AngryScientist 

really?

as i mentioned, fortunately i never fell into the trap, but smoking anything is a social activity. i doubt anyone picks up their first cig. thinking "wow, i really dig the benefits of nicoteen and tabaco, i think i'll take up smoking"

they start because their friends do. they smoke because their wife does, their boss, the cool kids, the "in crowd". people smoke because its cool, it makes you feel like a part of something, a group, the bad asses. the defiant.

there are a ton of reasons some people choose to take a drag, most are stupid, but there are definitely very clear, defined reasons, thats for sure.

again, i'm not a smoker, and i do not condone it, i in the "its stupid" camp.

scotch

From listening to my smoker friends who have quit, it's like anything else with a strong psychological/emotional component. It's comforting, the whole ritual of preparing to light up is appealing, there's a social piece of it that feels good and is familiar. It's tied in with how you experience food, sex, sleep, and how you see yourself, etc. One friend who quit cold turkey after 27 years of 2 packs a day said he cried every day for the first two weeks and called it "pure hell."

AngryScientist 

you more eloquently conveyed my point.

roadiejorge 

The use of tobacco in any form isn't healthy so it's a habit you'll be better off being rid of sooner than later. I used to smoke cigarettes and quitting smoking was the best thing I ever did and fortunately I did it before I turned 30 so hopefully my lungs will bounce back completely. While you don't inhale the smoke with cigars you're still increasing your risk of cancer which doesn't make sense in the slightest.


For me it was more psychological than anything else, and since my dad used to smoke it seemed like that was the way to deal with stress. My dad quit cold turkey after the doctor told him he had to due to his heart and he dropped the habit with no problem. It took me several years after that to realize how ridiculous a habit it was and once I sorted how to deal with stress I stopped cold turkey and haven't smoked since. oh, and welcome back!

umd

:shrug:

None of those reasons sound appealing to me.

Basically, it's just peer pressure from people who are already addicted to the drug.

The smokers in this thread are trying to say it's ok in moderation, c'mon, live a little... I'm just trying to understand why.

I don't care if smokers smoke, I just don't ever want to smell it.

botto 

i miss my smokey treats.

gsteinb

this is a cycling forum. in this day and age, at it's heart, cycling is an athletic pursuit.

Tobacco usage carries with it undeniable health risks

Therefore, tobacco usage in any form is not 'ok' in any shape or form.
The mind movement to justify the use of tobacco is delusive rationalizations.

DScott

Yeah, why is using tobacco "just a little bit" any better than having "just a little bit" of cancer?

cbchess

I think smoking is fun. I also think smoking makes girls look sexy.
I like the smell of cigars.

I bet eating donuts is worse for me than smoking 6 cigars a year.

gsteinb

it's like talking to a three year old.....


I'm not going to smoke
therefore I must eat donuts


the nature of tobacco usage is to increase. so that 6 now, statistically speaking, is likely to be much more in the future.

roadiejorge 

I've never been one to continually convince people to stop doing anything, it's something we have to find out for ourselves. The question is whether that realization is made before it's too late, and judging by the health of a lot of Americans the latter seems to be the case.

powers2b

And I've never been one to try to tell an adult to refrain from enjoying anything.
You are only here once, and for a very short time so why not try something new once in a while.
Continue to do the things you enjoy, and refrain from the things you don't.
As an adult you are probably aware of the risks.
Who am I to try to convince you otherwise.

Enjoy

gsteinb

I kind of look at it in a Darwinian sense. It helps to weed stupidity out of the gene pool.

roadiejorge 

Yep, that sounds more appealing to me each day except that we end up having to support them in one way or another.


Awareness can sometimes be clouded by rationalization that's based solely on desire rather than a sound thought process which weighs the short term and possible long term effects of their actions. There's nothing wrong with trying new things but if they become habits that could potentially bring about terminal illness then advising them against it isn't such a bad thing.

joeya28

not to be rude but you sound like a jerk, I really hope we have more to look forward to in our populations gene pool then people with your mentality. (I'm not talking about your view on tobacco just your overall attitude of elitism) Im not looking to start an argument with you but just because someone has a view that differs from yours, it doesn't mean you have to be condescending.

