Smoke from Canada!!

Captain Brainstorm said:
I don't see why people are making such a big deal out of this. Air quality, blah, blah, blah. If you ever sat around a campfire or backyard fire pit, well, this is the same thing.
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Is it, though? I think most people aren't asking if it's okay to go outside (although some probably are) - it's more whether it's okay to do something that will force them to breathe harder or deeper while outside, like riding. I don't think most people are out of breath sitting in front of a campfire or firepit (although I'll concede levels of fitness vary ...) So they aren't breathing in smoke at the same volume or with an elevated heart rate pulling more of it throughout their body. I think that's the point. And if you do start to feel bad sitting around a fire, you just move away from it because it's range is limited. If you're out on a ride today and start to feel like you're struggling for breath, you can't just walk a few paces and get away from it. So I'd argue yours is not a fair analogy. I do know that a few years back, half the field doing the Tour Divide had to drop out because they were suffering the ill effects of smoke from forest fires burning in California and Oregon - they were reporting severe headaches and breathing problems and at least one of them posted on a blog that she subsequently dealt with some pretty bad health issues related to breathing for months afterward.

Personally, I'm a fairly severe asthmatic, so I'm going to be very careful today. If I do decide to ride after work today, it'll only be if the air quality around Philly isn't compromised (and right now everything kind of smells like wood smoke here, so I'm probably going to have to skip it.)
 
1speed said:
Is it, though? I think most people aren't asking if it's okay to go outside (although some probably are) - it's more whether it's okay to do something that will force them to breathe harder or deeper while outside, like riding. I don't think most people are out of breath sitting in front of a campfire or firepit (although I'll concede levels of fitness vary ...) So they aren't breathing in smoke at the same volume or with an elevated heart rate pulling more of it throughout their body. I think that's the point. And if you do start to feel bad sitting around a fire, you just move away from it because it's range is limited. If you're out on a ride today and start to feel like you're struggling for breath, you can't just walk a few paces and get away from it. So I'd argue yours is not a fair analogy. I do know that a few years back, half the field doing the Tour Divide had to drop out because they were suffering the ill effects of smoke from forest fires burning in California and Oregon - they were reporting severe headaches and breathing problems and at least one of them posted on a blog that she subsequently dealt with some pretty bad health issues related to breathing for months afterward.

Personally, I'm a fairly severe asthmatic, so I'm going to be very careful today. If I do decide to ride after work today, it'll only be if the air quality around Philly isn't compromised (and right now everything kind of smells like wood smoke here, so I'm probably going to have to skip it.)
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So only a 3 hour ride today?
 
Captain Brainstorm said:
I don't see why people are making such a big deal out of this. Air quality, blah, blah, blah. If you ever sat around a campfire or backyard fire pit, well, this is the same thing.
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Well I dont know why they are sending kids home from school....that to me seems silly, even my sons 9000 year old school building has central air now. But there is nothing "good" about breathing in smoke....me personally, im usually looking for a good reason to hit the gym rather than ride my bike....I have a hard time choosing the gym on a nice summer day over any opportunity to ride my bike outdoors. But even in my building (where we "handle" the living shit out of the air) it STILL smells like smoke. So fuck it, good excuse to hit the gym.
 
Down here in Bricktucky we have an AQI of 163, so this Wookiee is staying indoors. It looks like fog outside thanks to Canada, Manchester, and Jackson fires. Tomorrow I may ride with a respirator.

Edit!!! Up to 296 now😞 I think we are starting to catch up.
 
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That's strange, this morning I did my usual ride from about 6 AM to 8 AM and I never
thought about any smoke. I know it's a problem right now and you can see it by the sun color.
I didn't see any or smell it. About 7:30 I met a friend Paul on the trail, he asked me if I smell smoke,
I said no, he said me neither. Now at 3PM I smell heavy smoke and it's actually hazy out with smoke.
I even smell it in the house. What a difference in a few hours.
 
stb222 said:
So only a 3 hour ride today?
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Yes ... with the customary pauses to sadly consider, "Why am I doing this? There is literally no reason to do this ..." before mindlessly continuing until the next hour chimes and I stop to repeat the same existential crisis, without ever, EVER allowing myself to actually attempt an honest answer. Good ... times ...
 
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