Masks when riding

[ChrisF]

ChrisF , a little perspective from up country .

Baragwanath hospital  , as of this past Saturday was treating 2 Covid19 cases .... The biggest hospital in SA ..... Killing mosquito's with cannon's ......

 

And ONE small private hospital 5km from my house have already got more than two covid positive STAFF members, many more being tested now.  They have been having a steady stream of covid patients on ventilators as well.

 

Then again, the Western Cape is doing some 30% of all the covid tests in the country ... so maybe our "perspective" is different to yours.

 

 

 

Not that long ago Trump laughed at this "virus" .... it sure spread fast enough in USA !!

 

 

Somehow we have been fortunate up to now.  Let's do what we can to stay safe.  IF this thing starts spreading fast, then there is no turning back .....

 

 

 

For clarity - I am not asking for an economic melt down.  YES, our economy needs to get going again.  BUT somehow we CAN do this with masks and social distancing ....

 

 

EDIT - the government has also acknowledged that different provinces are affected differently .... and that these may be on different lock-down Levels going forward.

Edited May 4, 2020 by ChrisF

[Dirt Tracker]

For me it's simple. Wear a mask or something decent when riding or jogging or don't do the exercise. 

 

It's not a case of 'you're allowed to go do exercise and think about the mask part cos it might be a bit uncomfortable princess and you know, we're all training for that non existent race that isn't going to happen for the next 12 months so do what makes your life great and don't worry about the others.' It's 'you're allowed to exercise if you abide to the simple rules, wear a mask and don't ride in groups blah, blah.' Now I know there will be a ton of people with great reasons why they should be able not to wear a mask and all kinds of justifications but just toe the line a bit for the next few months. It's about all of us, together and there are enough idiots taking chances already with things so lets not add to that. 

 

I took a ride with the mask, didn't like it so now I'm just glad to be out walking dogs and keeping a mask on. If cycling or jogging is the be all and end all then you'll deal with it and just be happy to be on the road, trail again. If it's too much then just do something else for a bit. 

Having last a very good friend in the UK who works worked in the NHS to this virus I know all too well those stats have families and leave holes in peoples lives so there isn't an exercise in the world that is more important than stopping that from happening here. 

[Veebee]

Loads of people complaining about using a buff... what do you guys do in the peak of winter, probably stay indoors and not ride cos you not that serious about cycling.

['Dale]

Be like Sagz Baby

 

[Jewbacca]

Loads of people complaining about using a buff... what do you guys do in the peak of winter, probably stay indoors and not ride cos you not that serious about cycling.

Look hey.... I generally don't feel the cold, so in deepest darkest winter I have been known to wear regular cycle clothes but just with some no finger neoprene gloves....

 

I am not used to having anything covering my face at all. I abhor long sleeves and can't stand not feeling the wind on my face and fore arms.

 

I prefer to have pointy nips and icy ears than cover up! With that said, I made some masks out of Tech fabric that breathe well and have a light framework in them to keep them away from my mouth.

 

It makes it tolerable.... Being out there makes up for any discomfort though 

Edited May 4, 2020 by Jewbacca

[Grease_Monkey]

Look hey.... I generally don't feel the cold, so in deepest darkest winter I have been known to wear regular cycle clothes but just with some no finger neoprene gloves....

 

I am not used to having anything covering my face at all. I abhor long sleeves and can't stand not feeling the wind on my face and fore arms.

 

I prefer to have pointy nips and icy ears than cover up! With that said, I made some masks out of Tech fabric that breathe well and have a light framework in them to keep them away from my mouth.

 

It makes it tolerable.... Being out there makes up for any discomfort though 

 

 

Same here.... my winter and summer cycling kit is exactly the same - bib, baggy, and thin moisture wicking t-shirt, gloves, and a buff under the helmet to keep sweat out of my eyes. I don't ever wear long sleeves even in the middle of winter on a rainy day. The once or twice I have worn a jersey of sorts I have taken it off in the first 5mins of riding. I rather suffer in the cold for 5mins till I heat up than carry around a bunch of extra clothing.

 

I tried the buff, felt like I was being waterboarded and suffocated, tried a few different masks and they were even worse. Everything I have tried is drenched in sweat within minutes. That said, I am sticking to the rules (mostly). I wear a buff around my neck, have it pulled up on public roads, and then just around my neck as soon as I am on dirt - I just pull it up again when I see someone approaching or am about to pass someone. Luckily 95% of my loop is on dirt and out of view of any cars and the general public. Quite honestly I don't see how anyone can breathe through a buff or mask.

 

I have given up on any form of eyewear with a buff/mask - fogs up like crazy. Not the end of the world though, I don't mind riding without glasses.

 

I have ordered some fancy Ciovita masks, from all accounts they are quite comfy to exercise in. I hope that's the case...

Edited May 4, 2020 by Grease_Monkey

[Veebee]

you guys are hard core...

 

During my time in JHB, winter mornings would get to around 4-5deg and a few times around the cradle I got to -4 on some parts of the ride. Not a chance in hell I would ride without a buff. Guess we need some cement pills.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

you guys are hard core...

 

During my time in JHB, winter mornings would get to around 4-5deg and a few times around the cradle I got to -4 on some parts of the ride. Not a chance in hell I would ride without a buff. Guess we need some cement pills.

Yup. In the middle of the English winter I'd be on my bike with my scarf around my face, beanie on and in very warm clothing. I like the cold, but I'm not a dumbass. Mostly... 

[Grease_Monkey]

you guys are hard core...

