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I'm using my bicycle to ride from home to work and back. Now I face a problem that the air is not so clean: dust, car exhaust etc.

So I'm thinking of buying a respirator (i.e., an anti-pollution mask) to filter the air I breathe.

But before I buy it I need advice on what should I consider when first choosing one? And are there any "special" ones for cyclists?

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To say thanks on Stack Exchange, the best mechanisms are voting up answers which you think are right, and accepting the one that most helps you out - by clicking on the check mark next to that answer. – Rory Alsop May 4 '12 at 21:28
@RoryAlsop, thanx, but i'm not new here =) actualy i've upvoted both answers and now thinking which one shoud i accept – k102 May 5 '12 at 4:56
Sorry, dude - no condescension intended :-) – Rory Alsop May 5 '12 at 11:42
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I'd consider wearing my full-face sealed respirator on a ride just to freak my neighbors out. :-) I'd probably run into airflow issues pretty quickly, though... – lawndartcatcher Jul 10 '12 at 12:29
@lawndartcatcher you will =) tried respro, but suffered from it. now using a shawl with medical mask attached under it – k102 Jul 10 '12 at 13:48

2 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted

You have a few options. One that has been marketed to cyclists has been the totobo mask which is from what I gather a re-usable N95 mask (although uncertified by any agency) with replaceable filter peices. It's cheap to try, at only $25 or so.

The Respro is another option. It seems like a bit more customizable, and looks like the neoprene would compress the mask against your face a bit better than the totobo, but it's probably really hot in the summer. These run about $60-$75 for a mask.

Here's a forum link which has a bit of a personal comparison from a few cyclists who use these masks in bangalore. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!msg/bangalore-bikers/w2vgTWlsOH4/3KSlS0jOj0kJ

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Personally, I'd give the totobo a shot, it's a N95 mask which means it filters out about 95% of airborne particles and it's pretty cheap to evaluate. If it doesn't work out well, then I'd probably check out the respro. – Benzo May 3 '12 at 12:59
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I've used the respro fairly extensively. They don't interfere with my breathing too much in normal riding, but I find I go anaerobic at a lower power level and so my peak power is reduced and I can't sustain it for as long. But that's exactly that I'd expect. The main noticeable downside is the wee pause between when I start exhaling and when the valves click open. It's like losing the first wee bit of each exhalation. Which leads to why i don't use it all the time - under the mask my skin is hot and wet, so it gets irritated and raw. But they do help with pollution. – Kohi May 3 '12 at 23:11
@Kohi thanx for sharing your experience. i now decided to buy a respro – k102 May 5 '12 at 4:58
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Another comparison between respro and totobo masks: londoncyclist.co.uk/cycling-masks-and-the-shocking-results – Benzo Jul 9 '12 at 16:45
I expect the difference is that the Respro works with gasses too (e.g. sulphur dioxide etc.), whereas the other is only for particulates: and that whether you need protection from gasses too depends on where you are. – ChrisW Jul 9 '12 at 17:31
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up vote 3 down vote

The only ones I know of are made by Respro, like this, but I'm sure other brands are available.

Summary: yes, cycling-specific ones do exist.

Searching turns up some discussion, blogs, forums and user reviews in online cycling shops. However, this is all anecdotal, and it isn't clear:

  1. how useful they are
    • this will depend quite particularly on your local style of air pollution; if you can find particulate emission information for your area, you might be able to figure out which mask will do the best job there
  2. how badly they restrict airflow or cause overheating and moisture buildup
    • this will depend on things like your exertion level and local heat/humidity, so you may just need to try it and see
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thanks for the link. i just wanted to know hom much it is harder to breathe with this thing – k102 May 3 '12 at 12:51
No idea I'm afraid: some googling turned up this which is mostly about the totobobo mask Benzo mentions, and some online shops with customer reviews like this – Useless May 3 '12 at 12:58

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