I feel like most people who responded in favor of tobacco aren't trying to rationalize it or make an argument that its good or ok for you. Most people are just making the point that its not the only risky thing we do, so you if you enjoy it why not. I do understand your theory about people tending to increase their smoking habits over the years, but in my family almost all of my uncles smoke cigars socially, none of them make a daily of weekly habit of it, and this has been over a 20+ year span. So yes its possibly to let the habit get the better of you, and its also possible to smoke in moderation.


But I do appreciate everyone responses Its given me a lot to think about. Epically the person who suggested not smoking the next time the opportunity comes. In all honest, personal preference and long term heath aside, smoking the occasional cigar will most likely effect my performance if i rode my bike after. That doesn't mean I will never smoke again but I will think a little before the next time I smoke.

gsteinb

funny. I don't really believe in elitism.

and calling someone a jerk by definition is rude, so between that and your inability to see that someone saying 'donuts are worse' is a rationalization you seem a bit ill equipped to be commenting on someone else's mentality.

we are not talking about differing viewpoints...someone posted that smokeless tobacco doesn't cause cancer...we're talking about holding up an apple and insisting it's an orange.

joeya28

Not to get petty but I said you"sound like a jerk"

and I obviosuly wasnt defending everyone who responded in favor of tobacco I said "most people"


on the smokeless tobacco issue i totally agree with you I don't know where that fits in to this thread

umd

Like it or not, Gary is a better cyclist than most people on this forum will ever be. And as someone who is interested in "raceing" in NY, you may have to deal with him sooner or later, if you ever get good enough to race in the same categories as him.

Since this whole thread is supposedly about the performance affects of smoking cigars, you may want to consider that the next time you think of lighting up.

buddy

Well it is time for me quit being cute. I have never smocked my entire life with the exception of smocking a cigar maybe once a year. Last month my son's-in-law gave me a pipe. I enjoyed going outside and smocking with them. Maybe two or three times a week.

But for the past month I have been training hard but my performance and energy has been going down. Small hills has been killing me and I have not been able to recover.

Yesterday it came to me, "Could it be that the pipe was having a much bigger effect on me?". I looked at my history on my Garmin 705 to my training and that the intervals that I am doing now is not as strong as the intervals that I was doing prior to the pipe and my heart rate is much higher now. It feels as though I can not push myself to go harder.

I was shocked that a limited amount of smocking could cause a big effect on my cycling. I am convinced now to answer the OP << But how bad is smoking cigars for my cardiovascular system.>>extremely bad for your cardiovascular system.

buddy

umd

gsteinb

'you sound like a jerk' is a bull**** pc way of calling someone a jerk


i was only responding to what's posted in the thread. someone said that smokeless tobacco doesn't cause cancer. someone called not smoking an extreme point of view. someone mentioned fast food. I didn't make this stuff up. pointing out that it's a cycling forum and many people avoid all these bad behaviors isn't elitism....it's just common sense.

joeya28

what does that have to do with having a conversation with him on this thread? I shouldn't speak my mind because i might have to see him in person?

I don't feel like I'm being rude, and I'm not saying anything to him that I wouldn't say if we were having this discussion face to face.

AngryScientist 

it would probably be a safe conclusion to the original post that smoking definitely does not do anything GOOD for your cycling performance.

joeya28

Agreed

CPFITNESS

smoking is a dirty habit and in the words of Andrew "Dice" Clay "so is wiping my ass but I don't see anyone banning that!"

Enjoy the cigars. Where in NY are you located? If your in the city we should meet up at Cigar Inn and smoke one together, then take a speedy ride through central park and post a video on here.

Yes, this is a cycling forum but last I checked maybe 1% of you are bonafide legit professional cyclists so come down off your high horses please!!! We are all going to die from something someday and the things that I see people do with food is just as bad if not worse than someone with a 3 cigar per month habit. Hell, the air we breathe in NYC is probably worse!