(27-04-2012 01:00 )cmiller Wrote: [ -> ]has anyone ever used an anti-pollution mask? i fancy trying one and looking like a proper maniac!
I haven't used one like those, I don't really feel the need where I cycle, although I go through traffic part of the way, it isn't too bad fumes-wise.
I do have a lighter-weight option, an Outlaw mask from Airwear (don't think they do them anymore). It's basically a triangle of material you tie over your face like a cowboy about to rob a bank
There's a pouch sewn in where you pop in a filter to keep the fumes at bay. To be honest, I mainly used it keep my face warmer in winter.
I'll give a plug for one of my favourite bits of kit, a Buff :
http://www.buffwear.com
This is a very versatile bit of kit, not just for biking. It's a tubular bit of material, kind of like those snood things that were popular a while back. It's very compact, it'll scrunch into a pocket, taking no more room than a handkerchief, and can be worn in a variety of ways. I use it mainly just as a neck scarf, I have an aversion to getting a cold neck. The material is really thin, meaning you can wear it in summer without getting too hot, but it still manages to keep you warm in the winter. It can be pulled up over your face to keep your face warm on cold days, or to help filter some of the fumes out.
On tuesday I had to go to work in the torrential rain. I wore a normal scarf and my Endura Skullcap under my helmet (a thin hat designed to go under the bike helmet) for the ride in. For the return, I wore my buff, pulled up hoodie style, so it acted as scarf, face-mask, and skullcap, all in one
I love it so much, I just bought another so I can have a dry one for both journeys next time.
I'll also give a plug for my other favourite bit if kit, my Topfire lights :
http://www.evanscycles.com/products/busc...ry=topfire
Four red led lights on wires, you feed them through the vents on your helmet, and attach the battery pack/switch to the neck piece. Pop in a battery and switch on, and you have four flashing leds on your helmet.
Your highest point on a bike is your head/helmet, and it is therefore very visible. Having lights on the helmet makes you very visible to other motorists, which is always a bonus, and so long as you have your helmet, you have these lights with you. I'm riding in the daytime, so don't need to carry my lights with me, but sometimes it can still be dark and gloomy during the day (like tuesday in the downpour), so it's nice to have these to fall back on.
