# Did you smoke and stop and notice any difference cycling.



## ray316 (9 Dec 2015)

l've been cycling for around 7 years now and average 15 to 20 miles 3 to 4 days a week.
I have smoked since I was 15 and l'm 57 now and trying to pack up so I've got one of those e-cigs, been on it for a week now and up to now a cigarette hasn't bothered me.. 
Hope I can kick this bad habit as we all know it's not good for your health..
Anyway what l would like to ask is ....Did anyone smoke when they took up cycling and now pack in smoking, if there is anyone who has, can you tell me was there a improvement in you cycling performance and fitness.
Myself l was never short of breath , and l could do 16mph no problem so l'm hoping I can improve my cycling mph in the coming months...


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## ufkacbln (9 Dec 2015)

Don't know

I was a smoker

Then I had a slight cycle accident with a fractured skull, clavicle, ribs, pelvis and femur

I was bed bound for a couple of weeks and not allowed to smoke

As soon as I was able I nipped out for a cigarette, and disliked it... I had a choice to either reacquire the taste or give up

Chose the latter

However the injuries were a greater influence on my cycling than giving up the evil weed

Trouble though is that some 30 years later I am now suffering from the arthritis and problems caused to the hip


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## Fisheh (9 Dec 2015)

Not exactly what you asked for but wanted to offer support for your effort.
I stopped smoking and started running so I should imagine the same thing will be noticed.
Packed in all most ten years ago , smoked from 12 and was on about 50-60 roll ups a day if the doctors smoking meter was to be believed. I had no doubt it was probably correct.
My first real problem after stopping was a bad chest infection which lasted about a month, it was horrible and does happen when you stop taking in all those toxins in some cases .
Once over that I could hardly believe the difference in how I felt, more energy , my taste and smell changed and I decided to start running to help loose some weight .
It felt like a massive improvement each month but I was coming from totally unfit , after six to eight months I ran a 10k race .
From that point on smoking was a distant memory and a very bad one.
I feel sure that you will notice a big difference packing in the weed and I wish you luck in kicking the nicotine habit, you won't realise the full effect of not smoking until you do though , once the nicotine has gone you feel so calm and rested . Smoking is one stressful thing and you don't realise until you kick it.
Anyway GO FOR IT!! it will do you the world of good .....


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## sutts (9 Dec 2015)

I didn't pack up smoking after starting cycling, so can't answer your question. I started cycling 2.5 years ago, but gave up smoking 15 years ago. I was on 50+ a day, I was pale, drawn, unfit and would probably be dead now, if I had continued. I think I confused 'pleasure' with the 'release of a craving' and they aren't exactly the same thing! Smoking wasn't pleasurable at all, it was just the constant relief from the pain of the craving, that's all it was. I broke the chain, my proudest ever achievement really... but each to their own, I couldn't care less what others do.

It has affected me though. I don't have the lung power to keep up with other cyclists, it's just not there at the top end, well not for long, but my skin is pink and the pleasures in life are at least real pleasures...even if they are sitting on a bike for hours on end!


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## themosquitoking (9 Dec 2015)

ray316 said:


> l've been cycling for around 7 years now and average 15 to 20 miles 3 to 4 days a week.
> I have smoked since I was 15 and l'm 57 now and trying to pack up so I've got one of those e-cigs, been on it for a week now and up to now a cigarette hasn't bothered me..
> Hope I can kick this bad habit as we all know it's not good for your health..
> Anyway what l would like to ask is ....Did anyone smoke when they took up cycling and now pack in smoking, if there is anyone who has, can you tell me was there a improvement in you cycling performance and fitness.
> Myself l was never short of breath , and l could do 16mph no problem so l'm hoping I can improve my cycling mph in the coming months...


I gave up smoking earlier this year and the breathing does get easier, but then the more you cycle the better you get anyway. Also hard to compare how you would be feeling on a particular day if you hadn't stopped to start with. I smoked before i got back into the cycling though.


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## ray316 (9 Dec 2015)

Thanks for all the positive and helpful replys...
Like l say at the moment it's not bothering me but l'm just waiting to see if or when it does no how l respond to it..
Pity it's not summer as l could stay on the bike all day and forget about it..
Any tips off past smokers might help me .. Thanks


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## puffinbilly (9 Dec 2015)

I give up smoking about 5 years ago - before I started cycling again but the ability to climb hills is much improved - I have always been a keen climber and fell walker so was never slow but the recovery now on a bike is so much different.

