It’s Friday, there’s a heatwave, the Tour de France is nearly here, Tommy Too Cool’s England are going to win the World Cup and our first Gravel Track Day is this Sunday. What a time to be alive.
On that note, get up to speed with this year’s Tour route here, and get tickets for the Gravel Track Day at Herne Hill Velodrome here.
To round up this week on cyclist.co.uk we’ve had news of 5 and TNT’s new partnership, which will see 7pm daily highlights free-to-watch on 5 for the Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes as well as the Vuelta and Giro for the next three years plus live coverage of the UK stages of the 2027 Tour de France and Tour de France Femmes. We’ve also had news of the host towns for both the men’s and the women’s Tour of Britains, reaction to the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, a statistical analysis of how bad Picnic PostNL are, and an interview with Giro hero Afonso Eulálio.
On top of that, we’ve had reviews of the Giro Eclipse Pro helmet, O2C Axis RK1 shoes and Wilier Rave SLR ID2 gravel bike, and an article on why you should probably get a bike fit.
Now, let’s get #InTheDrops.
EF alien T-shirt
That’s right I have managed to get my hands on this very special product. You saw EF rocking their Assos alien kit at the Giro, this is the long sleeve technical T-shirt version, which I’ve been wearing to ride to and from and at work. I’m not normally one for wearing such loud clothing, and did get one comment in the office (from a non-cyclist) about going to a rave, but this is one of those designs that is going to age exceptionally well. It might go out of fashion in a few years, but when it comes back around you can guarantee this will become an all-time vintage find.
While this T-shirt is out of stock, you can still buy the proper replica cycling kit.
The T-shirt design it’s based on is Assos’s Tactica LS T5, which is a lightweight and breathable T-shirt with UPF 50+, making it ideal for warm-weather riding with the sleeves adding protection rather than warmth. It has a relaxed fit to maximise comfort but also has an aero pattern because why not? It can easily pack down if you desire, is quick drying and has what Assos calls ‘permanent odorControl’.
Loading …Oxford NanoJet Ultra Compact Cordless tyre inflator
There has been an explosion of electric mini pumps in the last year or so, and the latest to reach Cyclist HQ is the NanoJet from Oxford, which is a bit more affordable than some of the other top options at a penny under £60.
It can fit in a pocket or bag for taking with you on a ride, has a digital gauge and automatic stop for accurate pumping up to 120psi, and Oxford says one full charge – which takes 25 minutes – can inflate four 29 x 2.4in tyres from 0 to 30psi.
It’s USB-C rechargeable and comes with a silicone cover and several nozzles and adapters for Schrader, Presta and Clik valves as well as balls and airbeds.
Common Specialty instant coffee
It’s been a big few weeks of coffee in In the Drops and I’m finishing up this run with a far less posh offering than Laurence last week. Here we have Scottish maker Common, which has now made its Specialty coffee in instant form, making it the perfect bikepacking companion. It’s 100% Arabica from Brazil that’s been freeze-dried to make it work on the go. It comes in either a pack of five sachets or a jar with 20 servings for extra-long adventures and has all the tasting notes you’d expect from Brazilian beans.
What we’re into this week: OG Anunoby and the New York Knicks
You may have seen that last week the New York Knicks won the NBA Championship for the first time in 53 years, and while I’m celebrating this having New York in my blood and having seen the Knicks play at Madison Square Garden earlier in the year, I’m raising it in this here section to officially begin the campaign for OG Anunoby to be recognised at BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year.
Anunoby, who made the most pivotal play of the entire Finals series, was born in London and is now certainly one of Britain’s greatest ever athletes. While he won’t win SPOTY, it would be great to see him nominated alongside inevitable winner Harry Kane.
Finally if you’ve kept up with my In the Drops entries you’ll know I’ve been sharing a playlist of music that I would recommend. This month’s additions include Do Nothing, Olivia Rodrigo, Steve Lacy and more Westside Cowboy, and you can find it on Spotify here.