These days, you just never know about car drivers having weapons, savage intentions, blood alcohol. Some or all can be used against you. Best to keep your mouth shut I always say. Just keep pedalling. Use the adrenaline for a fast start or quick sprint.
@@mbal4052 I find it really odd that you think clarifying the origin of a quote somehow detracts from it - and that you would prefer to remain ignorant rather than learn its real origin - to the point where you would even chastise someone for trying to set the record straight. Fine if you want to remain ignorant, but you shouldn't try to impose your ignorance on others.
Dudes, I’ve been taping my mouth closed at night for 2 and a half years. It was a key measure in curing my sleep apnea and turning my life around. I use micropore. 👍👍👍
For people who are unaware: taping your mouth is not a treatment for sleep apnea, and if you do have sleep apnea then taping your mouth without also using a CPAP machine is rather dangerous. Taping can help with snoring in some people, but not if you have sleep apnea. Don't believe me, believe the experts: m.th-cam.com/video/YQ5KpAvp_YU/w-d-xo.html m.th-cam.com/video/iB9BRJbEvVg/w-d-xo.html m.th-cam.com/video/KNmUma3UgHk/w-d-xo.html
This is perfect timing... riding home from work, I was nearly struck by a suv. Instead of shouting, I simply folded the side mirror in as I passed. The driver proceeded to swerve into the bike lane and slam on the brakes, trying to knock me over. I probably should have just kept riding, but when it's the 3rd close call in a 20-minute ride, I got frustrated and nearly paid for it.
I've actually had to exchange words with other cyclists while cycling. Apparently there is a rise in distracted driving but I've also noticed an increase in distracted riding, where cyclists are either texting while riding, taking a call or wearing ear plugs. And drivers are watching us, actually they're monitoring us. In my fair city of Victoria BC, Canada there's a grumpy bunch of people who blame cyclists for everything (taking away parking from seniors, causing business to collapse and the downtown core to decay, etc) and they are very vocal about it and don't hesitate to call you out on your cycling behaviour. Unfortunately what we do on a bike affects how the rest of us are perceived by the rest of the public.
I can't seem to escape this book right now. Feels like homeopathy all over again. Breath will fix all your problems. A podiatrist wanting to fix my running gait but breathing. They had just read the book. Can't wait until my HR department get hold of it and hold breathing meetings instead of coffee breaks.
So nice to see you two back together :) Dan, you and the team are doing an amazing job with the commentaries on GCN+. It completely changed how I experience grand tours. Hats off to you and the team.
I have been breathing through my nose whilst I sleep because I've been using a cpap machine to help me continue to breath. I have super high blood pressure and a sleep doctor analysied me sleeping and said that I stop breathing when I sleep. In the UK it's called "Sleep Apnoea". So this doctor perscribed a cpap machine for me to use. But for other people I'm sure it's fine to tape your mouth shut whilst you sleep, if that is what you are into, everyone has their own special desires, and we now have a little insight into one of Dan's desires.
Coincidentally enough, I’ve started working with an ex-Olympic gold medalist rower and PT and she has me doing oxygen adaptation i.e. nose breathing but there is much more to it than just taping your mouth up at night. I do a daily BOLT test and a series of breathing exercises, which also includes altitude simulation. This results in higher CO2 tolerance and reduces lactate. There are exercises on and off the bike, as well as taping the mouth up at night and breathing as much as possible through the nose during the day. It definitely improves performance on the bike and has a host of other benefits as well, including lowering anxiety and reducing asthma triggers.
🙊 I was once stopped by a woman standing in the middle of the cycling path in a power stance with her arms outstretched as if I were a train and she was going to stop me on my tracks. She started shouting how I was an inconsiderate *beep* hole for scaring her dogs. So I calmly applied the brakes, took of my sunglasses and smiled at her. "What lovely dogs they are!" I said, "please never stop loving them the way you do, but do make sure to take care of your own safety as well. Not everyone will be able to brake as quickly as I did, and you wouldn't want to get hurt and leave your babies in the lurch". We continued talking amicably about dogs, cyclists, and the dangers of standing in the middle of the road shouting at people. In conclusion: if you can do so with respect for the other person, I would say you should ALWAYS SPEAK UP!
On keeping your mouth shut, I've found that when things get tough, I resort to deep breaths through my nose and manage to find a bit more energy. Without tape but just thinking about breathing through the nose has helped alleviate a sore jaw that occasionally occurred in the morning. It brings to mind the question: "How can you tell when cyclists are happy?" - "They have bugs in their teeth." In your talk from Trek and sustainability, I've recently found a lot of satisfaction in repairing and restoring older bikes. I now have a 1967 Phillips three speed which taught me a lot about the Sturmey Archer system and the love of steel frames. The bike also taught me about the remarkable progress bike manufacturers have made in the last 56 years in riding comfort, noise reduction and the feeling of confidence (or not) at higher speeds. The Phillips is like an old sports car. My Cannondale trail bike is like a comfortable truck.
@@Ohtaror how long would I have to wait for that in Sunak’s Britain? I’ll wait until Labour get back in and fix the NHS. It will probably be quicker that way
A group of cyclists passed my friend and her neighbour who were out riding their horses. The group passed them close and loud. The horse got a surprise and the rider got thrown off and broke her arm in several places (just terrible timing given she is a great rider). Accidents happen, but the group didn't bother to see if she was OK, just carried on going because the ride is too important!
"Grass Puppies"... you guys kill me. As a young man I had a job that required me to walk several hundred yards into a field full of "puppies" on a regular basis. I was leery of them any way and always hoped they would not see me. This worked for a while until they did see me and to my absolute horror they did so en mass and a large number of them suddenly came at me at an alarming clip running right up to me and staring. I was completely unglued but unharmed in body but my soul was scared. I was able to talk to the rancher who when hearing of my fright got a good laugh at my expense. This cured me. But in the intervening time from that initial encounter to talking this behavior over with him I had double the trouble going into that field.
One of the funniest GCN videos! Love the British humor and colloquialisms. Next, let’s have a show with favorite Monty Python skits. “What’s this one? Crunchy Frog. Am I to believe there’s a real frog in there? Don’t you even take the bones out?” “If we took the bones out, it wouldn’t be Crunchy, would it?” Hilarious!
So cool to see the intro taken from the top of Whiteface Mountain in NY's Adirondacks! One of my favorite places to hike to and ride. GCN crew, you need to explore this and get a crew here for one of your adventures!
I've listened to another book called the Oxygen Advantage...which suggests the same thing. I did a deep dive into breath work and respiratory muscle training to help get my aging lungs in better shape before heading to leadville for the MTB race!
When my gear cable broke I had to remove my shimano brake hood and ever since it has never sat well - it is not snug any more and I have to keep fiddling with it to fit neatly on the shifter. That stitch job on the hood was definitely a Hack.