The best tip on giving up that I received was to buy the audio book by Allen Carr - Easy Way to Stop Smoking - it really worked for me. You just listen to it while you're doing something else - walking, cycling, etc and keep smoking and then at the end just pack it in - worked for me and was certainly worth paying a few quid for.


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## spiderman2 (9 Dec 2015)

+1 for Allen Carr - Easy Way to Stop Smoking.
Ive stopped now for 15 years


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## earlestownflya (9 Dec 2015)

smoking is a no no when it comes any form of exercise ,im a smoker..i feel the difference if i lay off them for a day.


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## RichardB (9 Dec 2015)

Anther +1 for Allen Carr. I bought the book and read about a quarter of it, and then stopped smoking. I don't think you need to read the whole thing, as it's just one simple idea, and once you've got it, you've got it. Stopped immediately, and that was almost 9 years ago. Best thing I ever did.


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## Gravity Aided (10 Dec 2015)

Like @Cunobelin , I was bedridden for two weeks with the influenza, lost my taste for cigarettes, and they taxed cigarettes heavily just about that time (1981), so I quit.


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## Gravity Aided (10 Dec 2015)

I was just a utility cyclist at the time, have no idea whether this affected my performance or not. No computer on the Raleigh DL-1.


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## OskarTennisChampion (10 Dec 2015)

Cycling for 23 years,and have smoked for 20 of those strangely enough.
I smoke between 15/20 a day,and I have had no ill effects.Not a boast,just have not lost any abilities that I have had since '92.I actually do more trail mileage than ever,10+ more miles a week.
Guy I ride with can't believe it,and thinks I must have good physiology.
Not trying to encourage you back to them incidentally.


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## ray316 (10 Dec 2015)

OskarTennisChampion said:


> Cycling for 23 years,and have smoked for 20 of those strangely enough.
> I smoke between 15/20 a day,and I have had no ill effects.Not a boast,just have not lost any abilities that I have had since '92.I actually do more trail mileage than ever,10+ more miles a week.
> Guy I ride with can't believe it,and thinks I must have good physiology.
> Not trying to encourage you back to them incidentally.


You could be describing me there, though l only smoked around 10 lights a day, but l want to pack up as we all know it's no good for your health and even though I felt alright now smoking and no affects while excise/cycling it could catch up with me in later years...


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## tyred (10 Dec 2015)

I used to think the same. No obvious ill effects from smoking, never sick,able to maintain a decent amount of physical activity without problems etc. 

But now that I've stopped there is simply no comparison. I feel so much better in so many unexpected ways.


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## wam68 (10 Dec 2015)

There's been a hell of a difference in both stamina and speed when I gave up smoking. Not immediately I'll admit, but gradually I noticed I was climbing hills that previously I had been out of breath on and my distances over the same times were increasing. There are so many benefits to giving up and little to lose. Good luck with the giving up and keep us posted on how it's going.

Take a read at Alan Carr's books. They really worked for me anyhous


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## OskarTennisChampion (10 Dec 2015)

ray316 said:


> You could be describing me there, though l only smoked around 10 lights a day, but l want to pack up as we all know it's no good for your health and even though I felt alright now smoking and no affects while excise/cycling it could catch up with me in later years...



I hear you man.
Probably tempting fate and should really stop.
If not for other healthy reasons and finances


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## mrbikerboy73 (10 Dec 2015)

I stopped smoking about 2 years before I got back on a bike and I found it difficult to start with. 20 years of smoking had taken its toll for sure. But it does get easier and it's worth the hard work. Life without cigarettes is better without a doubt. 
+1 for Allen Carr's Easy Way.


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## SavageHoutkop (10 Dec 2015)

I have had one uncle die from smoking-caused lung cancer and another (other side, by marriage) is now in need of a transplant, he's damaged his lungs beyond repair by smoking, has emphysema and all sorts. So if you can kick the habit before it does get to you.


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## booze and cake (10 Dec 2015)

I was a heavy smoker for over 20 years and got into MTB'ing about 15 years ago. I used to reward myself with a smoke at the top of big climbs, such a pro.......sometimes even a spliff before bombing down a downhill run, much to the amusement of my mates.

