Posted by Radio Freddy, March 20, 2008 | Interviews | PRO Style It is simply amazing that twenty years have passed since that fateful May when American Andy Hampsten rode into the books with his historic win at the Giro D’Italia.
BKW’s love for the “hardman” winning style makes it easy to admire Andy’s win, which was secured by his efforts on the snow-covered Gavia pass. Although his ride brought him over the line to second place, his finishing time netted him the leader’s jersey and eventually the overall win. Andy’s work that day and his ability to suffer has inspired countless cyclists over the years and pushed many of us deeper into the pain cave than we originally thought possible.
When cyclists think about how brutal our sport can be, we think about riders suffering on climbs through inclement weather and against the tallest of odds. Andy Hampsten’s career embodies all of this.
Posing as a legitimate cycling news agency, we managed to pin down Andy to discuss his historic feat and what it meant to be a PRO in the late 80s. We also spoke of the release of Rapha’s newest, limited edition jersey that marks Andy’s accomplishment and takes many of us back to the heyday and, for some, a return to the birth of our passion for cycling.
Speaking with Andy was an honor. I felt like he had as much fun telling the stories as I did hearing them. His recollection of his racing career is impressive and his love for cycling is evident.
BKW: So much of professional cycling comes down to a rider’s ability to suffer more than the rest. Have you ever suffered more than you did in the famous shots of you, white with snow and frozen, crossing the Gavia?
AH: Not more than that day. We had 25 kms of descending in snow and sleet, but we were well-prepared, and that allowed me to stay calm. I am glad no one told me how crazy the descent was.
BKW: How was the win received by the team’s sponsors?
AH: 7-Eleven knew it was primarily an Italian race, and people in the U.S. had no idea about it, they were eager for a Tour win. Hoonved understood the magnitude, they had twenty years of sponsorship under their belt. I gave the trophy to the owner and he was beside himself; he carried it around like a baby. Shimano was very excited, it was their first major tour win. I gave them one of my bikes and it is now in Shimano’s museum.
BKW: Rapha seems to pull together all of the design elements that surrounded your place in cycling back in 1988. Does the jersey bring back some fond memories of the time?
AH: I don’t wear my pink jersey around too much, for one, it’s too small. But Rapha has done a great job of capturing the details, right down to the panel on the front. The original jersey had a panel sewn onto the front of it. The soigneurs took a mussette and cut the side of it out and sewed it onto the jersey. For this reason, it made it tough to wash. I ended up wearing the same jersey for the entire tour. As I get older, companies like Rapha make me snobby. I don’t want to wear plastic jerseys anymore.
 BKW: What keepsakes do you have from your win at the Giro?
AH: I have the shoes, undershirt, and the Oakleys. I also have the bike. That is my most treasured item.
BKW: Did you have any kind of prep on your legs for the Gavia? Any warming qualities, like today’s embrocations?
AH: We used a lanolin prep on everything. Mike Neel had the foresight to advise us to use it everywhere. I had it on my back, arms, legs, butt, everywhere except my hands. We had a meeting before the race and knew we would see rain, sleet, and snow. Some riders preferred to mix the lanolin with Cramer’s for heat, some preferred the blazing hot, and others a medium. I applied the lanolin with a little bit of warming so thick to my legs that it was 3-D.
It was a pleasure to speak with Andy and it seems that he still gets a kick out of recounting the tales to cycling fans. Andy’s take was interesting. He said that following the win, there was, of course, a celebration, but it was right back to work with the team’s sights set on the Tour de France. Now, that’s PRO.
Photo Courtesy: Rapha
Check out Andy’s insider perspective on the 1986 Tour with the La Vie Claire here.
Posted by Radio Freddy, March 4, 2008 | Embrocation | Padraig | Point of View Spring—or something that will soon seem more like it—is coming to New Belgium and parts south. I decided I wanted to try a new embrocation with some more heat than anything I had in the cupboard. I wanted something with the rolling glow of a fresh sunburn, so I sought out another Record product, this time the Pregara Forte.
Because I didn’t know just how capable it was, on my first use I tried it on a ride that left a little later in the day and wasn’t quite so cold at the start. I needn’t have feared. The cold win passed my legs unnoticed and my legs had the zip of warmed-up muscles, which is, after all, what you want from a proper Belgian Knee Warmer.
Here’s what I wasn’t expecting: I assumed the heat would last through the four hours of the ride, and that it would be hard to wash off when the ride was over. In my case, these two details make it one of my favorite embrocations ever.
I live in a climate where cold morning temperatures don’t usually hold. It’s rare that I don’t finish a three or four hour ride with the temperature having risen at least 10 degrees. So while this stuff can’t compete with Qoleum Hot’s never ending nuclear reactor heat, Record Pregara Forte is far more usable in the conditions where I live. The heat in the Pregara Forte actually gives out after an hour or two, depending on how much you use. For me, that’s enough to get through the coldest part of the ride, and the glaze provided by the cream helps to insulate for the rest of the ride. You could almost say it’s a smart embrocation.
The second great revelation of Pregara Forte was how easy it is to wash off. Rather than feeling like I had shellacked myself, when I got in the shower it washed off immediately with ordinary soap. The unlikeliness of the experience led me to wash my legs a second time—an effort that proved to be as unnecessary as remembering to breathe. For anyone needing waterproof insulation, a layer of Record Impermeabile can be added to make your legs as waterproof as a Timex watch.