Been teachihg Nasal breathing in multiple ways for years, since pre-pandemic. For friends that have sleep apnea, it's been a game changer. For my athlete clients, we have breathing protocols depending on the effort (nasal inhale/exhale, nasal inhale / mouth exhale, mouth in/exhale). I personally do my rides with nasal breathing and climb mountains over 2000m, it always gives me enough in the tank - think of it as a natural power meter/regulator. For my gym clients, find that about 95% are mouth breathers and are unable to control their pace and decrease in movement quality during workouts due to bad breathing patterns. Breathing through your mouth also gives you that "dry mouth" feel faster and makes you want to drink more. I always tell my clients "If you cant breathe, you cant think. If you cant think, you cant move." It all starts with the breath.
Being a boffin in the parlance of the time (1980s), I looked at nose breathing as a means of increasing breathing/lung efficiency during endurance exercise and found that breathing through your nose and humming (Ooommmmm ...) on the exhale meant you could maintain nose breathing to a much higher power output than without humming. It worked in the lab on the stationary bike (in fact it was like meditation or mindfulness training) but it was a bit hard to concentrate on when out on the road.
I used to be a bit shouty. And was prone to giving the occasional hostile gesture to inconsiderate motorists. But it’s not constructive, only serves to increase your own stress level. So I have started to try and notice positive driving habits. Now if a car waits to pass on a narrow road, or gives me plenty of space when they do, or gives way as they should, they will receive a friendly thumbs up from me 👍
I have a reverse experience with the shouting thing. I was biking and had a car behind me and a runner a distance ahead of me. They were yelling and flailing their arms trying to get me to move out of the way. They had the option to go over the curb and out of my way, and I had nowhere to go but to stop until the car passed me. I was more than a little annoyed with that.
I read James Nestor's book and did the same with tape - but have moved onto using the breath right strips on my nose - has a similar effect on sleep (according to the data). Also worth using the breath right strips when running or on your bike - makes quite a difference and much more manageable to breath through your nose....
I find that I’m generally a nicer person on my bike than in the car. I tend to rock on with the bike. One exception was when a 4x4 Urban cut me up so close on a junction I thumped the rear wing with my palm to demonstrate they’d nearly floored me. After the junction they blocked me - 2 bruisers got out the car squared up and gave me heap of threatening abuse… so I rode off - mouth closed
Whilst the frame weight is a useful specification, the total weight is a much more valuable piece of information as it reflects what the rider will be mounting and pedaling.
In the great prairies of Canada, I used to 'sing' to the cows to kill the time while riding solo. Keeping your mouth shut will keep bugs from you eating them too. In the winter if your nose is cold, you may hum and your nose will warm up. Have fun, be safe!
@@gcn Does it get cold enough in the UK for your nose to get cold? Also putting the tongue behind your front teeth in -16C and colder, will help warm the air before it goes down your throat. :) This little trick will normally reduce 'exercise cough' in colder weather.
Yes. I read James Nestor’s book about a year ago and have been mouth taping at night ever since. Also, I’ve been keeping closed while riding through zone 4. My sleep and performance have improved.
Just this week, I shouted at a driver for the first time in my life. They were coming down to the road I was on, they looked right at me and pulled right into me, I almost hit the curb. I admit, I got a teeny weeny bit cross! Not that the driver noticed at all! Maybe they had tired to tape their mouth shut but missed and hit their eyes!
True story. I was once stung on my tongue by a bumblebee due to a wide open mouth whilst out riding. I figured the damage was already done, so just continued on. All was well!
I've taken up running after 34 years of cycling (and I haven't stopped cycling). I recently joined a running group at 5:30 on a Saturday morning, and was surprised at how many cyclists make rude comments towards runners to get out of the way. This happens on a road with no cycle path or side walk, but with no traffic. As a cyclist who pretends to be a runner, I found it very distasteful and quite unnecessary.
#captioncompetition Remco, demonstrates how to release control, To jumbo, who have three men for the role, Go Kuss, who reached the ultimate goal, But the whole plot - is yet to unroll...
Yoga, and more specifically ashtanga, is supposed to be practiced breathing through the nose with while somewhat restraining the airflow in the throat. I don't know much more about that other than having done it myself, but it definitely warms you up faster and relaxes the muscles. That being said, the practice is infinitely less cardio intensive than a bike ride...
I freedive as well as cycle and there is a lot of emphasis on breathing through your nose in the freedive training. Amongst other things breathing through your nose releases nitrates that relax your lungs. @danlloyd you should read the Oxygen Advantage if you enjoyed Nestor's book. Great insights into why nose breathing is so important.
So my husband says: Keeping it buttoned up Consider it multi-tasking: •Improved sleep (snore-no-more) •Relationship building (see bullet 1) •Mindfulness practice (right speech, see bullet 2) •Oh yeah, and the fitness payoffs My wife ran across Nestor’s book a few years back. Still finding the little roll of tape on my pillow nightly.
I have a riding companion that has read the book, and did the breathing drills over the last year and he has defiantly found an improvement in his Cycling mainly on hill climbs, we were of a similar standard of riding a year ago and although I still train harder on the turbo at home, he is defiantly is leaving me behind …there was a rumour that he had though of taping up his mouth… although I think that was more wishful thinking on our part because he does tend to chat a lot.
Breathing through you nose can also lower your blood pressure. So another good reason to learn to breath through your nose. Lots of studies out there to show this effect. I haven't starting taping my mouth on the bike yet, but I have starting using a device to open up my nose especially because of a deviated septum. This has helped me breath more through my nose especially during zone 2. I don't dehydrate as fast for sure.
I certainly don't dehydrate as fast now that I keep my mouth closed more during my ride. I am still waiting to assess performance as I need to replace my power meter @@gcn
Well, yeah, nasal breathing (even at night- through taping your mouth) actually helps. I wouldn’t scientifically specify the advantages, but Body Battery (Garmin) is in most cases higher in the morning and you feel better after running or bike ride (could be Zone 2 effect). Read for example The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown), or look into AEQ exercises.
Tape around the tyre works very well. I went on a 4000 km ride with a worn out tyre. A few countries later the innertube inflated like balloon through the open hole between the threads of the tyre and exploded. It blew away a 1 cm diameter hole in the innertube, but I could put a repair patch over the hole and carry on. A few laps of duct tape around the tyre and rim held it together nicely for the next month until I could get some nice replacement tyres. Took the opportunity to change out the innertube that had about 15 puncture repair patches on it as well.
last week going up the quite steep hill to the top of Queen's Park Glasgow, breathing heavy through my mouth, a wasp through in my mouth on an in breath and got stuck at the back of my throat repeatedly stinging around my left tonsil (next to the throat dangly bit (uvula)) until i managed to cough it back up. Going to give up mouth breathing, or uphills.
