cyclist

Feedback of a bicycle messenger from L.A.

by info on May 26, 2011

On March 22, 2011, Michael Romo purchase a Totobobo SuperCool mask from our site. At that time he told us:

“Hello, I’m looking forward to bringing this mask to work with me because I am a bicycle messenger in Los Angeles and the aerial pollution here is very bad. As long as we have to live in a world where our cities are full of noxious gas automobile pollution, I have to make adjustments so I can earn a living. Let me just add that I truly hate gas and car culture. We can send robots to mars but we can’t transport ourselves from place to place without spewing poisonous gas into people’s faces. It’s really sad. I appreciate your product though and hope it works well for me. Thank you, Mike.”

Now two months after receiving his SuperCool, Mike wrote to us again:
“I got my mask and it works really well. I bike messenger in los angeles and after 5 years I almost had enough of the smog and couldn’t stand it. I’ve been using it for 2 months and I like my job again. It cuts out the general air pollution around but if you’re right behind a truck or similar you still breathe in some gas but if you know how to avoid and dodge that while your riding then this mask really helps. I also like that it covers part of my face because I get annoyed when all the retards in the cars or walking try to examine my facial expression while I’m working. Now I’m like a ninja slicing my way through this toxic nebula of human worthlessness. My job is fun again! Thanks, Mike.”

Isn’t this beautiful? This is the kind of direct user feedback that make us believe in what we do. Thanks you, Mike!

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Pollution Masks: Which Are Best?

by info on September 15, 2010

BY DR. RICHARD SAINT CYR, ON SEPTEMBER 13TH, 2010

My Health in Beijing by medical blogger Dr. Richard Saint Cyr

My Health in Beijing by medical blogger Dr. Richard Saint Cyr

Real World Testing

I tried it around town for a bit, and the overall comfort is good. It definitely is less awkward-looking than the typical N95 with exhalation valves. I was pleasantly surprised with the seal and that my glasses didn’t fog up, although I got those mask lines on my face that other masks also cause. It’s relatively easy to keep on, with straps either behind the ear or behind the head (which always provides a closer fit).

I didn’t do any fancy technical testing with it, but on a bad, smelly day I put on the mask and instantly could no longer smell that pollution.

Also, there are a few other real-world advantages:

It’s not totally uncool-looking
It’s reusable and washable, and it’s easy to carry in a pouch (provided by them)
There are kids sizes
You can quickly cut the mask to fit better
The masks and filter refills are very reasonably priced

My Bottom Line

Totobobo didn’t pay me anything, and I get no income from them for this mention. I’m simply trying to find well-researched options to protect myself and anyone else from Beijing’s air pollution, and I’d be more than happy to review other masks as well and to publish the results. Last year I tried to find good studies on other brands, including Respro, but I found no well-designed studies on other masks. Does anyone have such information?

I think Totobobo is a good and affordable option for people. And a 135-fold drop in pollution is very impressive; even on an emergency day with the AQI over 500, the mask would bring your air to WHO-safe levels.

Member of Medical code of conduct

DR. RICHARD SAINT CYR is a member of "Medical code of conduct"

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SuperCool respirator review by product design student

by info on August 15, 2010

Erika Hansen, an Industrial design student from New Zealand, researched the use of respirators for cycling and running. Throughout her research Erika concluded the key challenge of respiratory protection design is to create a mask that people want to wear. She also listed a few additional challenges:

  • Drinking and communicating with the mask on.
  • A comfortable seal for a large demographic of users.
  • Does not reduce performance.

    • We invited Erika to take a look of our SuperCool and see how far it match her ideal design of a respirator mask.

    After trying the SuperCool mask, following is what she has to say.

    Industrial design student Erika test SuperCool mask at Oriental Parade, Wellington, New Zealand on the 17th of August - Photo by Bayden Filleul

    Industrial design student Erika test SuperCool mask at Oriental Parade, Wellington, New Zealand on the 17th of August - Photo by Bayden Filleul

    “I have to say, the SuperCool looks neat! It’s petite, slim and foldable for easy transportation. The transparency has a friendly feel but its only once you put it on that you realise how unobtrusive the SuperCool really is, to look at and wear.

    Being a petite woman, the Supercool was a little long for me, which put pressure under the nose and excess material under the chin however it can be simply trimmed down with scissors. The instruction booklet enclosed with the mask could be improved if it clarified this attribute with a series of diagrams. The embossed website address confuses which way up the mask should be worn. My interpretation was that you would wear the mask with the text upright so it was readable, positioned under the chin. However the form of the mask suggests that it is designed to be worn up the other way, with the text under the nose. A clear visual in the instruction booklet could demonstrate this and save users from trimming the ends only to find that it’s upside down. However the ability for the user to create a custom fit, simply with a pair of scissors is great.

    At first the SuperCool can take a bit of effort to put on but, unlike other masks I’ve experienced, you can whip it off with ease, without feeling like your being strangled by the tangled mess of straps.

    On testing the super cool I have to say I was rather impressed! With personal design experience in the area of respiratory masks I can appreciate how challenging it is to design a mask that users not only feel comfortable enough to be seen wearing but actually enjoy wearing! The SuperCool will definitely benefit users who feel at all claustrophobic in half face masks that cover the nose.

