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Why am I steaming/smoking?

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Old 01-20-11, 11:31 AM
  #1  
vantassell
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Why am I steaming/smoking?

Taking a break at the top of a hill I took off my jacket to cool off. I noticed I was profusely steaming. I mean, my guess is it's steam, but does anyone know for sure?

It was about 25F outside, that might help.
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Old 01-20-11, 11:34 AM
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You were probably "overdressed".
What kind of jacket and shirts were you wearing?
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Old 01-20-11, 12:06 PM
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It's definitely smoke, not steam; looks like you narrowly avoided spontaneous combustion. Have you recently angered any witch doctors, old gypsy women, voodoo priests, wandering hobo magicians, or other practitioners of the dark arts?

Alternately, perhaps you possess the latent mutant ability to manifest fire, ala The Human Torch from the Fantastic Four. Have you ever been bitten by a radioactive charcoal briquette?













Or, and this is a stretch but hear me out, it might be sweat evaporating off of your body, since evaporative vapors tend to be visible in the cold (think open creek water or being able to see your breath when it's below freezing out). Crazy, but maybe just crazy enough to be true.
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Old 01-20-11, 12:27 PM
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Steaming is one of the best parts of winter commuting.

I have that problem with my hands. They'll often be cold, maybe even slightly numb partway into the ride but as I warm up they get sweaty. When I take my gloves off to lock my bike to something, steam will be coming off my hands and out of my gloves.

My feet do the opposite. They start out warm and gradually cool off.
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Old 01-20-11, 01:57 PM
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The water vapour in the air from around your body condenses/freezes when it hits the cold air, making it visible. It's the same concept as seeing your breath.
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Old 01-20-11, 02:24 PM
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I remember stripping out of my sweaty outer jacket in my garage after a cold ride one day. My very devoutly religious neighbor lady happened to walk by and asked me why I was smoking?

I told her because I was the devil.

She didn't even laugh.

(P.S. Griddlecakes has too much time on his hands. Yer killin me here...)
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Old 01-20-11, 03:20 PM
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Originally Posted by Thulsadoom
I remember stripping out of my sweaty outer jacket in my garage after a cold ride one day. My very devoutly religious neighbor lady happened to walk by and asked me why I was smoking?

I told her because I was the devil.
You're not a nice person.
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Old 01-20-11, 07:10 PM
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It's an odd joy to have some guy looking at you while shivering in his car as you sit there steaming away waiting for the light to change.
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Old 01-20-11, 07:27 PM
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Hey, has anyone ever tried steaming a burrito concealed on your body and eating it at the final destination. Similar to the old burrito on the manifold truck driver trick. Might want to start out with a unthawed burrito though. Unless you are a really hot rider.
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Old 01-21-11, 11:22 AM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by CastIron
It's an odd joy to have some guy looking at you while shivering in his car as you sit there steaming away waiting for the light to change.
+1
They have no idea what they're missing.
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Old 02-09-11, 09:09 PM
  #11  
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Originally Posted by GriddleCakes
Or, and this is a stretch but hear me out, it might be sweat evaporating off of your body, since evaporative vapors tend to be visible in the cold (think open creek water or being able to see your breath when it's below freezing out). Crazy, but maybe just crazy enough to be true.
Why would you mess with the guy like that?


Everyone knows evaporating sweat turns into kittens and butter cream frosted cupcakes.
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Old 02-09-11, 11:30 PM
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Looks like you just had a close call brah...

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Old 02-13-11, 08:36 AM
  #13  
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Originally Posted by GriddleCakes
It's definitely smoke, not steam; looks like you narrowly avoided spontaneous combustion. Have you recently angered any witch doctors, old gypsy women, voodoo priests, wandering hobo magicians, or other practitioners of the dark arts?

Alternately, perhaps you possess the latent mutant ability to manifest fire, ala The Human Torch from the Fantastic Four. Have you ever been bitten by a radioactive charcoal briquette?
OMG! Yes and YES!

So does it mean overdressed? or just cold outside/high dewpoint?
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