I‘m interested in more of Dan‘s Whoop insights. What does his stress monitor say? Mine has shown times of high stress on several occasions recently and when I looked at what times, it was during the final of races I watched on GCN+.
When I was a bit younger, I came across an amusing book my aunt had - Why breathe? Useful tips such as “Hissing is considered rude, but its practice is a great aid to singers and speakers.”
I've never taped my mouth but off the bike I use the "box breathing" method quite often. It's great for improving focus, relaxation and relieving stress. With regards to road rage and how cyclists are perceived, I now make a point of thanking motorists for their patience when they pass me safely or give way. Just a quick thumb-up or wave but hopefully it helps make the roads safer and more pleasant for all.
I've been doing the same. Today, a truck was pulling out of a driveway and turning into traffic. I slowed and waved to the driver, he waved back and I felt safe passing close in front of him.
...(sigh)...I told myself not to go back into Road Cycling anymore because I just recently got back into Gravel Biking but I may have resurrected my old FUJI Roubaix 1.0 2010. It may have been because of the comment I posted on one of your recent videos and you sent me a recommendation regarding going back into cycling video from 3 years ago. I got inspired and it rekindled the flame of my love for my Roadie. I may have had a few adjustments due to my hiatus from cycling of 5 years and now I'm reintroducing myself to my FUJI as if she's a new bike. Haha! Thanks to this channel I got back into it again. She's an old bike, BUT she does the job! Thank you GCN!
My view on the shouting rage is that whatever situation you are in, you see things from your perspective. I find the trick is to think about when you are that person and react accordingly. An example from a drivers point of view would be pulling out of a junction. A quick exit for the person pulling out seems safe but the driver approaching feels inconvenienced and possibly reacts negatively whereas a quick calculation would reach the conclusion that the inconvenience was minor and not worthy of all the stress. So my advice to all road users is take a second to see things from the other person's point of view and keep the blood pressure low.
I recently watched a football doc Boot Dreams which was excellent btw. One episode showed this breathing coach and went through this penalty exercise breathing through mouth and then nose. The power they produced from nose breathing was considerable. Mind blown 🤯
I've been tapping my mouth at night for the past 3 years. It has definitely improved both how I feel in the morning but also how my Fitbit reports my sleep. As an added bonus, my wife no longer complaints about the snoring.
Love the program guys and always look forward to your presenting. But some things get lost in translation…… For example, in the UK motorways are referred to by letter and numbers such as the M 25 or A3 which were close to where I lived for several years. However, in the US and New York City, W42 is really West 42nd St.. Just saying guys. But keep on just as you are because you put a smile on all of our faces regardless of what it is that comes out of your mouths !!! You made my day 😊
My reason for keeping my mouth shut when riding: Was riding through a park a few weeks ago. A bee flew right into my mouth, got stuck in my throat. I coughed it up and as I spit it out it stung the inside of my mouth.
When my mother was a girl she witnessed a guy die because he ate a jam sandwich with a bee that stung him in the throat. It was at a tennis tournament and they sat next to each other. Back in the 1930’s.
You young things... back in the day, we had to ride with mouths shut because there were things called flying insects. I know you still see the occasional wasp or bee, but 30+ years ago, the air could be full of gnats, midges, flies, beetles, ants, dragonflies. I believe you can still find midges in some parts of Scotland. And, believe it or not, we had to wash them off our car windscreens as they could get almost opaque with dead insects. Ancient history now
I'm glad it's not just me who experiences swelling in the rubber of Shimano hoods. In my case, though, it's only in the one noticeable in the shifter for my rear mech, leading me to believe it's to do with the torsional forces of shifting and not the pulling action of braking that causes the rubber to stretch.
I was told by my dentist that I was grinding my teeth in my sleep, so I started sleeping with my mouth open. It has caused me to have serveral other issues now and it has been way harder to retun to sleeping with my mouth shut that it did the reverse. Dehydration has been the biggest issue.
Great book. Makes a lot of sense. They also make devices you can wear in your mouth during exercise (like CrossFit) to improve your oxygen capacity, etc.
Managed to keep my mouth shut when descending my local mountain bike trail, when I managed to spot (luckily) a local walking his 2 dogs on the trail. I managed to stop in time for him to turn to me (with both dogs barking) to say “sorry mate. They don’t like bikes” 🤦🏻♂️
If you are graveling or mountain biking, keeping your mouth shut when following someone's wheel prevents chips on your front tooth. The wheel you are following can flick up small rocks into your face ... don't ask me how I know. And if you are riding when it is wet and there might be horse dung on the roads, well ...
Like Dan, I also read Breathe by James Nester last year and began to tape my mouth up at night. Well at least I attempted to, having quite a substantial beard meant the amount of tape I had to use was just too uncomfortable and frankly painful for it to benifit my sleep. I did however resort to using a nasal dilator at night and consciously keeping my mouth shut during the day and during cycling, of which I managed to maintain a closed mouth upto around 90% of my HRmax. This did however lead to an unsightly accumulation of expelled mucous of said beard. Pitfuls aside I have found it has improved my allergies, lower stress levels and increased mental clarity. Another benefit supposedly includes increasing lactate tolerance by utilising the carbon dioxide in your blood to help neutralise the PH level. I don't cycle seriously or often enough to be able to quantify any change in that regard.(Further reading; The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick Mckeown)
I have now learned to keep my mouth shut and let the bodycam do all the work (prosecuting drivers) 😂. It works, most of the time. It feels much better imagining their response when the letter lands on their doorstep.
I think the main benefit of keeping your mouth shut while cycling is to prevent gnats from flying into said mouth. This doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it's very annoying. I've learned not to engage in angry confrontations with motorists; it makes you look like an idiot, accomplishes nothing, and confirms some drivers' worst biases against cyclists even if you were initially blameless. Also, it's always a good idea to remember that the guy in the truck suffering from unfocused rage has a lot more kinetic energy than you do.
I think there is a good connection between low heart rate traning and mouth-closed-nose-breathing training. You can employ the yoga "dragon breathing" technique - constrict the throat a little and squeeze the lower diaphragm on your out breath (via the nose) thus ensuring you fully expel air that may have pooled in lower lungs (i may have that last bit wrong). See the book "Body, Mind and Sport" by John Douillard
08:53 "giving cyclists a bad name by shouting". I've never heard it suggested that one aggressive driver gives all drivers a bad name yet this is a constant refrain regarding cyclists and it comes from the fact that as a minority out-group cyclists suffer discrimination.
Keeping my mouth shut and have for a few months. Also read the same book. I am shouting at some people. First I ring my bell. Then I talk (on your left). Then I shout. In my defines, if people have noticed me after the second notice, I get too yell. So many noise cancellation headphones out there.
