We’re right in the thick of the cycling season now. So if you’re not still mourning the passing of Paris-Roubaix, let’s dive into this week’s edition of In The Drops.
Before we reach into our Classics-inspired haul of loot, let’s recap what we’ve been up to here at the Trouée de Cyclist.
Of course, we’ve been busying rounding up the headlines from an electric set of races at Paris-Roubaix. Robyn Davidson picked apart the talking points, while photographer Xavier Pereyron shared his snaps from the event. If you’re still trying to make sense of last weekend though, we shared the key quotes from Wout van Aert as well as Marianne Vos and Pauline Ferrand-Prévot just hours after completing the most brutal of Monuments.
On the tech side, we’ve been whittling our way around the race convoy at Paris-Roubaix this week to share our favourite bikes from the Hell of the North. Elsewhere, Colango dropped the new C72, with a distinctly gravel look, while our tech editor Sam Challis investigated Canyon’s new Endurace CFR to examine whether the brand has overstepped the aero line.
Without further ado, let’s get to business.
Le Col x Johan Museeuw kit
If you want to ride like a Classics champion, you’ve got to dress the part. While we can’t all be wearing Tadej Pogačar’s skin like some sort of rainbow leather, British brand Le Col has released a limited run of jerseys inspired by Flemish cycling legend and six-time Monument winner Johan Museeuw.
To match the Belgian’s eccentric character, the brand’s Lion of Flanders Pro Jersey Trade Team Mashup will be hard to miss on the roads. The jersey is a vibrant and colourful affair, with dashes of colour that blend the aesthetics of Museeuw’s former team sponsors, including Quick-Step, Mapei, Lotto and Colnago.
The kit uses the same template as Le Col’s Pro Jersey, so it still has a peloton-ready feel. That means you get the same fit with all the aerodynamic benefits, plus the UPF 50+ Sun protection and high sweat-wicking in the summer months – not Museeuw’s familiar Belgian weather.
The jersey pairs excellently with Le Col’s Pro bib shorts, but if you want more Museeuw clobber, there’s a dedicated t-shirt or the more relaxed Lion of Flanders Sport Jersey. It’s a limited edition run, but there are still a few left to snap up on Le Col’s website. For bonus points, you get a selection of Museeuw-inspired stickers with each order from the Lion of Flanders collection.
Chrome Extlek commuter bag
Winter takes its toll on our bags as well as our bikes. With summer approaching then, Chrome has welcomed the commuter bag Extlek into its spring/summer line for 2026.
At 24 litres in volume, Chrome’s latest addition is the ideal vehicle for all your work and city break essentials. The bag’s main compartment is roomy and offers a waterproof sleeve to house a laptop up to 15 inches in size. There’s also a zip pocket discreetly placed toward the bottom of the bag, which is ideal for transporting shoes or some mid-ride nutrition (a lunch box, for the non-cyclists). For your bidons, there are two slots either side of the bag, fitted with an origami-style grip to keep them in place.
The bag’s weather-resistant outer layer wraps down right to that bottom zip, with clips to hold it in place and tighten up if needed. Just above, it’s also got a handy little pouch at the front, which can store a small book or passport (the ultimate small book) for easier access.
Plus, the shoulder straps are ergonomic, with plenty of back padding to boot and a plethora of straps to keep the bag nice and tight. For better visibility on dark rides home, the Black XRF colourway also offers reflective webbing, logos and zipper pulls to keep you in the clear.
Designed by Chrome’s Japanese contingent, the Extlek is a versatile little bag. If you swap the city cycle lanes for city breaks, know that I’ve had it Ryanair-tested, so you can rest assured that you won’t be hit with any excess baggage fares.
BBB Karma Mips helmet
As summer approaches, equipment weight returns to the forefront of our minds. With that, Dutch brand BBB launched the Karma helmet last month, claimed to be the lightest in the brand’s range.
Available in five colours, from white to chrome purple, the Karma tips the scales at 260g in a size medium thanks to its PC shell and EPS foam.
It’s not all about weight though, ventilation remains a key element for the Karma Mips helmet. It features 25 air vents to create a cooling air channel, without any foam to block the temperature-regulating benefits.
On a comfort front, the helmet includes the Brand’s updated Omega fit system, which is said to suspend the helmet shell over your head, allowing air to flow freely while providing a secure fit. For further fine-tuning though, there’s a ratchet dial at the helmet’s rear.
Finally, it uses the Mips Air Node, the lightest version of the system that guards your head against rotational impact. There’s no need for that to weigh on your conscience either then.
Le Tour by RSJ Steel
Imagine crashing on a weekend ride and ending up in a hospital bed alongside your pro idols, only to be recruited as a private investigator to dish up dirt on the team at the upcoming Tour de France.
That’s the predicament Edwin Strong finds himself in during Le Tour, written by RSJ Steel. The plucky Englishman becomes a double agent in this volume of the series, acting undercover as a UCI official embedded in the press circuit. He’s then taken under the wing of the Grantham Industries team to uncover the underground doping ring at the British RNH squad, headed by a character named Chris Smartford. As he navigates the three weeks of racing around France (and Andorra), Strong dives through bins, hides in cleaning cabinets and in the back of team cars to uncover the truth behind the sport’s biggest squad.
The author has gone to great lengths to create a fictional Tour de France environment, with a route and startlist to accompany. However, avid Tour watchers may recognise some characters that are certainly inspired by current figures in the pro peloton. And if you’ve ever been to the Tour, you’ll definitely find someone to relate to, as Edwin navigates the whole cavalcade that follows the Grande Boucle.
The book was launched earlier this spring by Steel, real name Paul Kimber, who is a bassist in his free time, according to my research. Le Tour has the feel of a passion project, but it certainly fills a niche within my own cycling bookcase. I read the whole thing while travelling around France for Paris-Roubaix last week and I can certainly testify to its accurate portrayal of life in the press convoy.
What we’re into this week: Traka training
There’s one velodrome that’s captured my heart recently, and I’m not talking about the Vélodrome André Pétrieux in Roubaix. In Glasgow’s southside, there’s a concrete track that almost rivals the excitement and history of its French counterpart. Locals will know I’m, of course, referring to the Belladrome – the Bellahouston velodrome.
The park’s name might ring a bell (if you pardon the pun) courtesy of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s House for an Art Lover or, for our Catholic readers, Pope John Paul II’s Scottish visit in 1982. However, its cycling heritage is far more recent.
The 450m track was built in 2006 in the westerly corner of the park on top of an old running track. Before the opening of the glitzy Chris Hoy Velodrome in Parkhead, it was the city’s only velodrome. That said, it’s a bit of a stretch to call it a velodrome as the banking is at a very shallow 7°, which hands little to no extra momentum when rattling around the bends.
I’ve been using the track to tap out some efforts in preparation for the Traka 200 next month. I’ve found it a great place to get some kilometres in the legs without the start-stop traffic lights hindering my near-threshold bursts. So if I end up winning the race or qualifying for the UCI Gravel World Championships, you’ll know who to thank.
The Strava PB around the velodrome is a speedy 31sec for both men and women, which translates to a 54.7kmh effort. I can’t say I’m anywhere near that, but I’ll give it my best go once the clichéd diamonds reach my legs.