Pollution Masks - some solid advice (Cycling Equipment in general)

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Product:	Cycling Equipment in general
Date:	10/04/01 (822 review reads)
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Advantages: Provides clean air and safeguards your future health

Disadvantages: Can be warm, slightly restrictive, cost

First of all, buying a pollution mask is really important to urban cyclists. You may not realise how bad the pollution has become in major cities (and even smaller towns). Check out the automatic pollution network on the Department of the Environment's website and you may be shocked to see what you're breathing on a daily basis. And remember that your air intake dramatically increases when you are cycling hard!

There is only one good brand on the market, Respro. I've been fortunate enough to visit their HQ just next to Waterloo Station in London, and spent some time talking to them about their masks.

Respro make a wide range of masks but for urban cycling they make two good models: The Respro City and the Respro Techno. Both masks use DACC (dynamically activated charcoal cloth) which is used in the MOD's NBC suits (nuclear warfare gear). The City masks has a simple DACC filter whereas the Techno has a DACC filter bonded to a particulate filter.

Costwise the City is around £20 and the Techno £25, both available in different colours. You may feel pretty strange wearing a mask at first, but they do work as I have found out in the last two years of using a Techno. Filters need replacing every 69 days, although in London I find the filters get dirty after only 2-3 weeks (depending on your mileage and breathing rate, time of travel, amount of traffic).

Both masks are made from neoprene and have velco fastening that fit round your neck. A small aluminium clip pinches your nose to stop "inward leakage" in the gap between your nose and cheekbones. Each mask has plastic valves that operate as you exhale, to allow warm, moist air to clear from the mask. As you breathe in the valve instantly seals and your air comes through the DACC filter.

Respro have published statistics on test results, and these show that their masks remove hydrocarbons, acid gases, diesel particulate, carbon monoxide, etc. They also m
ake professional respiratory equipment for the Fire Bridage and emergency services so you can rest assured that their quality control is 100% and the products are proven.

Riding with a mask slightly reduces your breathing efficiency ( a training benefit to competitive cyclists - once the mask is off you are more efficient!). It can also get warm in the Summer or when you are riding fast. But the acid test of riding behind a stinky double decker bus in London shows that the masks work!!

I have many friends who are casual cyclists and they have started using these masks on their daily commute as they are fed up getting to work and feeling like being sick/coughing up black lumps/etc.

I know that Respro make some "budget" masks, but as the City and Techno are affordable it is well worth getting these masks instead of cheaper, less effective ones.

It must make motorists think about their responsibility to polluting the streets, especially when six cyclists turn up at the traffic lights all wearing masks!!

Highly recommended, don't bother getting those cheap masks from Halfords as they don't work very well and you can't breathe easily. The Techno gives you 95% protection whilst the City masks gives about 80% protection. The Techno's particulate filtering capabilities are very important to cyclists that ride behind buses and taxis.

Particulate pollution is one of the biggest problems facing this country,as these sub-micro particles get very deep into the lungs and don't come out, potentially setting you up for serious respiratory/cancer dangers in later life.

Get a mask and save your health!! They do work, they're affordable and even though you might look weird you'll notice a benefit to your general health.

I think they are available at most good bike shops or try www.respro.co.uk

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