I distinctly remember as a little kid thinking I unlocked a unique skill/cheat code for holding my breath competition by breathing through my nose only. Somehow I didn’t connect that the nose and mouth…connect 🤔
Good advice! I've definitely heard about this. In fact, people have been telling me for years that I should tape my mouth shut. Though I don't think it has anything to do with my sleeping or cycling...
😂 it would have to be a fairly nasty and specifically positioned accident at the front of the chain gang for a pair of plums to pass you at head height!😂😂
Love riding Tucson. Our Air BnB host suggested keeping mouth shut as most drivers were armed. Better to keep it shut. So breathing help in another way.
I have been riding with my mouth firmly shut after a bee flew in and stung me on the inside of my gum a couple of weeks ago….this happened whilst I was saying to my dad what a lovely ride it had been despite falling into a ditch of nettles earlier. I can assure you getting stung by a bee on the inside gum is painful… and quite serious if your tongue swells up like mine did. So taping your mouth up on a bike ride is quite appealing.
yes, mouth breathing during training helps. My biggest result was to train and race for a trail running event (Barkley Fall Classic) and was able to noticeably reduce the effort, fatigue while climbing up the mountains.
The thing with breathing through your nose while doing sport is not new. Back in 1970 when I was in the Army, I was in the cross crountry running and cross crountry skiing teams. We were always told to breath through our nose. Although with cross country skiing it became a problem when the Temp. dropped to -15c to 20c your nose tend to freeze up.
Cyclists being angry out on the road doesn’t help anything, only increases the likelihood that people will go into their next interaction with a completely unrelated cyclist with a preconceived notion that they’re less deserving of respect.
honestly the problem with the bike lane in nyc are the tow transports. people will cut infront of you with Epower then chop your front wheel because they're not aware of how long they are. Also mopeds.... i dont mind older folks on ebikes, or out of shape, etc. its the people with "fast" ebikes that i particularly have an issue with. ride in the road.
Just tried nose breathing for most of my ride today, was signifiantly quicker than usual. In the end, I felt quite comfy- For the science nerd: Can you do a lab test with your mouth taped shut and measure how the max power you can generate relates to threshold power and, more crucially, fatmax? I really want to know if keeping the mouth closed is a viable option to ensure zone II training...
If your struggling to get enough oxygen while exercising would surely encourage your body to produce more red blood sells... Regarding venting at people if they are giving you abuse or vise versa i saw someone wave with a smile and have used this technique since. Much more enjoyable riding experience
I personally dont get angry with pedestrians because the worst that they can do is force me to slow down or stop. If they do get in my way and they apologise I always tell them not to worry and always thank them if they do. Cars on the other hand? Fair fucking game
Since several years now, my Bookman bike whistle is always with me, so in case of trouble it is on me to have the "last words". Most car drivers simply don't take in account cyclists may defend themselves in order to have an equivalent to the car's horn (and the whistle is loud, believe me). In case they honk ("Get out of my way, dumb a**"), I can whistle back ("Shut up and f*** off"). Only with my middle finger I am very careful - since a BMW (what else) passed me with a "distance" of about 20cm, I showed it to him. First no reaction, but he must have turned around out of my sight, and after a slightly right corner, he came the way back and pulled over on my roadway and tried to hit me - which I only realized later, that it was the same car. Converning the training - no way, especially the last weekend it felt like breating through a drinking straw, although I had my mouth as wide open as possible.
Ive taped my mouth in sleep before but I always wake up having ripped it of unconsciously during the night. Maybe its something you'd get used to. I like the idea but it just didn't work for me.
Do you keep your mouth shut or vent your frustration on the road? 🤬
I scream
I try not to get angry but do try to educate when a road user is doing something dangerous/dumb, so hopefully they don't do it again & hurt someone.
These days, you just never know about car drivers having weapons, savage intentions, blood alcohol. Some or all can be used against you. Best to keep your mouth shut I always say. Just keep pedalling. Use the adrenaline for a fast start or quick sprint.
Mouth shut is more aero, so I only open it on very steep inclines.
I try to keep my mouth shut, especially when its hot, dry and dirty to prevent pharyngitis to happening. I also chew gum a lot.
"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." - Mark Twain
@@pinky6863 You're making the assumption @markgire was referring to Mark Twain the writer.
😂🤣🤣🤣
@@pinky6863 Or more likely the Mark Twain that drinks down at @markgire943's local 😀
@@pinky6863don’t be pedantic, it’s a good quote…no need to dissect its origin
@@mbal4052 I find it really odd that you think clarifying the origin of a quote somehow detracts from it - and that you would prefer to remain ignorant rather than learn its real origin - to the point where you would even chastise someone for trying to set the record straight. Fine if you want to remain ignorant, but you shouldn't try to impose your ignorance on others.
One big benefit with breathing through your nose and keep your mouth shut while riding your bike is minimizing the risk of swallow bugs 😁
Ever snorted a bug up ya nose?
Neck gaiters exist
Yep, especially at this time of year whilst riding between hedgerows.
Concur. Not a riding season goes by without me swallowing some sort of bug, or ending up coughing like a fool trying to spit it out.
Gagged on a few bugs in my time, so big 👍🏼 on this
I've been taping the wife's mouth shut at night time for years and can say it definitely improves my sleep.
try doing it during the day as well - that can also have huge benefits 😃
@@kymbo72
🤣😂👍
Dudes, I’ve been taping my mouth closed at night for 2 and a half years. It was a key measure in curing my sleep apnea and turning my life around. I use micropore. 👍👍👍
For people who are unaware: taping your mouth is not a treatment for sleep apnea, and if you do have sleep apnea then taping your mouth without also using a CPAP machine is rather dangerous. Taping can help with snoring in some people, but not if you have sleep apnea. Don't believe me, believe the experts: m.th-cam.com/video/YQ5KpAvp_YU/w-d-xo.html m.th-cam.com/video/iB9BRJbEvVg/w-d-xo.html m.th-cam.com/video/KNmUma3UgHk/w-d-xo.html
I found it improved my sleep but micropore eventually caused blisters on my lips. Any other tape been tried?
@@RichardJames1957 Ouch! I've been good with the micropore so haven't tried any alternatives. I hope you find one.
You probably didn't cure your sleep apnea. Trust me, I speak from experience
Same here.
😅 I would benefit more from taping my mouth shut during the day.
Night is the only time I don’t say dumb stuff!
I really should convince my colleagues of this ;-)
Hahahah you'd be surprised... sleep talk can often be nonsense 😂
It also helps keep spiders, and roommate's practical jokes out of your mouth.