 

During my time in JHB, winter mornings would get to around 4-5deg and a few times around the cradle I got to -4 on some parts of the ride. Not a chance in hell I would ride without a buff. Guess we need some cement pills.

Haha when I lived up in the flatlands I used to ride Cradle mid winter in summer kit too. Not trying to look hardcore at all, the fiest 5 - 10mins is rough... but after that I am warm. I prefer to suffer for a little and then be comfy over being comfy for 10mins and suffering the rest of the ride.

 

Flipside is I really struggle in summer when everyone else is enjoying the warm sun.

[Pieter1]

I shaved my glorious beard to just above 5pm shadow. It holds the buff quite well. My shopping mask was a bust for riding.

[DieselnDust]

Same here.... my winter and summer cycling kit is exactly the same - bib, baggy, and thin moisture wicking t-shirt, gloves, and a buff under the helmet to keep sweat out of my eyes. I don't ever wear long sleeves even in the middle of winter on a rainy day. The once or twice I have worn a jersey of sorts I have taken it off in the first 5mins of riding. I rather suffer in the cold for 5mins till I heat up than carry around a bunch of extra clothing.

 

I tried the buff, felt like I was being waterboarded and suffocated, tried a few different masks and they were even worse. Everything I have tried is drenched in sweat within minutes. That said, I am sticking to the rules (mostly). I wear a buff around my neck, have it pulled up on public roads, and then just around my neck as soon as I am on dirt - I just pull it up again when I see someone approaching or am about to pass someone. Luckily 95% of my loop is on dirt and out of view of any cars and the general public. Quite honestly I don't see how anyone can breathe through a buff or mask.

 

I have given up on any form of eyewear with a buff/mask - fogs up like crazy. Not the end of the world though, I don't mind riding without glasses.

 

I have ordered some fancy Ciovita masks, from all accounts they are quite comfy to exercise in. I hope that's the case...

 

 

I'm using the BUFF till my WindWAterWaves masks arrive. They're super cool. 

I don;t have an issue with the buff but having Asthma doesn't make it a pleasant option.

[Frosty]

you guys are hard core...

 

During my time in JHB, winter mornings would get to around 4-5deg and a few times around the cradle I got to -4 on some parts of the ride. Not a chance in hell I would ride without a buff. Guess we need some cement pills.

When I ride in your neighbourhood in winter, I sometimes don’t even need arm warmers, let alone a buff. How I would give to have your winter and our summer.

 

Anyway, a buff is helpful in summer too - in December in Durban, I’d wet it on a MTB ride, keep it around the neck. Makes for a bearable your hot summer’s day rides. The only problem is that it dries in minutes.

[Grease_Monkey]

I'm using the BUFF till my WindWAterWaves masks arrive. They're super cool.

I don;t have an issue with the buff but having Asthma doesn't make it a pleasant option.

I feel your pain, also an asthmatic...

[Dirt Tracker]

An excerpt from a round table discussion on exercising, masks and the rest. Seems sensible but is never going to be happening in any city without opening more areas up. 

 

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Because breathing harder may release more virus into the air, Ben Levine, physician and director of the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital, told NPR we should double our distance while exercising outside.

 

Are you shedding a large flume of virus on your bike?

Alex McDonald In short, yes. Taking deeper and harder breaths when exercising likely causes more viral shedding, especially if exercising outside where the wind can blow and dissipate the virus. Taking that into consideration, it is likely that due to increased viral shedding individuals that are exercising should probably be more than 6ft apart.

 

Jessalyn Adam We don’t have an answer. The recommendation of staying at least 6ft apart under normal circumstances is actually based on what we know about the flu. While coronavirus behaves differently, we’re doing our best to make inferences.

 

That said, experts are recommending that while running you stay at least 13ft away from others. To minimize the risk as much as you can, put as much space between yourself and others as possible while biking.

 

Do you need to wear a mask if you’re on a mountain trail?

Adam If you’re totally alone or just with people from your own household then that’s fine to go without. However, if there are other people on the trail, wear your mask as you approach and while passing and do your best to try to put as much space as you can between you and the other person. If the terrain doesn’t allow you to put a lot of distance between yourself and the other person, turn away while passing so you’re breathing in the opposite direction.

 

If you’re just passing another person and particularly if you’re just walking and not breathing heavily then I think it’s pretty low-risk.

 

Kelley Vargo The purpose of the mask is more to prevent you from spreading the virus as opposed to keeping you from getting it. If you are feeling sick or “off” you should forgo going on a public trail. Consider exercising at home until you’re feeling OK, because this isn’t just about protecting yourself from the virus – we also don’t want to infect other people.

 

Does exercising with a mask provide performance benefits?

Vargo Training with a mask, especially a homemade mask or an N95 mask will not replicate the effects of altitude training. If you really want to get an edge on your cardiovascular performance as it relates to altitude training, you should train at high altitude.

 

Jessalynn Adam is a double board certified specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation and primary care sports medicine

 

Alex McDonald is a family physician and former pro triathlete

 

Kelley Vargo is exercise and nutrition sciences faculty at the Milken Institute School of Public Health at the George Washington University and the founder of Sweat and Social Distance

[Dragu]

What is the latest regulation on wearing a mask while riding? (social or training on road)

 

Many wearing and many not...

[DieselnDust]

What is the latest regulation on wearing a mask while riding? (social or training on road)

 

Many wearing and many not...

its not been required to wear one when conducting vigorous exercise since Level 3.

You can even ride in groups as large as 50 and the distance between riders seems to have fallen away as well