Seeing as tonight is Bonfire Night, I hope you have a toffee apple to hand for this week’s In the Drops.
I’m Emma Cole, an editorial assistant at Cyclist and a fan of all things sustainable, adventurous and a bit niche. You’ll find me writing across the website and magazine and trying out lots of fun gear.
This week at Cyclist we marvelled at the grimaces of the 2021 National Hill Climb Championships as riders battled biblical conditions, and we celebrated the return of RideLondon in 2022.
Gear guru Will Strickson covered POC launching its lightest ever glasses and Giant’s latest Revolt Advanced gravel bike, while digital editor Joe Robinson collated the good, the bad and the ugly of the 2021 pro cycling season – safe to say there were some real clangers.
We’ve got the go-to guide on the latest Brompton range update, so if you fancy your chances at the Brompton World Champs I suggest heading over and brushing up.
Christmas (am I allowed to say this word?) is fast approaching so check out our guide to the best gifts for cyclists to find the perfect present for the rider in your life… or for you – no one’s judging.
Most importantly, Issue 120 of Cyclist magazine is on sale now so grab a copy and a cup of tea, or a G&T, it is Friday after all.
Universal Colours Chroma insulated unisex gilet
Despite all the doom and gloom coming out of COP26 this week, there does seem to be some light in the cycling industry tunnel.
Amongst the brands leading the charge in creating more sustainable cycling gear is Universal Colours. It makes modern, progressive kit which is designed to be kind to the planet.
This unisex gilet uses environmentally friendly water repellent technology and is partly made with post-consumer waste.
It also claims to be highly technical, essentially using your own body heat to regulate temperature, storing and releasing it when needed.
The gilet is reflective and has three rear pockets with a single zipped pocket for not losing your keys, and for stowing the gilet in when not in use. Neat, right?
It comes in Slate Grey and Spruce Green.
Honest Hemp chamois cream
The dreaded saddle sore is one of cycling’s major hazards, and is best avoided.
Honest Hemp has launched a chamois cream, as part of its Active range.
The chamois cream’s key ingredients are hemp oil and menthol, which according to the brand soothe and cool skin whilst also making a good anti-chafing duo.
An added bonus is that the cream can also be used on dry skin, as its ingredients mean it is multipurpose.
Hemp oil is a derivative of the cannabis plant and is made by cold-pressing the hemp seeds into an omega-rich culinary oil. It does not contain any of the cannabis’s more famous psychoactive ingredient, THC.
Honest Hemp’s chamois cream contains a balance of Omega 3, 6 and 9, products of the plant, which the company claims helps calm skin.
Of note is that hemp oil is different from its cousin, CBD oil, which is made through extraction of the CBD compound from the plant’s leaves, stalks and flowers and is also thought to have medicinal properties. Don’t miss our explainer on CBD for cyclists.
Honest Hemp’s chamois cream has antimicrobial and antibacterial properties, as you would expect from such a product, and it is cruelty free.
Hornit Clug Pro
Hornit has launched an even lighter version of its previous storage rack, in the form of the Clug Pro which weighs in at a claimed 26g.
It uses a magnetic winch handle and ratchet system to secure your bike, hugging the bike’s tyre, and there is an adjustable cord to account for all shapes and sizes of rims.
Mounted using screws and wall plugs, this little bike rack is designed to support up to 30kg, so way more than enough for the average road bike and then some, and a bike can be stored either vertically or horizontally depending on preference.
The roadie version (pictured) is suitable for tyre widths between 23mm and 32mm.
It comes in all different sizes: roadie, hybrid, MTB, MTB XL and plus which fits 70-81mm tyres – enough for absolute whoppers in other words.
The Clug Pro is also visually appealing, mainly because you can hardly see it.
What we’re into this week: Sir David Attenborough’s speech at COP26 and life in prison
If you are into sustainability like me, you will have been keeping a close eye on COP26.
Standouts from the past week have been Boris Johnson facing a backlash for not wearing a mask whilst sat next to Sir David Attenborough and reports of people being employed as official cushion plumpers for the event.
However, Sir David Attenborough’s phenomenal speech is what deserves the most airtime here.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjq4VWdZhq8?wmode=opaque&controls=Video of Sir David Attenborough's Address to World Leaders at COP26 – Speech in Full
In so many climate speeches, there can be an overwhelming message of despair, but Attenborough chose to outline the issues and then focus on hope, saying that ‘our motivation should not be fear, but hope.’
He also added that in order to limit global warming we need ‘a new industrial revolution, powered by millions of sustainable innovations’.
I read that as we need to get more people cycling. If that isn’t a reason to get out on your bike then I don’t know what is.
I find the justice system fascinating and the stories that come out of it even more so.
14 years ago, the nation was gripped by the killing of 21-year-old British student Meredith Kercher in Perugia, Italy. Her flatmate, Amanda Knox, was imprisoned four years but later exonerated by the Italian Supreme Court in 2015.
Knox spoke to BBC Woman’s Hour in her first UK interview for a long time about how she thinks her case would be viewed today, and it is an absolutely fascinating listen.
Keeping on the prison theme (and BBC, oops), I’ve been watching a great TV show called Back to Life. It’s about a woman who returns to the small town she grew up in after spending 18 years in jail after committing an awful crime.
It’s funny, bizarre and a total respite from anything else you might be doing. She also crimps her hair if you are in the mood for some nostalgia.