Renegade Gents: Gear Review

An outtake from the previous post. Damaged silos from the 2020 derrecho

The Gents Race is over for 2023 and I was really stoked on how well I actually did, which was due in part to my gear I selected which worked quite well. 

Conditions were challenging and changed significantly throughout the day. To start off it was about 35°F with a heavy 25-30mph Northwest wind which dropped the windchill into frigid territory. Then it progressively warmed up to end the day in the 50's. Winds never really let up for our entire ride. The roads were loose, sandy, to partially gravel covered and hard based. There was little cloud cover, so bright Sunshine necessitated the use of good eyewear. Obviously, I needed to refuel and hydrate along the way, so I'll detail what we did there as well.

I'll cover all of these facets in this post, and remember- This is what worked for me. It may not work at all for you. Each person will need to determine their personal "best choices" on their own.

Wearables:

I wore bib tights from PROVIZ, a company that makes running and cycling gear with this crazy reflective treatment that literally lights up when a light source hits it. Cap'n Steve even noted my light show early on into the event when he was riding behind me for a spell. 

The tights I was wearing are 2016 versions of this product, the "PixElite Performance Men's Bib Tights". They are on sale right now and I can highly recommend them. They have held up really well over the time I have had them and they are some of my warmest bib tights I have, even over stuff from GORE which I have. And they fit better than GORE stuff does, especially if you are not built like the "typical cyclist", as I am not built like. I'm more of a "line backer shaped guy"! 

These bibs also have a nice chamois inside. It is not the best I've used, but it is by far not the worst. For what they are asking for these, I think it is a great value. They certainly kept me comfortable Saturday. 

Under this I wore an Endura base layer. I have a few different base layers from different companies and I cannot say one is all that much better than another. I just appreciate that they all keep the sweat from sitting on my skin and if the base layer I'm using is doing that, well then good enough. While the Endura base layer is really nicely made, I like the Twin Six ones just as well and they are a bit less money. Plus T-6 is US based and fairly local to me. 

On my feet were some Follow-Hollow socks I was sent out back in 2018 when that company was running a Kickstarter project. The site was last updated in 2020, so I don't think they are still around, although you can find scads of Alpaca wool socks online. Anyway, they are thicker, more comfortable, and warmer than my wool socks. 

I wore some 2019 vintage Northwave Extreme XC GTX shoes/boots on the feet as well. These are really nice "shoulder-season" boots for gravel riding. I wouldn't dip much below 20°F with these, but they work great from the 30's up to around 50, which was perfect for this ride. 

On the hands I wore some Hand-Up winter gloves and switched out to Hand-Up full-fingered gloves later on. On the head went a GORE ear-flap windproof cycling hat, my Bontrager helmet, and a Buff around my neck. I used my Rudy Project glasses. My jersey was an old long-sleeved Bontrager Classics jersey in Merino wool.  I also wore an old Bontrager wind jacket I've used for years. 

Verdict: I couldn't have chosen better gear to wear for the majority of the ride. By the end I was starting to feel a tad too warm, but it had hit 50 degrees by that point and we were riding with a mahoosive tailwind.

The Twin Six Standard Rando v2 as it was used for the Gents Race

The Hardwear:

Not much to add here that hasn't already been said. People were commenting on the GRX Limited Silver components and the look of the bike overall. That made me smile. A LOT of people caught on to the the school bus thing, like I did, and why I called this bike the "Gravel Bus". Must be a Mid-West phenomenon. 

There are a few review parts on this bike, so I won't go into detail here on that stuff other than to give a shout-out to the Pirelli tires. These Cinturato M tires are quickly becoming some of my favorite tires. When I checked the air pressures before I left the bike had sat with unchecked air pressure for a week. To my surprise I maybe was down 2psi on each tire and that may be because I let a tiny puff out of each tire just getting the pump chuck on the valve. Nice!

But better than that was the ride. These tires do such a great job of damping out chatter that I almost do not miss my Redshift ShockStop stem on this bike at all. That's saying something! And these tires roll really well on gravel too, despite the tread blocks. Impressive! 

The GRX stuff shifted really well and the SILCA Super-Secret chain lube did an impressive job once again. I could not fault anything on the bike, really, but I'll get into more details on some of that in my upcoming reviews of some of the other components.