I gave up 7 years ago now, and whilst quitting won't turn you into Chris Froome, after a few months of being smoke free I really noticed my climbing ability improved. I think my peak power and endurance has also improved as a result, but no real surprises there. I'm a bit old for this falling off lark now, in my 40's so its less bouncing and more breaking when falling off these days, and so in 2008 I got into road biking. I've done 100 and 200 mile rides since quitting so really upped my cycling since, lungs and legs are not a limiting factor anymore.

I've lived in London for the last 20 years and do a lot of urban cycling so despite feeling lots better (I can still blow one of those portable smoking peak flow meters off the chart) I don't think my lungs will be in that great a shape overall. I remember going to see that Bodyworks exhibition by the crazy German dude in Brick Lane years ago, and was alarmed to note that a non-smoker living in London's lungs looked as bad as smoker living in the countryside, so I'm under no illusions that I'm now some fully cleansed uber fit athlete.

Ex-smokers are often seen as holier than thou preachy types (and I worked in smoking cessation for a few years after quitting so I have that t-shirt) Its not that we are smug so and so's like the never smoked, its that quitting is such a big deal and we are genuinely really proud to have done it, especially after thinking I'd never be able to do it. I still remember the exact date of my last ciggie and see it as a real turning point in my life, yet I still forget family members birthdays but I'm blaming this on my brain being oxygen starved for those years I smoked.

So good luck on quitting for good, thats the main thing, I'd say in addition to the above that there are obvious costs savings and you will become devilishly more handsome, but that last point may be over egging it. It can still add years to your life and more time for cycling can't be a bad thing.


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## Cuchilo (10 Dec 2015)

ray316 said:


> l've been cycling for around 7 years now and average 15 to 20 miles 3 to 4 days a week.
> I have smoked since I was 15 and l'm 57 now and trying to pack up so I've got one of those e-cigs, been on it for a week now and up to now a cigarette hasn't bothered me..
> Hope I can kick this bad habit as we all know it's not good for your health..
> Anyway what l would like to ask is ....Did anyone smoke when they took up cycling and now pack in smoking, if there is anyone who has, can you tell me was there a improvement in you cycling performance and fitness.
> Myself l was never short of breath , and l could do 16mph no problem so l'm hoping I can improve my cycling mph in the coming months...


I was cycling for a few years before i packed up smoking . Pretty much the same as you but i stopped at 41 . I'm just over a year off them and training for my second season of TT . I'm faster , fitter and feel better than i have in years . Stick with it mate


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## ray316 (11 Dec 2015)

So nice to hear all your encouragements , will keep you updated in months to come...
I've heard the first few weeks are the hardest so we will see..
Got to stay strong on this challenge


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## glenn forger (11 Dec 2015)

ray316 said:


> I've heard the first few weeks are the hardest so we will see..



Yes, and after that I understand the pangs are psychological rather than physical. I've tried loads of things and they don't seem to work. I even tried that Chinese thing with needles.


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## Cuchilo (11 Dec 2015)

glenn forger said:


> Yes, and after that I understand the pangs are psychological rather than physical. I've tried loads of things and they don't seem to work. I even tried that Chinese thing with needles.


Sonic the hedgehog ?

Although i am still vaping i think the amount of times i fancied a smoke has been four or five times and straight away i tell myself no way . My time trialing would seriously suffer if i started again and that would make all the kit and a years worth of work useless . The more i train for next year is even more reason to not smoke so maybe finding something better to do instead of smoking is a good idea ?


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## glenn forger (11 Dec 2015)

No, heroin.


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## OskarTennisChampion (11 Dec 2015)

glenn forger said:


> No, heroin.



So that's why you ride a bike.
To Chase The Dragon 


I'll get my coat


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## howard2107 (11 Dec 2015)

Stopped 2 years ago after almost 40 years, and never looked back, i used the e-cig. Never had another urge since to touch a fag. I never really ailed for much as i did keep active, but i now find that its almost impossible to get out of breath, and i feel a lot better in general, i have lost the cough and the awful stench that must have followed me around, like i can now smell on other smokers. I do get the nibbles, but i like raw carrots.


