It’s Friday, which is excellent news, but in even better news, the latest edition of Cyclist magazine is out now.
This month’s cover is elite and so is the content inside, which includes Mont Ventoux, Lizzie Deignan’s return, Switzerland’s Susten Pass, Pogačar’s new Tour bike plus much, much more. Subscribe to Cyclist or buy issue 142 at the Cyclist Shop to get your copy.
This week it has been a Tour de France frenzy as the race continues to throw out all the stops. From Cav’s sad ending, to the ongoing yellow jersey battle and Philipsen’s impressive display of fast twitch fibres, the 2023 edition is proving to be a brilliant race.
We have the details of Romain Bardet’s Scott Foil RC, a week one recap, insight into being on the road with the Tour de France mechanics and a beautiful gallery of Israel-Premier Tech’s Factor Ostro VAM.
Speaking of which, we have all the latest on the new Factor O2 VAM, a review of the SRAM Apex AXS XPLR groupset and the Quoc Gran Tourer II gravel shoes. There’s also a profile on Pippa York if you fancy a longer read.
For this week’s In the Drops, I’ve picked a few pieces of kit I used on my ride from London to Tunisia, where I rode for at least eight hours a day for 18 days with temperatures often hitting 34 degrees. So it’s safe to say this kit has been put through the ringer.
Let’s get into it.
Maap Alt_Road merino socks
Not one to often be bamboozled by socks, the Maap Alt_Road socks have blown my mind. They are frankly the best pair of cycling socks I own. I know you’re thinking, wowzahs that’s a big claim. So what makes them so great?
Made from a merino wool blend, the Alt_Road socks offer typical woollen attributes such as thermoregulation, anti-odour and anti-microbial properties, and also feature arch support and a lightly padded toe area.
It all sounds pretty unextraordinary, right?
Once you look at the socks’ performance, it’s a whole other world of happy feet (penguins not included).
I wore these socks every day on rotation, 18 days straight and only rinsed them in water every so often to ‘clean’ them. I have had many questions about the state of my feet following my ride but the answer is they were in great shape for all of it. Not a single blister, sore or anything slightly dodgy. My feet felt great both during and after.
And I credit these brilliant socks for the happiness of my lower extremities.
- Buy the Maap Alt_Road socks now from Maap (£28)
Limar Air Stratos Mips helmet
Pitched as the perfect helmet for bikepacking expeditions, rough roads and everything in between, the Limar Air Stratos helmet is a lightweight, well-ventilated helmet with Mips protection.
It is tailored towards everyday practicality rather than aerodynamic performance, featuring a double-layered in-mould shell, which Limar says makes it strong while still being lightweight, at a claimed 240g for a size medium. It also has 15 vents and inner airflow channels for breathability.
It is a very good helmet. It copes well with all-day riding in the heat, and I’ve been really impressed with how cool it keeps my head and how quickly the internal pads dry.
And crucially the straps never chafed no matter how sweaty I got.
- Buy the Limar Air Stratos Mips helmet now from Amazon (£123.24)
See.Sense Icon3 front and rear light set
Lights, camera, Icon3 so the saying doesn’t go, but maybe it should because the See.Sense Icon3 front and rear lights are a cracking illumination combination.
With its 575 lumen front and 350 lumen rear light, the Icon3 range offers powerful brightness, as well as 270° of side visibility and water resistance. I can’t comment on the water resistance because it didn’t rain on my trip (ha) but I can confirm the lights are very bright.
I used the rear light on any main road I rode on and every day in Italy. It helped me feel seen and safe, keeping any terrifying Italian lorry drivers at bay. The battery for both lights is excellent, lasting for at least 15 hours depending on the mode.
I really liked having the choice of many modes and the ‘Get Me Home Mode’ that automatically dims to save power was very useful.
- Buy the See.Sense Icon3 front and rear light set from See.Sense (£179.99)
Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream
No one wants a saddle sore, but no one is immune to them (I think, at least). Thus, what to do when the dreaded cycling saga strikes? Especially when you are only three days into a rather long ride.
Helpfully, a nice pharmacist somewhere in the Vosges region of France had the answer to my woes, this Avène protective cream. It solved my sores in seconds (OK, not seconds but you get my drift).
The cream forms a protective film where reactivity occurs in the superficial layers of the epidermis and creates a ‘bandage’ effect that protects the skin.
Absolutely ideal for any sort of cycling saddle-related agony.
- Buy the Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream now from Superdrug (£9.49)
What we’re into this week: The sea
What’s the best way to recover from a long ride? To be honest I’m not entirely sure but I do know that swimming in the sea is a great place to start.
Since my arrival in Tunisia I’ve been mesmerised by the glorious turquoise water. From swimming to stand up paddleboarding, frisbee and beach tennis in the sea, as well as a weekend boat trip, I can’t get enough. The sea makes me so happy.
I’ve also been doing some yoga but that’s not water-themed.
Plus, temperatures have been hitting 40+ degrees here. Yes, it is absolutely roasting and no, I haven’t tried to cook an egg outside just yet. But the ocean is the ideal solution for cooling down and for a post-work shake off.
What’s more, even just watching the waves gently roll into the shore is enough to calm the mind and do some reflecting.
Simply marvellous.
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