Read his book years ago. I’ve been taping my mouth for at least 3 years and it’s been a game changer. Better sleep. Getting my rem and deep sleep too
This is perfect timing... riding home from work, I was nearly struck by a suv. Instead of shouting, I simply folded the side mirror in as I passed. The driver proceeded to swerve into the bike lane and slam on the brakes, trying to knock me over. I probably should have just kept riding, but when it's the 3rd close call in a 20-minute ride, I got frustrated and nearly paid for it.
I've actually had to exchange words with other cyclists while cycling. Apparently there is a rise in distracted driving but I've also noticed an increase in distracted riding, where cyclists are either texting while riding, taking a call or wearing ear plugs. And drivers are watching us, actually they're monitoring us. In my fair city of Victoria BC, Canada there's a grumpy bunch of people who blame cyclists for everything (taking away parking from seniors, causing business to collapse and the downtown core to decay, etc) and they are very vocal about it and don't hesitate to call you out on your cycling behaviour. Unfortunately what we do on a bike affects how the rest of us are perceived by the rest of the public.
I can't seem to escape this book right now. Feels like homeopathy all over again. Breath will fix all your problems. A podiatrist wanting to fix my running gait but breathing. They had just read the book. Can't wait until my HR department get hold of it and hold breathing meetings instead of coffee breaks.
So nice to see you two back together :) Dan, you and the team are doing an amazing job with the commentaries on GCN+. It completely changed how I experience grand tours. Hats off to you and the team.
Thank you.
I have been breathing through my nose whilst I sleep because I've been using a cpap machine to help me continue to breath.
I have super high blood pressure and a sleep doctor analysied me sleeping and said that I stop breathing when I sleep. In the UK it's called "Sleep Apnoea". So this doctor perscribed a cpap machine for me to use.
But for other people I'm sure it's fine to tape your mouth shut whilst you sleep, if that is what you are into, everyone has their own special desires, and we now have a little insight into one of Dan's desires.
Coincidentally enough, I’ve started working with an ex-Olympic gold medalist rower and PT and she has me doing oxygen adaptation i.e. nose breathing but there is much more to it than just taping your mouth up at night. I do a daily BOLT test and a series of breathing exercises, which also includes altitude simulation. This results in higher CO2 tolerance and reduces lactate. There are exercises on and off the bike, as well as taping the mouth up at night and breathing as much as possible through the nose during the day. It definitely improves performance on the bike and has a host of other benefits as well, including lowering anxiety and reducing asthma triggers.
🙊 I was once stopped by a woman standing in the middle of the cycling path in a power stance with her arms outstretched as if I were a train and she was going to stop me on my tracks. She started shouting how I was an inconsiderate *beep* hole for scaring her dogs. So I calmly applied the brakes, took of my sunglasses and smiled at her. "What lovely dogs they are!" I said, "please never stop loving them the way you do, but do make sure to take care of your own safety as well. Not everyone will be able to brake as quickly as I did, and you wouldn't want to get hurt and leave your babies in the lurch".
We continued talking amicably about dogs, cyclists, and the dangers of standing in the middle of the road shouting at people.
In conclusion: if you can do so with respect for the other person, I would say you should ALWAYS SPEAK UP!
#captioncompetition That's Remco's best impression of a cow apparently. Yep, that's as close as he gets to a red jersey.
On keeping your mouth shut, I've found that when things get tough, I resort to deep breaths through my nose and manage to find a bit more energy. Without tape but just thinking about breathing through the nose has helped alleviate a sore jaw that occasionally occurred in the morning. It brings to mind the question: "How can you tell when cyclists are happy?" - "They have bugs in their teeth."
In your talk from Trek and sustainability, I've recently found a lot of satisfaction in repairing and restoring older bikes. I now have a 1967 Phillips three speed which taught me a lot about the Sturmey Archer system and the love of steel frames. The bike also taught me about the remarkable progress bike manufacturers have made in the last 56 years in riding comfort, noise reduction and the feeling of confidence (or not) at higher speeds. The Phillips is like an old sports car. My Cannondale trail bike is like a comfortable truck.
I suffer from really bad blocked nose. If I tape my mouth shut at night there is a good chance I might suffocate. Thanks Dan
I had it operated, one of my better decisions
@@Ohtaror how long would I have to wait for that in Sunak’s Britain?
I’ll wait until Labour get back in and fix the NHS. It will probably be quicker that way
@@Morhaw I had to wait for about 4 weeks, so not too bad. But I live in the good old EU ;-) Good luck!
Go to the ENT. Get a CT scane and let them look. I got a celon treatment and deviated septum correction. Huge difference.
I have same problem. Can't even get your ears syringed on the NHS these days so no chance of them sorting this.
A group of cyclists passed my friend and her neighbour who were out riding their horses. The group passed them close and loud. The horse got a surprise and the rider got thrown off and broke her arm in several places (just terrible timing given she is a great rider). Accidents happen, but the group didn't bother to see if she was OK, just carried on going because the ride is too important!
"Grass Puppies"... you guys kill me. As a young man I had a job that required me to walk several hundred yards into a field full of "puppies" on a regular basis. I was leery of them any way and always hoped they would not see me. This worked for a while until they did see me and to my absolute horror they did so en mass and a large number of them suddenly came at me at an alarming clip running right up to me and staring. I was completely unglued but unharmed in body but my soul was scared. I was able to talk to the rancher who when hearing of my fright got a good laugh at my expense. This cured me. But in the intervening time from that initial encounter to talking this behavior over with him I had double the trouble going into that field.
One of the funniest GCN videos! Love the British humor and colloquialisms. Next, let’s have a show with favorite Monty Python skits.
“What’s this one? Crunchy Frog. Am I to believe there’s a real frog in there? Don’t you even take the bones out?”
“If we took the bones out, it wouldn’t be Crunchy, would it?”
Hilarious!
So cool to see the intro taken from the top of Whiteface Mountain in NY's Adirondacks! One of my favorite places to hike to and ride. GCN crew, you need to explore this and get a crew here for one of your adventures!
Love the Adirondacks, spent 6 summers working at a summer camp up there, from the UK.
Awesome part of the world
I rode up it on Friday, along with one loop of the Ironman course. Really beautiful area.
The GCN Show dream Team!
The only time I yell at pedestrians is when they are running or walking (with strollers!) in the bike lane.
I've listened to another book called the Oxygen Advantage...which suggests the same thing. I did a deep dive into breath work and respiratory muscle training to help get my aging lungs in better shape before heading to leadville for the MTB race!
Bear Grylls on a bike? Note to myself: Better not ask what's in his water bottle.
It ‘s more likely to be a full film crew and a luxury resort than his own golden water! 😂😂😂
@@adamgriss2025 Golden water in a sheep stomach. 😀
🤢🤮
When my gear cable broke I had to remove my shimano brake hood and ever since it has never sat well - it is not snug any more and I have to keep fiddling with it to fit neatly on the shifter.