Pregara Forte, like other Record products is available in either 100ml tubes or 250ml tubs. This stuff will remain in my bag of tricks ad infinitum. It is distributed by Torelli Imports and you can find a dealer near you here.
Overall Heat Rating—medium
Euro Style Rating—Fairly high, a nice sheen
Smell—Pure old-school style: menthol, camphor, and a hint of rosemary and lavender
Durability—Perfect: though the heat trails off, it continues to insulate for the duration of your ride
Check out BKW’s other embrocation reviews here.
Posted by Radio Freddy, November 20, 2007 | Embrocation | Padraig | Point of View It’s that time again. Well, it’s been that time most everywhere for some weeks, but now we’ve had time enough to try a few new embrocations. From Milano come Record products. They make a wide selection of embrocations for conditions that range from Hampsten on the Gavia to July in Provence.
Kanadian is made for the broadest range of conditions in a single day: from armwarmers at the start to unzipped at the finish. My favorite thing about the Kanadian is how easily it goes on. Some creams don’t seem to flow well–some seem downright tacky, so to the degree you are inclined to give yourself a bit of massage to make sure everything is ready to fire like the old Saeco leadout train, this stuff allows my hands to glide over my legs.
I must confess a love that should not be named. For me, what I most love about embrocations aside from the smell (I’m with Radio Freddy, the smellier the better) is how they look after four hours of racing. The flypaper road grit look on the shins couldn’t be more PRO even if you rode around with a signed contract from Slipstream. Pulling up to a coffee shop with legs that look like you just beat Eric Vanderarden in the sprint at Paris-Roubaix and getting strange looks from patrons and management alike makes me grin with glee. Anything that can make cycling appear more brutal, more … Daniel Craig-style James Bond, I’m in for.
Overall Heat Rating – virtually none
Euro Style Rating – High, a bright sheen
Smell – Vaguely floral (tea tree oil and rosemary come through) and unlikely to upset the race HQ’s hotelier
Durability – Extremely high, five hours plus
Torelli Imports is the U.S. distributor of Record products. I asked Torelli’s public face and Guinea Pig in Chief Bill McGann how hard the stuff is to remove before trying it and he said it wasn’t bad. He was right; Kanadian cleans up easily, which I like. When I asked his advice on some embrocations that seem to be part pine tar he suggested steel wool. Bill has a sense of humor … or he takes delight in my misfortune. Pick one.
Posted by Radio Freddy, June 4, 2007 | Embrocation The summer temperatures are in full swing and with them come white handle bar tape, white socks and, of course, a lighter, gentler embrocation. My first choice for the summer months comes from Sportsbalm: #3 Cajeputi Oil, a product that Sportsbalm claims is ideal for temps in the 23ºC – 30ºC range.
Sportsbalm has been a fixture in the PRO peloton for many seasons and was the embrocation of choice by Lance and the U.S. Postal team. If it’s good enough for the boys in blue, then it’s certainly good enough for me. SportsbalmUSA.com provides an excellent product breakdown, and outlines the benefits of each one. The Web site claims Cajeputi Oil is preparation oil, perfectly suited for application prior to race time. The #3 is formulated using two ingredients: vegetable oil and Cajeputi Oil. Both reduce the risk of cramping and keep the muscles supple and well fed.
Today’s conditions: Sunny, mild at sign-in, 20ºC, no wind, expected high of 26ºC
So, how does the Cajeputi Oil perform? This stuff is the shiniest embrocation I have ever used. And let’s face it, the shine is PRO. The Cajeputi Oil begs to be applied heavily because the oil is so thin it literally leaps out of the container (and with the squeeze bottle there’s no way it’s going back in once it is out). The vegetable oil base means that applying too much #3 will give your legs the flypaper effect. (Who knew there was so much debris at shin level?) The smell is light and a touch on the medicinal side, but it’s a subtle effervescence and you need to be up-close to really smell it. As a side note, if you’re looking for the warmth so common in embrocations, then I would suggest bumping up to Sportbalm’s Start Oil.
In sum, if you like to sport the embrocation on every ride, then the Sportsbalm #3 Cajeputi Oil is the perfect choice for the warmer months when a standard embrocation is simply too hot.
Overall Heat Rating – Low to non-existent
Euro-Style Rating – Insanely high, mirror-quality sheen
Smell – Light and sweet, PRO
Durability - Extremely high (despite its thin base, this stuff goes on and stays on through sweat, rain, and extremely humid conditions. If you are not careful you will be rocking the flypaper style.)
Now…I saved the best for last. As a cyclist, I am a huge fan of equipment and equipment to help care for my equipment. I love Giro’s helmet pod and a great gear bag that separates my dirty gear from clean, and I am a total sucker for a bag designed to carry my embrocations. Does it get any better? Make certain that when you buy the works from Sportsbalm, you order yourself one of the Sportsbalm logo bags so you, too, can rock the PRO Soigneur style.
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________________________________  ________________________________  ________________________________ FEATURED INTERVIEW  A Talk with Andy Hampsten ________________________________
FEATURED VIDEO  2006 Giro di Lombardia ________________________________
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