Verdict: As good as it could get. I was 100% happy with all my set up. 

Nutrition: 

The story here is Embark Maple Energy. What a huge turnaround from last year at this event when I tried LMNT which was a massive fail for me. Instead of feeling bloated to the point that I was having sharp gastrointestinal pains I felt..... nothing. I just had power when otherwise I would have been dead in the water. 

I point here to when we left the checkpoint and had that Northward push where I actually had enough energy to pull through twice. That surprised me and I attribute this to using the Embark. 

I also had a generic granola-protein bar thing that you see a lot in convenience stores, but that probably didn't do much. It didn't hurt me, but I think the Embark was where it was at. That stuff has my 100% seal of approval now. It's a little spendy, but I have zero negative side effects from using it and that makes spending the coin on this stuff well worth it. 

Verdict: I was 100% pleased with what I did eat. Had I had another Embark packet I think I could have used it, but I only brought two, being foolishly stingy. No more! 

Overall Verdict: I was thrilled with my performance. It was way beyond anything I thought was going to be possible given my Spring, lack of training, and the event's conditions. Everything really worked to perfection to get me where I ended up. That doesn't happen often, so this was a big win for me. 

Thanks for reading my Gents Race report yesterday and the gear review today. Also: The Standard Disclaimer applies to many of the things mentioned in this report.

Renegade Gents: Gear Review

An outtake from the previous post. Damaged silos from the 2020 derrecho

The Gents Race is over for 2023 and I was really stoked on how well I actually did, which was due in part to my gear I selected which worked quite well. 

Conditions were challenging and changed significantly throughout the day. To start off it was about 35°F with a heavy 25-30mph Northwest wind which dropped the windchill into frigid territory. Then it progressively warmed up to end the day in the 50's. Winds never really let up for our entire ride. The roads were loose, sandy, to partially gravel covered and hard based. There was little cloud cover, so bright Sunshine necessitated the use of good eyewear. Obviously, I needed to refuel and hydrate along the way, so I'll detail what we did there as well.

I'll cover all of these facets in this post, and remember- This is what worked for me. It may not work at all for you. Each person will need to determine their personal "best choices" on their own.

Wearables:

I wore bib tights from PROVIZ, a company that makes running and cycling gear with this crazy reflective treatment that literally lights up when a light source hits it. Cap'n Steve even noted my light show early on into the event when he was riding behind me for a spell. 

The tights I was wearing are 2016 versions of this product, the "PixElite Performance Men's Bib Tights". They are on sale right now and I can highly recommend them. They have held up really well over the time I have had them and they are some of my warmest bib tights I have, even over stuff from GORE which I have. And they fit better than GORE stuff does, especially if you are not built like the "typical cyclist", as I am not built like. I'm more of a "line backer shaped guy"! 

These bibs also have a nice chamois inside. It is not the best I've used, but it is by far not the worst. For what they are asking for these, I think it is a great value. They certainly kept me comfortable Saturday. 

Under this I wore an Endura base layer. I have a few different base layers from different companies and I cannot say one is all that much better than another. I just appreciate that they all keep the sweat from sitting on my skin and if the base layer I'm using is doing that, well then good enough. While the Endura base layer is really nicely made, I like the Twin Six ones just as well and they are a bit less money. Plus T-6 is US based and fairly local to me. 

On my feet were some Follow-Hollow socks I was sent out back in 2018 when that company was running a Kickstarter project. The site was last updated in 2020, so I don't think they are still around, although you can find scads of Alpaca wool socks online. Anyway, they are thicker, more comfortable, and warmer than my wool socks. 

I wore some 2019 vintage Northwave Extreme XC GTX shoes/boots on the feet as well. These are really nice "shoulder-season" boots for gravel riding. I wouldn't dip much below 20°F with these, but they work great from the 30's up to around 50, which was perfect for this ride. 

On the hands I wore some Hand-Up winter gloves and switched out to Hand-Up full-fingered gloves later on. On the head went a GORE ear-flap windproof cycling hat, my Bontrager helmet, and a Buff around my neck. I used my Rudy Project glasses. My jersey was an old long-sleeved Bontrager Classics jersey in Merino wool.  I also wore an old Bontrager wind jacket I've used for years. 