That stitch job on the hood was definitely a Hack.
Been teachihg Nasal breathing in multiple ways for years, since pre-pandemic. For friends that have sleep apnea, it's been a game changer. For my athlete clients, we have breathing protocols depending on the effort (nasal inhale/exhale, nasal inhale / mouth exhale, mouth in/exhale). I personally do my rides with nasal breathing and climb mountains over 2000m, it always gives me enough in the tank - think of it as a natural power meter/regulator. For my gym clients, find that about 95% are mouth breathers and are unable to control their pace and decrease in movement quality during workouts due to bad breathing patterns. Breathing through your mouth also gives you that "dry mouth" feel faster and makes you want to drink more.
I always tell my clients "If you cant breathe, you cant think. If you cant think, you cant move." It all starts with the breath.
Being a boffin in the parlance of the time (1980s), I looked at nose breathing as a means of increasing breathing/lung efficiency during endurance exercise and found that breathing through your nose and humming (Ooommmmm ...) on the exhale meant you could maintain nose breathing to a much higher power output than without humming. It worked in the lab on the stationary bike (in fact it was like meditation or mindfulness training) but it was a bit hard to concentrate on when out on the road.
I used to be a bit shouty. And was prone to giving the occasional hostile gesture to inconsiderate motorists. But it’s not constructive, only serves to increase your own stress level. So I have started to try and notice positive driving habits. Now if a car waits to pass on a narrow road, or gives me plenty of space when they do, or gives way as they should, they will receive a friendly thumbs up from me 👍
I have a reverse experience with the shouting thing. I was biking and had a car behind me and a runner a distance ahead of me. They were yelling and flailing their arms trying to get me to move out of the way. They had the option to go over the curb and out of my way, and I had nowhere to go but to stop until the car passed me. I was more than a little annoyed with that.
I read James Nestor's book and did the same with tape - but have moved onto using the breath right strips on my nose - has a similar effect on sleep (according to the data). Also worth using the breath right strips when running or on your bike - makes quite a difference and much more manageable to breath through your nose....
I find that I’m generally a nicer person on my bike than in the car. I tend to rock on with the bike. One exception was when a 4x4 Urban cut me up so close on a junction I thumped the rear wing with my palm to demonstrate they’d nearly floored me. After the junction they blocked me - 2 bruisers got out the car squared up and gave me heap of threatening abuse… so I rode off - mouth closed
Whilst the frame weight is a useful specification, the total weight is a much more valuable piece of information as it reflects what the rider will be mounting and pedaling.
In the great prairies of Canada, I used to 'sing' to the cows to kill the time while riding solo. Keeping your mouth shut will keep bugs from you eating them too. In the winter if your nose is cold, you may hum and your nose will warm up. Have fun, be safe!
We'll be trying the humming trick for sure! Thanks 🙌
@@gcn Does it get cold enough in the UK for your nose to get cold? Also putting the tongue behind your front teeth in -16C and colder, will help warm the air before it goes down your throat. :) This little trick will normally reduce 'exercise cough' in colder weather.
Yes. I read James Nestor’s book about a year ago and have been mouth taping at night ever since. Also, I’ve been keeping closed while riding through zone 4. My sleep and performance have improved.
Just this week, I shouted at a driver for the first time in my life. They were coming down to the road I was on, they looked right at me and pulled right into me, I almost hit the curb. I admit, I got a teeny weeny bit cross! Not that the driver noticed at all! Maybe they had tired to tape their mouth shut but missed and hit their eyes!
True story. I was once stung on my tongue by a bumblebee due to a wide open mouth whilst out riding. I figured the damage was already done, so just continued on. All was well!
Ouch! That sounds nasty 👀 🐝
I've taken up running after 34 years of cycling (and I haven't stopped cycling). I recently joined a running group at 5:30 on a Saturday morning, and was surprised at how many cyclists make rude comments towards runners to get out of the way. This happens on a road with no cycle path or side walk, but with no traffic. As a cyclist who pretends to be a runner, I found it very distasteful and quite unnecessary.
#captioncompetition
Remco, demonstrates how to release control,
To jumbo, who have three men for the role,
Go Kuss, who reached the ultimate goal,
But the whole plot - is yet to unroll...
Yoga, and more specifically ashtanga, is supposed to be practiced breathing through the nose with while somewhat restraining the airflow in the throat. I don't know much more about that other than having done it myself, but it definitely warms you up faster and relaxes the muscles. That being said, the practice is infinitely less cardio intensive than a bike ride...
I’ve taped my mouth shut for 4-5 months and I’ve noticed waking up mid night less frequently and my deep sleep has increased.
I freedive as well as cycle and there is a lot of emphasis on breathing through your nose in the freedive training. Amongst other things breathing through your nose releases nitrates that relax your lungs. @danlloyd you should read the Oxygen Advantage if you enjoyed Nestor's book. Great insights into why nose breathing is so important.
Do you think that the free diving and nose breathing has improved your cycling? 🚴
@@gcn definitely - I find it speeds up recovery after sprints.
So my husband says:
Keeping it buttoned up
Consider it multi-tasking:
•Improved sleep (snore-no-more)
•Relationship building (see bullet 1)
•Mindfulness practice (right speech, see bullet 2)
•Oh yeah, and the fitness payoffs
My wife ran across Nestor’s book a few years back. Still finding the little roll of tape on my pillow nightly.
I have a riding companion that has read the book, and did the breathing drills over the last year and he has defiantly found an improvement in his Cycling mainly on hill climbs, we were of a similar standard of riding a year ago and although I still train harder on the turbo at home, he is defiantly is leaving me behind …there was a rumour that he had though of taping up his mouth… although I think that was more wishful thinking on our part because he does tend to chat a lot.
Breathing through you nose can also lower your blood pressure. So another good reason to learn to breath through your nose. Lots of studies out there to show this effect. I haven't starting taping my mouth on the bike yet, but I have starting using a device to open up my nose especially because of a deviated septum. This has helped me breath more through my nose especially during zone 2. I don't dehydrate as fast for sure.
Awesome! It's great that you are looking for ways to improve your cycling 🙌 Have you found that this makes a difference?
I certainly don't dehydrate as fast now that I keep my mouth closed more during my ride. I am still waiting to assess performance as I need to replace my power meter @@gcn
Well, yeah, nasal breathing (even at night- through taping your mouth) actually helps. I wouldn’t scientifically specify the advantages, but Body Battery (Garmin) is in most cases higher in the morning and you feel better after running or bike ride (could be Zone 2 effect). Read for example The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown), or look into AEQ exercises.
I think we all know what "help" Herras had on the Angliru. I did see somewhere that Sepp Kuss has taken 808 KOM's this year !
