*Insert swear word*, it’s March this weekend. Where does the time go?
While it’s depressing that it was 2019 seemingly just yesterday, that does mean that cycling is well and truly back, with Opening Weekend about to take over our televisions (or not, thanks TNT).
We’ve been cranking up our previews this week including guides on both Omloop and Kuurne, how to watch Omloop around the world, a rundown of the favourites for Omloop, and a look back at its greatest ever edition.
That’s just the a small portion of what we’ve been cranking out though, we’ve had a big interview with Tom Pidcock, plus reviews of the super-lightweight Scott Addict RC, which Pidders will be riding this season, and the aero BMC Teammachine R 01 One, plus we’ve looked at the cycling tech that has changed the game over the last decade.
It has also been a big news week, with updates from Rapha, Canyon, BMC and, what I think is the biggest story of the week, Boardman (check the pricing).
We’ve also started revealing the bikes that will be available to test ride at Cyclist Track Days this year, with the first three from Van Rysel, Scott and Factor.
Finally, Cyclist magazine issue 161 went on sale this week, so you should subscribe or buy it if you haven’t already.
Let’s get to it.
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Repente Nomad FC saddle
One of the first proper bike upgrades I made after starting at Cyclist back in 2020 was swapping out the stock saddle I had for a lightweight Repente saddle. It was a game changer and my rear end has had a happy few years since then.
Now we're taking things a step further with Repente's new even-more-lightweight saddle, the Nomad FC.
Weighing a claimed 155g it’s a full carbon saddle made for both road and off-road riding and is topped with a super-lightweight EVA that is in turn topped with a non-slip material.
Repente says the Nomad balances comfort and performance with an ergonomic shape and ‘the right amount of flexibility’, and that it 'adapts well to the anatomical shape of female riders'.
- Buy now from Repente (£265)
Pop Permanent White socks
Yes that's right, we're still on the 'white socks (and shoes) over everything else' train, and thanks to Pop it just gets easier and easier.
Plain socks! White (they also come in black, 'charcoal' and navy, for some reason)! Currently on a 42% discount!
The socks are made from a polypropylene yarn called Prolen, which is produced in Slovakia and is apparently entirely recyclable, and Pop says they're durable, compressive and thermoregulating for cycling through the summer.
- Buy now from Pop (£28 for a three-pack)
Huawei FreeArc earphones
Tech giant Huawei has entered the open-ear wireless headphones game – which allows users to listen to music, podcasts, phone calls, directions, etc while still being able to hear what's going on around them – with these FreeArc earbuds.
They sit over the earholes, adapting to the user's ears, and have earhooks to keep them comfortable and secure while on the move. Huawei says the hook design is based on analysis of over 10,000 ears.
They're also IP57 certified, meaning they're rated five for protection (with six being the max) against solids such as dust, dirt, sand etc, and rated seven for water-resistance (eight being the highest), which is said to mean it can be submerged in up to a metre of water for 30 minutes without being damaged.
Sound-wise, Huawei says it uses a 'reverse sound waves system' that transmits sounds directly into the ear canal for minimal leaking, while you can still hear the outside world. They also have built-in technology to enhance the sound of phone calls.
They can connect to two devices at a time, have a range up to 400m from the device and are controlled by tapping, swiping or pressing on the side. Battery life is up to seven hours, and that extends to up to 28 hours with the charging case, and they're good value at £99.
- Buy now from Huawei (£99)
What we're into this week: Biopics and playlist #26
I went to see the Bob Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, the other week and it was fantastic, but what struck me around the discourse surrounding the film was a lot of people saying they don't like biopics or that there are too many of them. That's crazy to me. I think some of the best films you'll ever see are biopics, including this one, so just thought I'd use this space to go to bat for them.
I don't actually need to do much arguing here, just search 'biopics' into Google and, if you're a doubter, retract your opinion. Thanks. (Note: this endorsement doesn't include Rocketman (2019).
On the subject of A Complete Unknown, for this edition of my new music playlist I've actually included two of the covers recorded for the film, which are excellent. They sit alongside some big new releases from artists including Sam Fender (including one of the biggest tear-jerkers of the century), Black Country New Road (not including the comma for the sake of this list), Bon Iver, Djo, Shura, Courtney Barnett and more. It's a good one.
- Listen to In the Drops #26 on Spotify
- Listen to all my In the Drops playlists
