It’s Friday, I’m Joe Robinson and this is your weekly In the Drops.
This week at cyclist, we’ve all been quietly panicking that Tadej Pogačar is going to win every bike race for evermore. We’re also worried that he will beat us to our own bed too so here’s why we desperately need someone else to win Milan-san Remo on Saturday.
Talking of San Remo, Will Strickson has dissected the big favorites to win La Primavera *cough* Ivan Garcia Cortina *cough* with all the details of how to watch the season’s first Monument available here.
On the topic of domination, Robyn looked at Jumbo-Visma’s recent success at Paris-Nice and why they are very much the team to beat in 2022.
Beyond pro racing, Emma Cole compiled a definitive guide to the best sports bras for cycling, James Spender reviewed the tremendously Italian Basso Diamante and Paul Norman gave us his thoughts on the Canyon Grail CF SL 8 Di2.
Oh, and there was a collaboration between Cinelli and Inter Milan. Great.
Maap × The Arrivals adventure kit
Rapha and EF’s collaboration with Palace. Adidas returning to the fold with new road and gravel shoes. Supreme and Castelli’s cycling jersey. Somebody, somewhere has recently decided cycling is cool and all the fancy fashion brands have begun to fall in line.
The latest to join the party is New York-based The Arrivals, which has collaborated with performance cycling brand Maap on a limited edition ‘adventure altered’ collection. There’s the Haelo packable coat, technical Polartec long sleeve T-shirt, some pocketed cargo bib shorts, a lightweight cap and socks, don’t forget the socks.
It’s a clever mix of form and function providing some smart performance-focussed technologies to the kit while retaining a look that suits post-cycling activities.
The coat is a particular highlight – light, weatherproof, plenty of pockets, an adjustable hood and an ergonomically designed bottom hem that promotes unrestricted pedaling while providing protection from road spray and wind. At £260 for the jacket, it’s not cheap but considering you can double up use for both on and off-bike errands, you may just be able to justify the outlay.
The whole range comes in men’s and women’s cuts and three colourways – sand, black and rose quartz pink. I think the pink is where it’s at – especially the shorts – but I’m happy to settle for the black selection.
• Buy Maap × The Arrivals adventure kit from Maap (from £18 (socks) to £260 (jacket))
Pulseroll Mini Massage gun
The older I’ve become, the more I’ve valued both warming up before exercise and recovery after it. This body is not what it once was, and I need to prepare it before an onslaught of exercise and nurse it when I’m done. Small, compact and with the power of a million miniature Mike Tysons, the Pulseroll Mini massage gun is just the accoutrement for a more aging frame.
The Mini massage gun is a smaller version of Pulseroll’s regular massage gun and packs 40lb of force into its compact 140×100×40mm size through three varying speeds, ranging from 1,800rpm to 3,000rpm with a claimed battery life of 6 hours (lower speeds ) and 2.5 hours (higher speeds).
In the supplied travel case sits the gun plus four head attachments – round, pneumatic, spinal and bullet. There’s also a short guide on how to use the gun, where to use the gun and with which head.
Last weekend I did a half marathon. I struggle with shin splints and tight hip flexors so paid added care to use Pulseroll’s mini massage gun on these areas in my warm-up using the provided user manual as my guide.
By the finish my legs were in an absolute box, but I can report that neither my shins nor hips were giving me any gyp.
Was this a direct result of the massage gun? I’m not sure. Does it feel nice when you use it though? Absolutely.
• Buy the Pulseroll Mini Massage gun from Pulseroll (£129.99)
Supernatural Fuel energy pouches
Supernatural Fuel pledges to offer an alternative to the synthetic, processed and sickly-sweet energy gels and bars that are currently found across the cycling nutrition market by exclusively using whole foods. You’ve got my attention.
The brand was created in Devon by founder David O’Brien when he was looking for a solution to the gastrointestinal issues he was facing while competing in endurance events.
That solution is these neat energy pouches which combine a blend of fruits, seeds and grains to give you the necessary carbohydrates, proteins and fats needed to refuel when pushing your body to its limits.
All the produce used is organic and there are no added sugars. Each flavor is also gluten free, dairy free, caffeine free and vegan – except berry and quinoa.
Performance-wise, I’m no scientist so I cannot comment on whether they are more effective than your classic gel or energy bar.
However, I can comment on taste. Of the flavors I tried, all of them tasted like real food (the benefits of using whole foods, I guess?) and were enjoyed rather than endured. Use these and gone are the days where you finish a sportive with a mouth so smothered in sugar it feels like you’ve fallen face first into a bakery.
I can also applaud the packaging. Firstly, the pouch has a cap which makes them resealable. Secondly, aware that the packaging is not easily recyclable for most local authorities, Supernatural provides a pre-paid envelope with every order so that you can return your used pouches to be recycled by a specialist waster company as opposed to ending up in landfill. A great touch.
• Buy Supernatural Fuel energy pouches from Supernatural (£21.20 for eight mixed flavours)
What we’re into this week: Twitch and Recess Therapy
With all that’s happening in the world right now, it’s quite easy to slip into a constant state of dread, especially when your job largely involves being on social media for much of the day. It can be quite hard to see the light. Then you stumble upon a Glaswegian comedian called Limmy who livestreams himself playing games online and all is ok.
If you’re unaware, Limmy is a Scottish comic who had a sketch show on BBC Scotland, Limmy’s show, and did a few bits with Charlie Brooker on Weekly Wipe. I find him very funny hence I’m watching his Twitch channel from him.
And if you’re confused as to what Twitch is, it’s a video livestream service where people on the internet can watch people doing other things on the internet and pay said person if they like what they’re doing.
I’ll be honest, I never thought I’d get to the point where I was watching a webcam of something sitting in their house playing an online multiplayer survival game called ‘Rust’, yet here we are.
I’ve also recently stumbled upon an Instagram page called ‘Recess Therapy’. It’s a 22-year-old content creator called Julian Shapiro-Barnum who goes around asking little kids pertinent questions and seeking their sage advice.
The star of the show is a kid called Dillion who basically loves Komodo Dragons and is mainly annoyed his dad won’t let him in the sea to find Dragonfish. I’m convinced he is the long-term replacement for David Attenborough.
It puts a smile on my face and I’m sure it will for you too.