In the drops: S-Works gravel shoes, smart Pongo socks, Le Col racé and a marathon

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What a week to be on In the Drops service. While the real world was a complete mess with Storms Dudley, Eunice, Franklin and Vladimir it was loaded for cycling and for us to Cyclist.

For starters, issue 124 of The Magazine has gone on sale, which includes discussions with Romain Bardet and Fiona Kolbinger, Britain’s toughest climb, great rides in the Dolomites and the Lake District and our gear favorites for spring.

There was also a pretty massive double-launch from Wahoo, with the long-awaited release of its Powrlink Zero power meter pedals and Kickr Rollr smart rollers, and a rather excellent review of a rather cool gravel bike, the Condor Bivio, by Associate Editor James Dépensier.

Editorial assistant Robyn Davidson has produced #content with the second installment of her extremely online roundup of fun things about cycling on the internet and a must-see interview with Dan Jones of famed Orica-GreenEdge Backstage pass series and The Social Distancing Podcast.

In the professional world, the action really kicks off this Saturday as the Spring Classics come to life with Opening Weekend – Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and Kuurne-Brussels-Kuurne – so we’ve gathered everything you need to prepare.

For lesson previews, check out Henry Catchpole’s classic piece on the legendary Muur van Geraardsbergen and our guide to everything you need to know about Omloop 2022.

For the runner previews, we’ve broken down the men’s favorites and the women’s favorites. For TV coverage, check out our opening weekend TV and streaming breakdown.

Among all of this, we have an exciting new kit.

Specialized S-Works Recon Lace shoes

Dials. Son. ‘Closing systems’. Why such a commotion? There’s a reason all shoes for people over the age of eight have laces, it’s a proven system that definitely works. It also looks much nicer.

Specialized knows this, and that’s why it recently released the mouth-watering (and wallet-) mouth-watering S-Works 7 Lace shoes.

So now is a good time to remind everyone of the S-Works Recon Lace shoes which were released in July last year.

Yes, they are not strictly new, but so far they have not yet been fully covered by Cyclist.

The Recons are Spesh’s all-terrain shoe, with all the esteemed power transfer qualities of its premium road products along with all the features needed to survive in the wild.

By that we mean a super-stiff carbon fiber sole, Body Geometry fit, rubber heel and toe treads, dual cleats, external toe cap, sturdy upper and a pair of laces that can, of course , be retracted once attached. .

If you’re not there for the laces and don’t think they’re meant for cycling shoes, you’ll pay £70 more for Recon’s with the Boa dial. But don’t forget: Tadej Pogačar wears lace-up shoes.

Pongo London All Season Socks

It’s always a weird time of year for layering, and climate change has made it even harder to make clothing decisions right before a night out. When a sunny day can be 3° and a gray day 13°, how do you prepare?

Pongo London offers socks to get you through the coldest days through summer via the days in between without any risk of getting cold toes. And this will greatly contribute to the overall comfort.

These three sock options show off the brand’s technical prowess with material choices and blends as well as selective thickness.

The XMerino (right), its deep winter socks, cashmere blend, mercerized merino and silk to make them warm and incredibly comfortable.

Classic Merino socks (center) are made with a 200-needle machine and provide optimal insulation with pure merino that hugs your feet.

The star of the show here, however, is Pongo’s latest development: its Cosi spring socks.

If you managed to get your hands on a copy of Cyclist number 124 you may have noticed that i picked these as one of my spring favorites and there’s a good reason, even though i haven’t had them for a long time.

From the midfoot, these are summer socks. Thin, absorbent, breathable, silky. The forefoot, meanwhile, is a cushioned sponge cushion to keep your toes warm and comfortable when it’s still chilly in the air. Very clever.

Le Col Pro II Jacket

Finally, winter weather does not necessarily mean slow driving. Heavier clothes, bulkier accessories, and cold bodies all work to keep us from pushing rather than pushing until the sun comes properly.

Le Col’s second-generation Pro Jacket aims to deliver high performance in all conditions and the brand says it’s been developed alongside its network of pros to ensure it delivers on its promises.

The jacket’s Polartech Neoshell material is waterproof and windproof with a construction designed not to compromise breathability or comfort.

It balances the right amount of thickness with a stretchy yet close-fitting fit that minimizes weight, eliminates flapping and optimizes aerodynamics. Sounds like a recipe for speed, right?

Functionality isn’t sacrificed either, with reflective detailing and multiple pocket spaces to ensure you don’t have to worry about trying to access a jersey underneath to reach the essentials. One of these pockets is also waterproof, which helps protect phones etc.

What are we doing this week: the Marathon and ItD playlist #4

What better thing to do when you’re not exercising than more exercise? Although I may regret it, I signed up to run the London Marathon for Asthma UK in October.

As an asthmatic myself, I’ve always been keen to prove that having asthma doesn’t mean you can’t be physically fit and capable.

The stereotype of asthmatics as bespectacled, fat, unfit nerds is — and has been — all over popular culture, from lord of the flies for The Big Bang Theory.

It’s incredibly boring and tiring, especially since while I’ve managed to control my own asthma, others aren’t so lucky.

A study has shown that children growing up in Tower Hamlets, London have lungs 5-10% smaller than the national average due to pollution levels in the area, so this issue is more pressing than ever.

I started running fine during the first lockdown in 2020, but struggled to fully motivate myself after running a very relaxed half marathon distance.

Now I’ve been given no choice but to do many to race this year alongside my bike enough to keep me sane. I would be extremely grateful for any donations to my cause on my JustGiving page.

To top off this huge week, my new music playlist this month is The Best One Yet.

After limiting myself in the first three editions to 20 songs, I struggled to keep the fourth playlist under 50 songs and three hours.

Maybe it’s because I had two extra weeks to compile it, maybe it’s because I listened to more of it, maybe it’s just that there’s a boatload of great music coming out right now.

In the Drops #4 was blessed with new releases from the standout albums released by Alt-J, Big Thief, Metronomy, Yard Act and Black Country, New Road.

There are also singles from BENEE, Omar Apollo, Rex Orange County, SOAK and Bakar, and I’ve added the delights of CMAT, Yot Club and Yenkee to my favorites list after listening to them for the first time this month- this.

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