Mad Alchemy

Image by carljohnson via Flickr

It’s so cool when you try something and it’s just as good as you had hoped it would be. Especially in this case, because I’ve been wanting to try it for a couple of years but just hadn’t ponied up the money. Along comes a birthday, hints are broadcast (over the interwebs), received and acted on, and finally I get to try it. Omigod, so good.

Talking about Mad Alchemy warming embrocation. See, there are times when you’re cycling and would like your legs to be warm. Especially in the shoulder months, this can be a challenge. You start off with cold leg muscles and when it’s below 55, the wind keeps them cold. The traditional, cheap cure for this is Icy Hot or WarmFX (same thing, really), but these have downsides — they start out too hot, they dry out your skin, and the methyl salicylate worries me a bit. (It’s unlikely to cause a problem, but there is that one pesky fatality.)

So today, 55 degrees, sunny, windy, perfect conditions for bare legs with a little something extra (too much colder and I’ll be pulling on the leg warmers). Put on the medium strength Mad Alchemy embrocation just before my ride. It was wonderful to the touch, went on very smoothly and created a nice barrier against the wind, in addition to providing a gentle warming. For today’s conditions, it was utterly perfect — my legs were never hot, my legs are never cold. My legs never felt the wind. Felt so good. And the scent is pleasant and never overpowering, unlike that “omigod enough with the mint already” smell of Icy Hot.