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## howard2107 (11 Dec 2015)

ray316 said:


> Thanks for all the positive and helpful replys...
> Like l say at the moment it's not bothering me but l'm just waiting to see if or when it does no how l respond to it..
> Pity it's not summer as l could stay on the bike all day and forget about it..
> Any tips off past smokers might help me .. Thanks



Try an ecig it keeps your hands busy and has the nicotine, but don't try all the different flavours until you find one you really like, or you will use it all the more. I Loved Popcorn flavour, it was so good i was doing a bottle a day, so i changed to cherry menthol, it was ok in small doses and i was getting through about a bottle a week. you can then work down through the different nicotine levels, to be honest i get fed up of charging it, so i only tend to use if I'm stuck in traffic or at the pub, and i quite often forget to take the thing with me anyway.


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## booze and cake (11 Dec 2015)

Did LOL at Sonic the Hedgehog, haha.

I must admit I'm still a bit wary of e-cigs to be honest. Lots of them are owned by the big tobacco companies and having worked in tobacco control and seen the extent these companies go to preserve their profits regardless of the consequences, that does'nt sit well with me. But I don't doubt they are not as bad as smoking so if it works for you then go ahead, thats the lesser of two evils. My main problem with them is they are not designed to get you to quit nicotine, its just a substitute. I'd like to think people get bored of them and give them up too but I'm not so sure, and fear you're as much a slave to them as you are a ciggies.

I went cold turkey which was probably harder than it could have been. The first 6 weeks I found the worst, after 3 months I felt I may be able to actually do it forever, but in truth it was a year before I was totally sure I'd kicked it and would never go back. It had such a hold on my subconscious that I was still smoking in my dreams for about 6 months after quitting.

In terms of tips for those quitting, its such a habit forming thing (DOH! state the obvious) and you get into the routine. There are ones that you really miss, the 1st one of the day and the one after evening meals were very tempting times, but the hardest for me was when out drinking in pubs (you could still smoke in pubs when I quit). In fact I remember on my 2nd day of quitting I was visited by an old school friend who I'd not seen for ages, he was a smoker and we went out and got proper s**tfaced together. It was bloody hard but I managed to resist the temptation all night and I insisted he chuffed away like normal. That stayed with me throughout the hard times, I always thought back to that night and told myself if I could abstain then, at my weakest, I could do it long term. Its important not to say 'I'll just have one or two', this is letting yourself of the hook, cigarettes hunt in packs, where there's 1 you'll find more.

During the early stages it was all about distraction for me, anything to break my smoking routine, sit ups, press ups, crosswords, computer games, whatever floats your boat, just keep busy, it does get easier I promise. And cleaning, blimey my flat was never as clean as it was in those early months and has'nt been as clean since . In fact as you note exercise in general is good as when you're out of breath you tend not to fancy a ciggie, oh the irony.

Other things that may help are if you used to have a ciggie with your morning cup of tea for example, change this routine slightly, initially try changing to grapefruit juice or something (makes cigs taste horrible) walk round the garden, just find something else to fill that 5 minutes, sometimes just the change of routine makes the cravings less.

Every time you get a craving remind yourself why you're doing it. Some people like to keep a picture of loved ones to hand, children/partners etc. Quitting will absolutely give you more time with them, want to throw that away? If you cave in you won't be able to afford that bike/holiday/other thing that you want and deserve, etc etc

Also I used to occasionally viist the COPD ward in hospital where I worked. You probably won't be allowed to wander in there to have a look, but I can assure you most of them in there were because of smoking and just seeing them and their struggles was enough to scare the bejesus out of anybody. The nurses there used to say if you wanted to know what it was like, you know the lids of a Bic pen, the ones that now have a hole in the top (they didnt in olden days) close your mouth around the larger end of that and put a peg on your nose, then try running up some stairs or doing some mild exercise and ensure you do all your breathing through the pen lid, you'd be amazed how even gentle activities get you gasping for breath quickly, and being out of breath can cause real panic, now imagine being like that all the time, its terrifying.

