a day for a few years, started cutting back recently to try and guage the benefit, but have just ended up with a fuckin horrible cough, like bringing lovely phlem up..... almost makes me want to go back to smoking the normal amout just to chase away the cough!!

You would think the sight of the black evil sticky lung butter that I hocked up after quitting would have been enough to stop me for good, but NO! "I've quit now, i'm not addicted, its ok to have one with a beer" i said, "I will just buy a pack for tonight" I said, "Might as well just finish those last two off with the morning coffee' I said...

I fucking love smoking & cycling.

Need to do more of it - will have to sort out the logistics a bit though.

I'm thinking a usable setup would be:

• a classic zoom-tube style 1-2 litre PET drink bottle/hosepipe basic bong, housed in seat tube bottle cage for minimal spillage/ease of removal during downhill sections; with a prefilled sealed socket set bong mix cache (secured to cock pit or top tube by plasticky contrivance).

• An OXYfit down tube bottle cage fitting (with inhaler cap), would be a mast for uphill sections - would yield 2 litres of oxygen in a can (for new energy and an increase in vitality).

Goggles fail.

Tho bonus points for the drops-attacky-ninja-guy in the middle.

In other news, I've tried to start smoking several times, but just never had the willpower to stick it out. True story.

Fantastic. I honestly thought "oh, that photo again" until I scrolled down. Serious attention to detail.

Any story behind it?

I smoke like a demon, and have done for years. I'm a recovering Marlboro Reds man. Smoked them puppies for 15 years or so. On the roll-ups now. Never once tried to quit either. I suspect my fitness would improve if I did, but my fitness is improving anyway, despite the smoking. I occasionally smoke and ride, in a debonair fashion. Don't deny life's pleasures now.

Not really much of a smoker, but I love it when I cycle. Sometimes stop off at the Canal/Thames and chill with a smoke, relax.