    I do have questions about the performance of the mask when it doesn’t cover the nose. For exercising it could be a good solution as most people tend to breathe through the mouth however this wouldn’t necessarily be the case for other users such as allergy sufferers. There is potentially a compromise in the performance of the Supercool as there is no seal around the filters however users can easily remove the covers and replace the filters themselves when required.

    The SuperCool is surprisingly comfortable. I could happily wear it for a few hours at a time and occasionally become unaware of it. After half an hour of use I was left with light indents on the face but I view this as assurance of a tight seal rather than a down side.

    It’s great to see that the SuperCool is latex free, a huge plus for latex allergy sufferers! The SuperCool appears to be a great mask for those wanting personal protection from particles and due to the size it would make a great travel companion should unexpected situations arise where you would benefit from low level respiratory protection against particles.”

    Erika Hansen
    Industrial Design
    Massey University
    New Zealand
    —————————————————-
    Editor note:
    Thanks to Erika’s feedback, we’ve improved the instruction of the SuperCool mask and made the possibility to trim the mask more clear.
    Regarding the orientation of the mask, some users achieved a better face-seal while wearing the mask in the upright orientation. Others find the upside down orientation is better. This has also been expained in the instruction sheet.
    —————————————————-
    Related posts:
    What Ross has to say about the SuperCool?
    Why is Totobobo’s new mask sucks?
    Protect your lungs when riding in the city
    More advanced features of TOTOBOBO mask
    How to clean TOTOBOBO mask for reuse?
    Buy TOTOBOBO mask

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    Give cyclist a Safety Wing

    by info on August 14, 2010

    Riding in Seoul with a safety cyclist wing

    Riding in Seoul with a safety cyclist wing

    A conceptual work as mentioned by UrbanVelo.
    Cyclist safety is one of the main concern that stop potential cyclist to choose bicycle as a mode of transportation.
    Many drivers, even some cyclist, believe cyclist enjoy the road at the expenses of road tax paying car-owners.
    The “Cyclist Wing” enhance cyclist visibility and safety on the road. From the driver’s perspective, the “Wing” makes cyclist becomes 300% more visible, and therefore easier to avoid.
    “Safety by number” is an important factor supported by a huge body of research finding. More cyclist = more safety for cyclist .
    The “Wing” makes the visual population of cyclist in any city increased to 300% with the same number of cyclists. Driver need to drive more carefully due to the apparent increase number of cyclists on the road.

    With the air-cleaning function of the “Wing”, cyclists make a tangible contribution to the environment, at the same time return the right-of-way to cyclist.
    it is also a subtle reminder of the harmful pollution from cars. The “Wing” earn the right-of-way for cyclist from a social perspective.

    The “Wing” will help to tilt the favor towards cyclists and turn more potential cyclist into real cyclist.

    Do you think the air-cleaning-cyclist-wing concept can work in your city?

    Read more :
    cycling
    advanced cycling mask

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    Best Cycling Mask Got Better

    July 26, 2010

    After a year long exploration on bicycle across Europe and Asia, Goska and Hervé of Dévélotour Asia released a DVD documenting their story and their findings. From 1:05 to 1:38 in the video clip below you will see why they need a pollution mask and how Totobobo has been used during their trip.

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    Erika’s finding: Respiratory Safety for exercising outdoors in Urban areas

    July 19, 2010

    “I’m a Product Design student in New Zealand and I’m currently looking into the issue of Respiratory Safety for exercising outdoors in Urban areas. To find a solution I need to find out as much as possible from those of you who feel affected/concerned by the issue. I will be designing a system or product [...]

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    What Ross say about the Totobobo SuperCool?

    July 13, 2010

    A big thanks to Ross for providing his first hand experience with the SuperCool mask. You can follow Ross at twitter ————————————————– The SuperCool mask is great–hands down. I don’t work for Totobobo–nor am I paid to say this, and I’ve been using this mask for a few months now. I first started with the [...]

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    Why Totobobo SuperCool mask sucks?

    July 6, 2010

    Cyclists and Motorcyclists! If you are looking for a pollution mask that really sucks, your long awaiting search has come to an end. The new pollution mask from TOTOBOBO, called SuperCool mask, is designed to suck more, traffic fume that is— leaving only the clean air for your lung. Its high efficient filter keeps the [...]

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    Toxic cities mock ‘healthy’ cycle riding

    June 16, 2010

    The Sunday Times – by Jonathan Leake, Environment Editor source: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7140213.ece CYCLING to work may seem the healthy option, but a study has shown that people riding in cities inhale tens of millions of toxic nanoparticles with every breath, at least five times more than drivers or pedestrians. The research involved fitting cyclists with devices [...]

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    SuperCool- the Coolest Cycling mask

    May 25, 2010

    TOTOBOBO SuperCool is the perfect filter mask for cycling and outdoor sports in polluted cities. This innovative respirator covers only the mouth. By removing the nasal cover from the original design, you can exhale easier through the nostrils without filling the mask with uncomfortable heat and moisture. The SuperCool mask is truly the coolest breathing [...]

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