Verdict: I couldn't have chosen better gear to wear for the majority of the ride. By the end I was starting to feel a tad too warm, but it had hit 50 degrees by that point and we were riding with a mahoosive tailwind.

The Twin Six Standard Rando v2 as it was used for the Gents Race

The Hardwear:

Not much to add here that hasn't already been said. People were commenting on the GRX Limited Silver components and the look of the bike overall. That made me smile. A LOT of people caught on to the the school bus thing, like I did, and why I called this bike the "Gravel Bus". Must be a Mid-West phenomenon. 

There are a few review parts on this bike, so I won't go into detail here on that stuff other than to give a shout-out to the Pirelli tires. These Cinturato M tires are quickly becoming some of my favorite tires. When I checked the air pressures before I left the bike had sat with unchecked air pressure for a week. To my surprise I maybe was down 2psi on each tire and that may be because I let a tiny puff out of each tire just getting the pump chuck on the valve. Nice!

But better than that was the ride. These tires do such a great job of damping out chatter that I almost do not miss my Redshift ShockStop stem on this bike at all. That's saying something! And these tires roll really well on gravel too, despite the tread blocks. Impressive! 

The GRX stuff shifted really well and the SILCA Super-Secret chain lube did an impressive job once again. I could not fault anything on the bike, really, but I'll get into more details on some of that in my upcoming reviews of some of the other components.

Verdict: As good as it could get. I was 100% happy with all my set up. 

Nutrition: 

The story here is Embark Maple Energy. What a huge turnaround from last year at this event when I tried LMNT which was a massive fail for me. Instead of feeling bloated to the point that I was having sharp gastrointestinal pains I felt..... nothing. I just had power when otherwise I would have been dead in the water. 

I point here to when we left the checkpoint and had that Northward push where I actually had enough energy to pull through twice. That surprised me and I attribute this to using the Embark. 

I also had a generic granola-protein bar thing that you see a lot in convenience stores, but that probably didn't do much. It didn't hurt me, but I think the Embark was where it was at. That stuff has my 100% seal of approval now. It's a little spendy, but I have zero negative side effects from using it and that makes spending the coin on this stuff well worth it. 

Verdict: I was 100% pleased with what I did eat. Had I had another Embark packet I think I could have used it, but I only brought two, being foolishly stingy. No more! 

Overall Verdict: I was thrilled with my performance. It was way beyond anything I thought was going to be possible given my Spring, lack of training, and the event's conditions. Everything really worked to perfection to get me where I ended up. That doesn't happen often, so this was a big win for me. 

Thanks for reading my Gents Race report yesterday and the gear review today. Also: The Standard Disclaimer applies to many of the things mentioned in this report.

Hydration/Nutrition: Embark "Good Energy" Part 3

N.Y. Roll came through again. Another packet was tested!

You might recall that I've been trying out this nutritional product that N.Y. Roll got a hold of at the CORE4 event. (Last post on that HERE) Well, at our latest recording of the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch (Episode #102 HERE) he found another packet of Embark to share with me. This time it was the Coffee Maple Energy flavor. 

I decided to use this one during my 30+ mile ride detailed yesterday here on the blog. I just diluted the packet half and half in my two water bottles- one half a packet per bottle- and then I just sipped along the way as I rode. 

I'm pretty in-tune with how a 3 hour long ride feels after 3/4's of the way through and I can say that, without any doubt in my mind, Embark was helping me to power through the last third of the ride. I think I can articulate why with a couple of reasons here.

Firstly, I have a pretty messed up left shoulder. I fell hard on it back at the end of May which exacerbated things and set me back again with having to deal with a dull, aching pain during riding. Well, that's been marginally getting better, but I feel that shoulder after a couple of hours and I still could feel it yesterday. Obviously, Embark isn't going to dull my pain. And that's true as well concerning fatigue of tissue on my behind, which I was feeling a bit there toward the end of things as well. But that all stood out more because of what was missing, in my opinion.

And what was that? It was the general lack of power. or to be more truthful, the waning of power, in my legs. That did not happen. In that sense, I felt that I could maintain a pretty decent pace with relative ease compared to what I have felt before. 