4:43 well sleep is important for muscle recovery so it might have helped.
Tape around the tyre works very well. I went on a 4000 km ride with a worn out tyre. A few countries later the innertube inflated like balloon through the open hole between the threads of the tyre and exploded. It blew away a 1 cm diameter hole in the innertube, but I could put a repair patch over the hole and carry on. A few laps of duct tape around the tyre and rim held it together nicely for the next month until I could get some nice replacement tyres. Took the opportunity to change out the innertube that had about 15 puncture repair patches on it as well.
last week going up the quite steep hill to the top of Queen's Park Glasgow, breathing heavy through my mouth, a wasp through in my mouth on an in breath and got stuck at the back of my throat repeatedly stinging around my left tonsil (next to the throat dangly bit (uvula)) until i managed to cough it back up. Going to give up mouth breathing, or uphills.
I‘m interested in more of Dan‘s Whoop insights. What does his stress monitor say? Mine has shown times of high stress on several occasions recently and when I looked at what times, it was during the final of races I watched on GCN+.
Hahahaha we're got some pretty hot action on GCN+! Should we get a day in the life on Dan Lloyd? 👀
@@gcn A GCN+ behind the scenes? I‘d watch that any time.
When I was a bit younger, I came across an amusing book my aunt had - Why breathe? Useful tips such as “Hissing is considered rude, but its practice is a great aid to singers and speakers.”
I've never taped my mouth but off the bike I use the "box breathing" method quite often. It's great for improving focus, relaxation and relieving stress. With regards to road rage and how cyclists are perceived, I now make a point of thanking motorists for their patience when they pass me safely or give way. Just a quick thumb-up or wave but hopefully it helps make the roads safer and more pleasant for all.
I've been doing the same. Today, a truck was pulling out of a driveway and turning into traffic. I slowed and waved to the driver, he waved back and I felt safe passing close in front of him.
...(sigh)...I told myself not to go back into Road Cycling anymore because I just recently got back into Gravel Biking but I may have resurrected my old FUJI Roubaix 1.0 2010. It may have been because of the comment I posted on one of your recent videos and you sent me a recommendation regarding going back into cycling video from 3 years ago. I got inspired and it rekindled the flame of my love for my Roadie. I may have had a few adjustments due to my hiatus from cycling of 5 years and now I'm reintroducing myself to my FUJI as if she's a new bike. Haha! Thanks to this channel I got back into it again. She's an old bike, BUT she does the job! Thank you GCN!
My view on the shouting rage is that whatever situation you are in, you see things from your perspective. I find the trick is to think about when you are that person and react accordingly.
An example from a drivers point of view would be pulling out of a junction. A quick exit for the person pulling out seems safe but the driver approaching feels inconvenienced and possibly reacts negatively whereas a quick calculation would reach the conclusion that the inconvenience was minor and not worthy of all the stress.
So my advice to all road users is take a second to see things from the other person's point of view and keep the blood pressure low.
I recently watched a football doc Boot Dreams which was excellent btw. One episode showed this breathing coach and went through this penalty exercise breathing through mouth and then nose. The power they produced from nose breathing was considerable. Mind blown 🤯
#CaptionCompetition: After dropping out of GC contention at the Vuelta, Remco went searching for the nearest bar.
Genius 👏
#captioncompetition Remco preferred air-time to keeping his mouth shut
I've been tapping my mouth at night for the past 3 years. It has definitely improved both how I feel in the morning but also how my Fitbit reports my sleep. As an added bonus, my wife no longer complaints about the snoring.
Love the program guys and always look forward to your presenting. But some things get lost in translation…… For example, in the UK motorways are referred to by letter and numbers such as the M 25 or A3 which were close to where I lived for several years. However, in the US and New York City, W42 is really West 42nd St.. Just saying guys. But keep on just as you are because you put a smile on all of our faces regardless of what it is that comes out of your mouths !!! You made my day 😊
My reason for keeping my mouth shut when riding:
Was riding through a park a few weeks ago. A bee flew right into my mouth, got stuck in my throat. I coughed it up and as I spit it out it stung the inside of my mouth.
Yikes! I got stung on the forehead during a ride the other day, and I thought that was bad luck!
When my mother was a girl she witnessed a guy die because he ate a jam sandwich with a bee that stung him in the throat. It was at a tennis tournament and they sat next to each other. Back in the 1930’s.
@@meibing4912 how sad. 😢
You young things... back in the day, we had to ride with mouths shut because there were things called flying insects. I know you still see the occasional wasp or bee, but 30+ years ago, the air could be full of gnats, midges, flies, beetles, ants, dragonflies. I believe you can still find midges in some parts of Scotland. And, believe it or not, we had to wash them off our car windscreens as they could get almost opaque with dead insects. Ancient history now
I'm glad it's not just me who experiences swelling in the rubber of Shimano hoods. In my case, though, it's only in the one noticeable in the shifter for my rear mech, leading me to believe it's to do with the torsional forces of shifting and not the pulling action of braking that causes the rubber to stretch.
"... or should I say, if you hadn't had a background in cycling," I LOL'd
I was told by my dentist that I was grinding my teeth in my sleep, so I started sleeping with my mouth open. It has caused me to have serveral other issues now and it has been way harder to retun to sleeping with my mouth shut that it did the reverse. Dehydration has been the biggest issue.
#captioncompetition: A photo captures the very moment that Remco lost his grip on the GC.
Great book. Makes a lot of sense. They also make devices you can wear in your mouth during exercise (like CrossFit) to improve your oxygen capacity, etc.
Managed to keep my mouth shut when descending my local mountain bike trail, when I managed to spot (luckily) a local walking his 2 dogs on the trail. I managed to stop in time for him to turn to me (with both dogs barking) to say “sorry mate. They don’t like bikes” 🤦🏻♂️
Had that the other week on NCR74. Please don't ring your bell, it scares my dogs! Don't walk them on a national cycle route then!
At least he was polite about it.
If you are graveling or mountain biking, keeping your mouth shut when following someone's wheel prevents chips on your front tooth. The wheel you are following can flick up small rocks into your face ... don't ask me how I know. And if you are riding when it is wet and there might be horse dung on the roads, well ...
Like Dan, I also read Breathe by James Nester last year and began to tape my mouth up at night. Well at least I attempted to, having quite a substantial beard meant the amount of tape I had to use was just too uncomfortable and frankly painful for it to benifit my sleep. I did however resort to using a nasal dilator at night and consciously keeping my mouth shut during the day and during cycling, of which I managed to maintain a closed mouth upto around 90% of my HRmax. This did however lead to an unsightly accumulation of expelled mucous of said beard. Pitfuls aside I have found it has improved my allergies, lower stress levels and increased mental clarity. Another benefit supposedly includes increasing lactate tolerance by utilising the carbon dioxide in your blood to help neutralise the PH level. I don't cycle seriously or often enough to be able to quantify any change in that regard.(Further reading; The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick Mckeown)
PS no amount of tape can stop me vocally objecting to some horrific choses made by drivers (and pedestrians) on my daily commute!!
