Cyclist
“Your masks are very useful in India! Thanks!”
Goska Romanowicz & Hervé Bonnaveira
By: Goska Romanowicz & Hervé Bonnaveira
Totobobo cyclist’s pack
1 Totobobo mask + 20 filters, Only USD 45.00. You save USD 7.00!
Cycling across Asia from France on a year long eco-cycling trip
The TOTOBOBO anti-pollution masks came in very useful in India! We’ve tested the masks in Delhi, the Indian countryside and Calcutta – used one filter for a day’s cycling in each place – and we got varying shades of brown. The masks were comfortable for an hour or two, when we used them longer periods of cycling they were ok but started to get wet inside (especially that it was very hot here) and became less comfortable. But that’s still preferable to breathing the air of Calcutta or most other Indian cities.
I’ve attached a photo of the filters after 6 hours’ use in Delhi, Calcutta, the Indian countryside and Bangkok. The countryside one was especially shocking – even far from cities and factories the air is very polluted.
We show the masks to school and university students when we stop to give our ‘sustainable development presentation.’ It usually has a strong effect and communicates the problems of pollution well. They sometimes ask us where we got the masks – incidentally, we last gave your website address to students at a Bangkok university.
TOTOBOBO mask in Bangkok
Extensively tested by eco-cyclists throught some of the most polluted cities in India, South Asia and China!
Moving forward in sand storm
Pollutants collected by TOTOBOBO filters
Pollutants collected by TOTOBOBO filters along the way.
TOTOBOBO in Calcutta, India
Riding in Calcutta, pollutants free!
Pollutants collected by the filters from China and India
Filters help to block pollutants when cycling through some most polluted cities in Asia
Develotour education session
The used filters turn out to be a great tool to communicate pollution issues to school children.
Get the cyclist’s pack
1 Totobobo mask + 20 filters, Only USD 45.00
You save USD 7.00!
Read more: develotour.fr
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More testimonial from cyclists
Tanja Ploetz
Tanja Ploetz – Beijing, China
(CESDRRC)
China Environment and Sustainable Development Reference and Research Centre
I have been testing the TOTOBOBO mask a bit more. It gets more and more comfortable with adjustment. I like the way the mask goes along flexibly with breathing, but I have to say that when I cycle real fast and get out of breath, I do get some breathing problems with the mask on. Anyway, not many people go fast on their bikes in Beijing . I think it’s brilliant how you have taken all aspects of environmental impact into account, and looked at the whole life-cycle of the product, also taking disposal, e.g., into account.
Jamil Batcha – China, Beijing
The TOTOBOBO mask has been pretty comfortable and compares well with my previous choice, the Respro Sportsta Contour Face Mask. I live in Beijing and bike to work everyday.Sometimes I have to take a taxi/ bus in order to reduce my exposure to the notoriously polluted air, however, I, like most people in Beijing must endure heavy traffic. Even on bad air days, I’d rather bike, using the mask to protect my respiratory system. The only problem may be the mask may sealing too well, sometimes I feel out of breath when cycling very fast. 
Ryan Foley – China, Beijing
I live in Beijing and am concerned with the air quality, especially when I am riding my bike on the street. I used to use a carbon filter mask, but the TOTOBOBO looks and works better. Only problem with the strap which is not very convenient. In cold weather my nose runs and it is hard to remove the mask and put it back on quickly while I am riding. Thanks to the suggestion from Sharon, I discover it is possible to pull the mask down to clear my nose, without removing the mask. Now my boy friend takes over the TOTOBOBO mask, he tried it once and likes it much better than the previous carbon filter mask. The coldness in Beijing is not a problem, the mask keep the air inside very warm.
Related post: What cyclists are looking for in a pollution mask?
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Wearing a gas mask while bicycling
http://www.columbusunderground.com/forums/topic/wearing-a-gas-mask-while-bicycling
The 94 and 96 filters do not filter out CO. However, “the short-term health effects of air pollution on the cardiovascular system have been studied intensively in the past decade. Particulate matter is considered to be of primary concern(20,21) ” – Exposure to Traffic and the Onset of Myocardial Infarction, The New England Journal of Medicine, October 21, 204 issue.
does the mask filter out carbon monoxide
My girlfriend Sarah and I have been using and very much enjoying the anti-pollution Totobobo masks in New Delhi – India. I want to say thanks… The radio taxis here have gone wacko and so we are spending a lot more time in rickshaws. I used to have a very bad cough and had to take allergy medicine but it seems to have resolved itself! no more medicine – no more coughs. Its a bit hot under the mask in 47 degree heat… but beast sucking on a truck tailpipe
sam
Larry,
I have been riding since kindergarten. At 52, I would not say I am a “new rider,” but your advice about moving the right hand off the hood to “the center of the handlebar near the stem” and then dropping the left hand when looking back is a new thought (but, then again, maybe that’s because most of my riding in the last 20 years has been on a mountain bike – who needs to look back on a trail?). Thanks for the welcome tip to fine tune riding habits!
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