So, I was pretty impressed by that, and what is more, I never once felt any bloating or other gastrointestinal distress. That's a really good sign for me that this stuff is worth buying for my longer rides. 

And it tastes great. Much like the last packet I tried out, I loved the flavor here. Mixed into the water bottles I found that half a packet was pretty strong, in terms of flavor. These were large sized Polar water bottles, by the way. So, I think one packet could be split into thirds, maybe, and then the flavor wouldn't be so intense. Honestly though, I didn't mind the flavor intensity here. It was that good. 

My only complaint is with the packaging. There is no way to measure out a half, third, or quarter of the contents beyond pouring it out and using measuring cups. But I also realize that Embark is changing the packaging, (thus the "Prototype" badge on the packages I had), so I cannot really claim that as a negative at this point until I see whatever the new packaging is. 

Maybe another nit would be the price. At 6-plus dollars a packet, it seems a bit spendy for 3 ounces. Hammer Gel, for instance, is less expensive. But you probably are not going to slam an Embark packet down, (but you could), and if you cut it into your water, well then that starts to make it a bit more easy on the wallet. Plus- if that is what works for your body, then you have to consider that as well. I mean, what good is it if a product is cheaper but it makes your gut do somersaults?

Again, I wasn't asked to write this up, and as far as I know, Embark has no idea I'm writing this up. I got the three packets I tried from N.Y. Roll who in turn got them in his entry for the recently run CORE4 event.

Hydration/Nutrition: Embark "Good Energy" Part 3

N.Y. Roll came through again. Another packet was tested!

You might recall that I've been trying out this nutritional product that N.Y. Roll got a hold of at the CORE4 event. (Last post on that HERE) Well, at our latest recording of the Riding Gravel Radio Ranch (Episode #102 HERE) he found another packet of Embark to share with me. This time it was the Coffee Maple Energy flavor. 

I decided to use this one during my 30+ mile ride detailed yesterday here on the blog. I just diluted the packet half and half in my two water bottles- one half a packet per bottle- and then I just sipped along the way as I rode. 

I'm pretty in-tune with how a 3 hour long ride feels after 3/4's of the way through and I can say that, without any doubt in my mind, Embark was helping me to power through the last third of the ride. I think I can articulate why with a couple of reasons here.

Firstly, I have a pretty messed up left shoulder. I fell hard on it back at the end of May which exacerbated things and set me back again with having to deal with a dull, aching pain during riding. Well, that's been marginally getting better, but I feel that shoulder after a couple of hours and I still could feel it yesterday. Obviously, Embark isn't going to dull my pain. And that's true as well concerning fatigue of tissue on my behind, which I was feeling a bit there toward the end of things as well. But that all stood out more because of what was missing, in my opinion.

And what was that? It was the general lack of power. or to be more truthful, the waning of power, in my legs. That did not happen. In that sense, I felt that I could maintain a pretty decent pace with relative ease compared to what I have felt before. 

So, I was pretty impressed by that, and what is more, I never once felt any bloating or other gastrointestinal distress. That's a really good sign for me that this stuff is worth buying for my longer rides. 

And it tastes great. Much like the last packet I tried out, I loved the flavor here. Mixed into the water bottles I found that half a packet was pretty strong, in terms of flavor. These were large sized Polar water bottles, by the way. So, I think one packet could be split into thirds, maybe, and then the flavor wouldn't be so intense. Honestly though, I didn't mind the flavor intensity here. It was that good. 

My only complaint is with the packaging. There is no way to measure out a half, third, or quarter of the contents beyond pouring it out and using measuring cups. But I also realize that Embark is changing the packaging, (thus the "Prototype" badge on the packages I had), so I cannot really claim that as a negative at this point until I see whatever the new packaging is. 

Maybe another nit would be the price. At 6-plus dollars a packet, it seems a bit spendy for 3 ounces. Hammer Gel, for instance, is less expensive. But you probably are not going to slam an Embark packet down, (but you could), and if you cut it into your water, well then that starts to make it a bit more easy on the wallet. Plus- if that is what works for your body, then you have to consider that as well. I mean, what good is it if a product is cheaper but it makes your gut do somersaults?

