Curiosity got the better of me and I bought some embrocation to try out on my winter rides. $10 for something that can make the cold rides more enjoyable sounds like a no brainer. What’s the worst that could happen?
I applied it as directed and massaged it into my legs, making sure not to dip my balls in it (pretty much the only thing I know about the stuff is that my balls shouldn’t go in it). Felt a little tingly, smelled like Morocco, and my legs were kind of orange, but otherwise didn’t really notice much. Put on the rest of my kit and hit the road for a moderate 2:30 minute ride. About half way through the ride I noticed that my ankes felt freezing cold, or really hot. I couldn’t really tell, but it wasn’t particularly pleasant. After checking to make sure my booties weren’t on fire, I kept going figuring that maybe the cold air was coming in from somewhere. Not a feeling I would try to replicate, but also not really a big deal.
By the end of the ride, the burning ankles feeling was getting kind of old, but things took a turn for the better once I got inside. My legs warmed right up and felt great while I stretched out and got ready to hop in the hot shower…
Holy shit! The moment water touched my legs, it felt like a terrible allergic reaction. There I was, cowering in the corner of my shower with orange legs, crying like a child. Cold water seemed to do the trick, but who wants to take a cold shower after a freezing cold ride? In the process of furiously attempting to scrub it off (still not sure how I get this stuff off, paint remover perhaps?), I somehow wound up with embrocation on my wrists and chin, which only served to “enhance” the “experience”.
So the embrocation experiment was a complete failure. What is the deal with this stuff? Did I put too much on? Was there a chemical reaction between my socks and the embro? How are you supposed to shower? Why would the feeling of an allergic reaction improve my cycling experience? Why do I still smell like Morocco 6 hours after my ride? Is this what it feels like to be a pro?
That stuff is for snobby roadies. It makes it tolerable to ride in cold weather without tights so as to look more badass. It’s all about appearances for some.
Try a little rubbing alcohol to remove before hitting the shower…apply using a latex glove if yours is cream based, avoids spreading it around to your eyes/balls etc.
Embrocation is adopted mostly by the CX sector according to Velonews this week. I like it at races and on super cold rides, nice on small of back too. Some folks swear that it works on your feet as well, but I haven’t tried that yet. If it is burning, you may have applied to much, I use http://www.soigneur.net/ and find that 2-3 finger tips worth is about right. I try to not get to much behind my knees and on my nuts. After a ride, rub off with a towel and apply some rubbing alcohol prior to your shower.
yeah got a weee bit on the frank and bean one time… Last time I ever make that mistake. Had to take a cold shower for a good 90 min before the burning subsided.
On the bright side it does feel fantastical on the legs. Just make sure you ease in to the shower and start a bit luke warm and increase to warmer.
I had the same experience you described with the Mad Alchemy Medium blend. Post-ride my skin looked like it was severely sunburned and when I got in the shower it stung like hell. Had to basically take a cold shower. And the residue is still stuck in my base layer after half a dozen washes. I can feel it activate and start to warm when I get out on a ride. Weird.
Today, I emailed Mad Alchemy and asked if I could downgrade my jar of stuff to their “Mellow” blend. I got a quick response from them and the thumbs up to exchange it. Nice people, great service.
The main ingredient is capsicum. It’s a skin irritant and is used to make pepper spray. All the conversations about “heat” are nonsense. There’s zero heat.
I like it on cool mornings for longer rides (4 hours) when I need to wear shorts later. It’s useful to take the edge off but it’s not for riding barelegged in 40F temps. I’m talking low to mid 50’s at the start, 60’s later. It’s also good for spring road races when the weather is poor.
If the temperature is going to stay on the cool side, wear leggings or tights.
I use it all the time, often under my kneewarmers or leg warmers. No it doesn’t actually make you warm but there are some nice things about embrocation.
It feels warm (if you’ve applied it right) which takes the psychological edge off.
OK NOT SCIENCE HERE, but it does mess with the sensations from your legs and the feedback that gives you so it often seems as though I can’t feel my legs fatiguing as much. Giving a psychological leg up and helping through tough intervals. Even if it’s merely placebo, it’s a placebo that works…so it works.
The burning feeling after the shower when you have been chilled to the bone is really nice and makes the thawing out process more tolerable.
It’s definitely not for everyone though, and certain brands work better for some people than others.
I’m with Nate. I love the stuff (Mad A is my fave). But watch out if you try it on your lower back and then you sweat a lot. It will feel like flames coming out of your back.
That stuff is for snobby roadies. It makes it tolerable to ride in cold weather without tights so as to look more badass. It’s all about appearances for some.
I just started using two types of embrocation, one is Enzo’s Oil Stick and the other is DZ Nuts InHeat Medium. The Enzo’s is basically for cool and rainy weather and just “weatherproofs” your legs. I liked it and it kept my legs good on a cool, rainy ride. They only had the hot at the CX race I got it at, so I went for the DZ for some heated embro. DZ washes off well and it felt like I was riding on the first “warm” (i.e. 55 degrees) ride in the spring where you go shorts simply because you can. Nothing stuck to my legs either. It was about 45 with some sprinkles and 25mph winds. When I got in the shower it was very hot, but that was simply because my skin wamred up and lasted about 30 minutes after I came back inside from my ride. The explanation I found was that the capsaicin in hot embro “attaches” itself to the pain sensing nerves and makes you feel warmer, but has to take time to wear off. After the ride ends, if you did not ride long enough for it to wear off, you will feel burning because your in a warmer environment. It does not cause any nerve damage or chemical burns.
I’m certainly no ‘snobby roadie’ but I do use the stuff in the winter. Normally when its too warm for leg warmers. You just need to find a brand that doesn’t irritate and is not too hot. I regularly use both the Elite and Morgan Blue range. Excellent products, there is a reason why they are so many pro teams use them ! PBK and Wiggle both sell them.
its activated by moisture. if you didn’t sweat enough and it wasn’t raining, the effect of it is fairly minimal. not zero, but nothing like what happens once a bit of moisture gets into it (as you found out in the shower)
how does it work when it works? capsicum (the “irritant”) ends up causing dilation of the blood vessels near the surface of the skin, causing more blood flow there, causing less cold.
That stuff is for snobby roadies. It makes it tolerable to ride in cold weather without tights so as to look more badass. It’s all about appearances for some.
Just wear some tights.
x2
or guy I know uses this
That stuff tastes horrible. Don’t ask how I know that.