We'll add it to Dans reading list 👀 Great to hear that you've tried this little trick out! Do you think it has effected your cycling in anyway?
I have now learned to keep my mouth shut and let the bodycam do all the work (prosecuting drivers) 😂. It works, most of the time. It feels much better imagining their response when the letter lands on their doorstep.
what is the green watch/band that the guy on the right is wearing?
I think the main benefit of keeping your mouth shut while cycling is to prevent gnats from flying into said mouth. This doesn't happen very often, but when it does, it's very annoying.
I've learned not to engage in angry confrontations with motorists; it makes you look like an idiot, accomplishes nothing, and confirms some drivers' worst biases against cyclists even if you were initially blameless. Also, it's always a good idea to remember that the guy in the truck suffering from unfocused rage has a lot more kinetic energy than you do.
Taped my mouth during night to stop scoring - works. Ride mouth open even if I try to use nose more, biggest advantage is that hydration improves.
I think there is a good connection between low heart rate traning and mouth-closed-nose-breathing training. You can employ the yoga "dragon breathing" technique - constrict the throat a little and squeeze the lower diaphragm on your out breath (via the nose) thus ensuring you fully expel air that may have pooled in lower lungs (i may have that last bit wrong).
See the book "Body, Mind and Sport" by John Douillard
#captioncontest: why is Remco so fast uphill? he uses the force to steer and pedal!
@20:00…..while there is nothing wrong with more visibility, that light won’t really do anything based on the tilt of those bars.
@24:52 does Dan leans to the right let’s out a ‘bottom burp’?
08:53 "giving cyclists a bad name by shouting". I've never heard it suggested that one aggressive driver gives all drivers a bad name yet this is a constant refrain regarding cyclists and it comes from the fact that as a minority out-group cyclists suffer discrimination.
Keeping my mouth shut and have for a few months. Also read the same book.
I am shouting at some people. First I ring my bell. Then I talk (on your left). Then I shout.
In my defines, if people have noticed me after the second notice, I get too yell. So many noise cancellation headphones out there.
I distinctly remember as a little kid thinking I unlocked a unique skill/cheat code for holding my breath competition by breathing through my nose only. Somehow I didn’t connect that the nose and mouth…connect 🤔
Good advice! I've definitely heard about this. In fact, people have been telling me for years that I should tape my mouth shut. Though I don't think it has anything to do with my sleeping or cycling...
what a transition
I´d be worried if testicles came by flying on my bike ride
Love your humour. Keep it up
Cheers
😂 it would have to be a fairly nasty and specifically positioned accident at the front of the chain gang for a pair of plums to pass you at head height!😂😂
I've been taping my mouth for a couple of years, no more snoring better sleep and no cavities in my teeth since too,
Love riding Tucson. Our Air BnB host suggested keeping mouth shut as most drivers were armed. Better to keep it shut. So breathing help in another way.
Staying calm and keeping your mouth shut when motorists close pass is also a very good skill to learn.
I lose my shit 80% of the time. 😂
How does the metal bottle function while on a ride? Appears to be a screw off lid...
I've been nose breathing for years ( I'm now 59 ) when I boxed as junior to keep the mouth guard in.
I have been riding with my mouth firmly shut after a bee flew in and stung me on the inside of my gum a couple of weeks ago….this happened whilst I was saying to my dad what a lovely ride it had been despite falling into a ditch of nettles earlier. I can assure you getting stung by a bee on the inside gum is painful… and quite serious if your tongue swells up like mine did. So taping your mouth up on a bike ride is quite appealing.
yes, mouth breathing during training helps. My biggest result was to train and race for a trail running event (Barkley Fall Classic) and was able to noticeably reduce the effort, fatigue while climbing up the mountains.
The thing with breathing through your nose while doing sport is not new. Back in 1970 when I was in the Army, I was in the cross crountry running and cross crountry skiing teams. We were always told to breath through our nose. Although with cross country skiing it became a problem when the Temp. dropped to -15c to 20c your nose tend to freeze up.
I don't tape my mouth, but I do use nasal dilator strips at night, and I have worn them when riding, too. I've seen a few pros doing wearing them.
Cyclists being angry out on the road doesn’t help anything, only increases the likelihood that people will go into their next interaction with a completely unrelated cyclist with a preconceived notion that they’re less deserving of respect.
I tape my mouth and training to drink trough my nose 🤬
honestly the problem with the bike lane in nyc are the tow transports. people will cut infront of you with Epower then chop your front wheel because they're not aware of how long they are.
Also mopeds.... i dont mind older folks on ebikes, or out of shape, etc. its the people with "fast" ebikes that i particularly have an issue with. ride in the road.
#captioncompetition Remco practicing ways to be unprepared for an attack by Wout Poels.
I know several people, mostly men, who tape their mouths before bed. All have remarked it has improved their quality of sleep and stopped snoring!
Just tried nose breathing for most of my ride today, was signifiantly quicker than usual. In the end, I felt quite comfy-
For the science nerd: Can you do a lab test with your mouth taped shut and measure how the max power you can generate relates to threshold power and, more crucially, fatmax? I really want to know if keeping the mouth closed is a viable option to ensure zone II training...
If your struggling to get enough oxygen while exercising would surely encourage your body to produce more red blood sells...
Regarding venting at people if they are giving you abuse or vise versa i saw someone wave with a smile and have used this technique since. Much more enjoyable riding experience
I personally dont get angry with pedestrians because the worst that they can do is force me to slow down or stop. If they do get in my way and they apologise I always tell them not to worry and always thank them if they do.
Cars on the other hand? Fair fucking game
Since several years now, my Bookman bike whistle is always with me, so in case of trouble it is on me to have the "last words". Most car drivers simply don't take in account cyclists may defend themselves in order to have an equivalent to the car's horn (and the whistle is loud, believe me). In case they honk ("Get out of my way, dumb a**"), I can whistle back ("Shut up and f*** off"). Only with my middle finger I am very careful - since a BMW (what else) passed me with a "distance" of about 20cm, I showed it to him. First no reaction, but he must have turned around out of my sight, and after a slightly right corner, he came the way back and pulled over on my roadway and tried to hit me - which I only realized later, that it was the same car.
Converning the training - no way, especially the last weekend it felt like breating through a drinking straw, although I had my mouth as wide open as possible.
Ive taped my mouth in sleep before but I always wake up having ripped it of unconsciously during the night. Maybe its something you'd get used to. I like the idea but it just didn't work for me.