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Genius Laowai Cyclist Invents Mobile Air Purifier for Commuting in Chengdu
Some of us ride with masks when the pollution is bad but this is next level. Anyone know who this is?
but this is next level.
“According to industry experts” it’s not, apparently.. but it’s funny to see anyways. I love how battery+purifier=genius in the article 😀
Saw this story and just thought it was a rehash of a story in Beijing. There was a guy a couple years ago there who built a sealed filtration unit to be used with a modified old fighter jet helmet.
I don’t think I’d bother to lug around a deep cell battery, converter and the filtration system, however. My Respro seems to work well enough.
How much damage to the health does breathing unfiltered air when biking or running do? Is it worth the discomfort of wearing a mask that actually makes breathing more laborious?
Not asking about the guy in the picture, but I bought a mask recently that isn’t comfortable and makes drawing breath kinda hard, can’t decide if it’s worth wearing.
How much damage to the health does breathing unfiltered air when biking or running do?
It’s hard to say as there’s no reliable studies of the health implications of air quality in larger Chinese cities. Some compare it to smoking, but I can’t imagine the damage to your lungs is quite the same.
Personally, I don’t much like wearing a mask. I think any active individual that uses one finds it in some way annoying or at least frustrating. It’s no fun being required to strap something to your face as a preventative health measure in trying to do something you enjoy like running or biking.
I’ve got sensitive lungs and when air quality is bad I get chest congestion and discomfort. I wake up with phlegm in my chest and during bad air stretches I have a perpetual cough. The goop I cough up also takes on a lovely, unnatural greyish tint.
But the benefits of a mask are there and outweigh the annoyance. A mask designed to be used in activity makes a huge help too. A lot of masks feel like you’ve stuck a shoe on your face. Respro on the other hand has a large filter area and a neoprene shell that wicks sweat and keeps the filter in the right place. Exhaling’s a breeze (pun intended) because of a pair of one-way valves. The best part is I can go for a long ride even if the air’s absolute shit and have no issues.
It’s like brushing my teeth really. It’s a nuisance to remember to do it twice a day, but the overarching idea of having teeth when I’m older is worth it. Figure I ought to take care of my lungs too.
You get used to the mask pretty quickly. I wear my Respro pretty much every time i ride, even on “clean” air days. I rip thru two or three of these things each year (usually lose one, or they wear out).
RE: this cat with the backpack purifier: good for him. The science may be debatable, but good on anyone who at least tries to improve their situation. Much easier just to dismiss it and wallow in apathy or inaction.
You get used to the mask pretty quickly. I wear my Respro pretty much every time i ride, even on “clean” air days. I rip thru two or three of these things each year (usually lose one, or they wear out).
That’s true. When I first got a Respro, I hated it. I got one for my girlfriend and she hated it at first also. It takes a few weeks to get used to it, but when you do, it’s great. I don’t mind wearing it at all now. I’ve had mine for almost two years now, still working great. I change the filter about 3 times a year.
RE: this cat with the backpack purifier: good for him. The science may be debatable, but good on anyone who at least tries to improve their situation. Much easier just to dismiss it and wallow in apathy or inaction.
That’s true. This guy did something that is noteworthy across the country. Good on him.
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