Again, I wasn't asked to write this up, and as far as I know, Embark has no idea I'm writing this up. I got the three packets I tried from N.Y. Roll who in turn got them in his entry for the recently run CORE4 event.

Hydration/Nutrition: Embark "Good Energy" Part 2

 A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I tried this new energy 'food'/drink called Embark which is mainly made from raw maple syrup. I cut it down with water and had it in my bottles during a ride. Well, that was a nice experience, but the taste of the Elderberry flavor was......mmmm...like a dirt. Not really all that pleasant. 

I had one more packet of the stuff and this time the flavor was Salted Maple. I decided to use it straight from the packet this time. The ride I used it on was the recent "Country Views" ride I did which you can see/read about here. 

This was a good test, because like I stated in that linked post, my legs felt pretty toasted by the time I got to the turnaround point. That was when I drank the entire packet of Embark Salted Maple and set out to ride again. 

Now, of course, I didn't feel any effects right away, owing to digestive processes, and I did not expect to feel anything for a half an hour at the earliest. But when I drank down the packet I was amazed. This Salted Maple flavor, in contrast to the Elderberry, was fantastic! It was as if I had a liquefied caramel roll of sorts with maple frosting. It was really tasty! So, from that standpoint I was more than pleased and a bit surprised that there was such a marked difference. But then again, I didn't drink down the Elderberry, I cut it with water, and maybe had I just drank down the packet, it would have tasted better. 

By the time I reached my second rest stop, I was feeling less thrashed than I had been feeling and by the time I got home I was feeling just fine. Was it the Embark? Hard to say with just one go at full strength. But I do know that I did not get that 'gut-bomb', crampy feeling that I have gotten with other energy/nutritional sources. 

So, this bears more looking into for me. I'll be trying to source more of this stuff soon, and when I get my hands on a decent supply, I will have a better handle on how to use this and how it actually measures up in terms of helping me ride. 

So, that's all I have on this new nutritional product for now. Again, I wasn't asked to write this up, and as far as I know, Embark has no idea I'm writing this up. I got the two packets I tried from N.Y. Roll who in turn got them in his entry for the recently run CORE4 event. 

I'll hopefully be back with more on Embark soon.

Hydration/Nutrition: Embark "Good Energy" Part 2

 A couple of weeks ago I mentioned that I tried this new energy 'food'/drink called Embark which is mainly made from raw maple syrup. I cut it down with water and had it in my bottles during a ride. Well, that was a nice experience, but the taste of the Elderberry flavor was......mmmm...like a dirt. Not really all that pleasant. 

I had one more packet of the stuff and this time the flavor was Salted Maple. I decided to use it straight from the packet this time. The ride I used it on was the recent "Country Views" ride I did which you can see/read about here. 

This was a good test, because like I stated in that linked post, my legs felt pretty toasted by the time I got to the turnaround point. That was when I drank the entire packet of Embark Salted Maple and set out to ride again. 

Now, of course, I didn't feel any effects right away, owing to digestive processes, and I did not expect to feel anything for a half an hour at the earliest. But when I drank down the packet I was amazed. This Salted Maple flavor, in contrast to the Elderberry, was fantastic! It was as if I had a liquefied caramel roll of sorts with maple frosting. It was really tasty! So, from that standpoint I was more than pleased and a bit surprised that there was such a marked difference. But then again, I didn't drink down the Elderberry, I cut it with water, and maybe had I just drank down the packet, it would have tasted better. 

By the time I reached my second rest stop, I was feeling less thrashed than I had been feeling and by the time I got home I was feeling just fine. Was it the Embark? Hard to say with just one go at full strength. But I do know that I did not get that 'gut-bomb', crampy feeling that I have gotten with other energy/nutritional sources. 

So, this bears more looking into for me. I'll be trying to source more of this stuff soon, and when I get my hands on a decent supply, I will have a better handle on how to use this and how it actually measures up in terms of helping me ride. 

So, that's all I have on this new nutritional product for now. Again, I wasn't asked to write this up, and as far as I know, Embark has no idea I'm writing this up. I got the two packets I tried from N.Y. Roll who in turn got them in his entry for the recently run CORE4 event. 

I'll hopefully be back with more on Embark soon.