Embrocation still a thing?

[oldguy00]

Was it just a fad during the Velocipede/cool kids era? I remember several years back seeing some Mad Alchemy jars showing up in my local MEC (Canadian version of REI...), but never hear of anyone using it anymore....

[GScot]

Hmmm. I used it often when we lived in STL, but that ended in 2018.

[Alistair]

Originally Posted by oldguy00

Was it just a fad during the Velocipede/cool kids era? I remember several years back seeing some Mad Alchemy jars showing up in my local MEC (Canadian version of REI...), but never hear of anyone using it anymore....

It's been a thing forever-ish. But, I never found it all that useful. Tried it for a couple of seasons during cyclocross, but it never helped and even post shower, I'd feel some burn, so I gave up using it. Leg warmers exist for a reason.

[tv_vt]

I still use MA stuff. It lasts a while, so not one of those things you go out and buy often. The mid-heat range embro is great for tight muscles any time, not just for riding.

[mass_biker]

Still use MA as well - just the ticket when it is raining outside and you want to stay warm!

[redir]

I remember trying it a few times and thinking it was a bit gimmicky. It might feel warm but it's really not. My guess is a lot of people started catching on to that fact.

[krooj]

Originally Posted by oldguy00

... during the Velocipede/cool kids era ...

Side note: I want this era to come back so bad. It was just... better.

[Likes2ridefar]

It doesn’t do anything so that may be why, unless you consider skin irritation that creates a warm feeling affect to be actual warmth. Perhaps it is powerful enough to convince the mind to move blood still to extremities dodging the survival response?

[crankles]

Originally Posted by Alistair

Leg warmers exist for a reason.

IMHO, knee and leg warmers are great for cold, but suck if it's cold and raining. For rainy cx races, Its' MA on the thighs and knees. Knee and leg warmers just get soaked and chafe behind my knees. Dawn dish soap in the shower is your friend. Start with that before you hit the hot water!

[Mark McM]

I wonder if emobrocation has the opposite of its intended effect, and actually makes you cooler? In cold weather, the body naturally reduces blood flow to the skin, in order to decrease heat loss. Embrocation may make the skin "feel" warmer, probably in part by increasing blood flow to the skin - but that may actually end up reducing core temperature. In days of past, they would often give an alcoholic drink to people suffering from hypothermia, because this would make the person feel warmer. But in reality, the alcohol would interferer with the person's thermo-regulatory system, making the situation worse.

Another thing I wonder about is even if embrocation makes a rider's legs feel warmer, does it really increase blood flow to the muscles/joints? It is generally best not to over-stress the muscles and joints until having a changes to "warm up" (increase blood flow), so if a rider feels like their legs have warmed up before they are really ready, could that result injury if they push too hard too soon?

[Pegoready]

The embrocation era was a good one. I remember these things well:

• Hitting refresh on the Belgium Knee Warmers blogspot every morning
• Rim brakes and 700x25 tires
• Being hard and doing dirt roads on said 700x25 tires and 53/39 crank
• Clip on fenders, filthy drivetrains
• Bib knickers
• ISP bikes from Ridley, Gualzetti, and Speedvagen
• A magazine called Embrocation. Also, Roleur.
• 3T Rotundo bars and other round bend drop bars
• Classic Flite, Regal, and Concor saddles on your state of the art road bike
• Nemesis tubulars
• Cotton cycling caps under your helmet
• iPods and corded headphones on the bike, sometimes
• 10 Speed drivetrains

What a time to be into cycling! (I'm still into half of these things)

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by Likes2ridefar

It doesn’t do anything so that may be why, unless you consider skin irritation that creates a warm feeling affect to be actual warmth. Perhaps it is powerful enough to convince the mind to move blood still to extremities dodging the survival response?

I actually do agree with this, and was always how I felt about it. Its just a mild chemical burn. But it does make your legs look shiny lol.

[oldguy00]

Originally Posted by krooj

Side note: I want this era to come back so bad. It was just... better.

Haha, they were def interesting times. I still remember the pics a certain member posted of himself wearing like full body armour to keep himself safe on road rides.......lawsuits almost happened....

[christian]

Originally Posted by Pegoready

The embrocation era was a good one. I remember these things well:

• Hitting refresh on the Belgium Knee Warmers blogspot every morning
• Rim brakes and 700x25 tires
• Being hard and doing dirt roads on said 700x25 tires and 53/39 crank
• Clip on fenders, filthy drivetrains
• Bib knickers
• ISP bikes from Ridley, Gualzetti, and Speedvagen
• A magazine called Embrocation. Also, Roleur.
• 3T Rotundo bars and other round bend drop bars
• Classic Flite, Regal, and Concor saddles on your state of the art road bike
• Nemesis tubulars
• Cotton cycling caps under your helmet
• iPods and corded headphones on the bike, sometimes
• 10 Speed drivetrains

What a time to be into cycling! (I'm still into half of these things)

OMG, apparently, this is what being a GenX cyclist is like because, I um, still do almost all of these every week...

- Rock 700x25 tubs on my Extreme Power
- Rode gravel on that bike this weekend
- Literally recommended Ass Savrs to someone yesterday
- Wore Assos bib knickers this past weekend
- Use Deda100 Shallow bars
- Use a Regal on a Extreme Power
- Have Record/Nemesis wheels, but presently running Nucleon tubulars
- Wear a cotton cap under my helmet every. single. ride.
- No headphones usually
- Still run Record 10 on 2 of my 3 bikes. The other one is single speed.

[CAAD]

Tried it a few time and didn't like it. The shower after the ride was brutal!