I got a bit carried away there, I've just read that back, sorry if it sounds a bit cheesy and overdramatic, I'm just passionate about this area thats all. Without doubt the best type of smoker is an ex-smoker. If only they'd stop banging on about hey? It reminds me of the joke how can you tell if someone has a new iphone/is a vegan?.....Oh don't worry they'll tell you


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## RichardB (11 Dec 2015)

I think you're right about the habit thing. You associate cigarettes with certain activities, and you need to break the link. I successfully stopped by using the nicotine gum, because it would take care of the nicotine cravings while you got used to not buying cigarettes, not having them around the house, not patting your pockets every time you went out, and also decoupling the nicotine hit from the lighting, drawing, inhaling, blowing out routine. Once you have got out of the physical habits, you can deal with the actual addiction to nicotine which, as others have said and Allen Carr states, is much more psychological than physiological.


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## clid61 (12 Dec 2015)

Stopped smoking aged 37 , 17 years ago.Feel miles better but drink far more now , compensation me thinks , lungs or liver ?


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## Nigelnaturist (18 Dec 2015)

Remind me to let you know next summer, last roll-up Sat night, I haven't ridden much this year, but I took up cycling whilst smoking, my lung capacity improved greatly, better than many non-smokers in the house, I have quite before, some 25 years ago for 5 years or so, but wasn't riding.
I catch myself sometimes going to want to make a roll-up then I check myself, I can't say I have noticed any pangs and I should be passed the worst of any cravings.
I had a dependency on drink not so very long ago well 5 years, or so, quitting that was hard, in fact pretty brutal to be honest (the first 2-3 days being far worse than anything I have experienced from smoking) so much so it was easier to stay kettled, but I beat that (so far).
I haven't done much cycling these last six months so we will see what the new year brings.


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## 123456789 (18 Dec 2015)

I can't really answer that question in the true sense of the word as I quit smoking about 12-18 months prior to starting cycling. In fact the reason I started cycling was to lose some of the weight I had gained after stopping.
I did have a smoking relapse for about a month or two and the damage it did to my cycling was quite frankly astounding. I still distinctly remember one particular hill that coincidentally I rode just before my relapse and then again about a month or two after my relapse and I wheezed and struggled up it like a beginner again. The rest of the ride did not go too well either

That was my epiphany moment and I have not craved a cigarette since (approx 5 years now)

You may not notice the change as fitness improves gradually but trust it you riding will be very different


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## Absinthe Minded (9 Feb 2016)

I stopped two years ago and I don't feel any different apart from the fact that I am delighted that I don't smoke anymore.

Another victory for Allen Carr's book.


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## Nomadski (16 Feb 2016)

I started cycling when I was an unfit smoker who hadn't done regular exercise in, well, ever. 

I gave up pretty soon after starting more because I felt like a right tit lighting up around sportsy type folks while dressed in full MAMIL gear. 

Have no context to whether not smoking helps me to plod thru the miles any easier, just doing exercise is a benefit in of itself. 

Having said that, 3 years and counting, I won't go back to the sticks of doom.


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## Stevec047 (20 Feb 2016)

I gave up smoking rolies Feb last year and switched to vaping.

Yes I know it's still damaging but the difference it has made is amazing. Before I would get out of breath just walking up some stairs at work now I can happily scoot up them no issues.

My biggest thing holding me back is my overall weight and lack of fitness but over the past few months minus the fags eating better and the cycling my jeans are looser shirts fit better and I have so much more energy. Long way to go but it's enjoyable and worth it.


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## Tanis8472 (7 Mar 2016)

How's the no smoking going?

I am so close myself. I want to stop and will. Hopefully the missus will help by not smoking in the house anymore!
I did stop for several years and noticed a huge difference when at Cadwell Park Circuit after starting again.
I could walk around and up the hilly slopes with ease before starting again when walking up the hills puffed me out


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## bozmandb9 (7 Mar 2016)

When I used to smoke, I always noticed it was a bugger to light the ciggie when cycling! Either you need a Zippo, or ride no handed and do that trick with the match box where you use the end to shelter the lit match! When I stopped I found it easy to light the cigarette!

But seriously, didn't smoke recently enough to notice, however I got a spirometry test recently, and my lung function was at 113% of what it should be for my age. Apparently it could be a lot better if I'd never smoked.


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## Fab Foodie (7 Mar 2016)

I was a heavy smoker (roll-ups) and cyclist, I gave up cycling years ago and feel much better for it.


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