Mad Alchemy

100% Natural Embrocation

It’s What You Put On Your Legs

“Back in The Day,” We used to make up our own batches of liniment to put on our legs to keep them warm for cold, wet weather races. Bike shops didn’t carry any of the existing European brands like Musculor so we made our own out of witch hazel, olive oil, capsulin and wintergreen. It usually washed off in the first hour but it was our only option at the time.

So you’re wondering how old is this guy anyway? Old enough to know a good thing when I see and smell one that is for sure. Mad Alchemy!

When I stumbled on a rave review of Mad Alchemy in Bicycling Magazine last Spring I was impressed and made a mental note to try some when the weather turned cool again in the fall. As a guy that pioneered the modern day soigneur position for traveling national teams in the late 1970’s I had been fortunate enough to learn from the best soigneurs in Europe during stage races like Tour de L’Avenir ,Grand Prix, Wilhelm Tell and at the World Championships.
 

This area of using embrocation on legs is one of the most over looked traditions of cycling for riders in America. In this modern day high tech accessory gadget world of power meters, GPS’s, Heart monitors, and electronic shifting on 15 pound bikes the trickle down of information about what the top soigneurs have been using for decades has just not penetrated down to the club rider level in this country

Front and center steps Mad Alchemy, a small company in Massachusetts that makes an all natural and 100 pure embrocation for several different levels of warmth AND instructional video’s on just how and when to apply the six hand made types. See www.madalchemy.com

My first experience was with the “Cold Weather” labeled Mad Alchemy which is a medium warmth paste with a perfect texture and consistency that can be applied easily with a little dab spreading nicely over a large area while rubbing in. The fragrance is unlike so many of the chemical based euro products, because of the natural combination of herbal ingredients, it has a refreshing nose, one of the only massage creams I have ever been allowed into the house with.

I started showing up for the late fall group rides of 45 degrees with my knickers and bare calves while everyone else had full tights. Full tights were going to be the uniform of the day soon enough and barring a mid winter thaw, we would all be trapped into them until mid February at the earliest, so with the help of this fragrant pure product I was able to put off the inevitable for several weeks and still be comfortable.

Oh yeah, I did not have to put on heavy booties at this temperature either because of a basic trick I had learned years ago while doing up riders legs before stage starts in Europe. Why stop applying liniment at the ankles or the top of the socks? Why not put some warm stuff right on the rider’s feet on those cold wet stages? Nothing like warm feet inside those soaking wet shoes! Plus with Mad Alchemy you have nice smelling warm feet. All I needed was a light pair of Defeet shoe warmers and I was good to go.

While in Europe back in the “early days” my soigneur kits were full of tubes, jars, and bottles of massage creams with unpronounceable ingredients that should have been checked off on the ban substance list. During my first weeks, using the right combinations on different parts of the riders legs and lower backs was by trial and error and when I got it wrong or when the sun came out unexpectedly, riders would let me know in no uncertain terms just how uncomfortable they were. It could even mean stopping on the side of the road and wiping their legs down with alcohol to reduce the burn or adding more heat and covering it with a thick paste so it would not wash off. It was like picking the right color klister wax for a pair of wooden xc ski’s when the temperature of the snow did not match the air temp…but that makes me even older and I digress.

The “Cold Weather” embrocation kept my legs warm for several hours of riding but I had to be sure to wipe my legs down thoroughly with rubbing alcohol or witch hazel at the end of the ride or it would fire up again 6 to 8 hours later when I got under the covers to sleep that night. I have been using something on my legs in all seasons of the year and I am excited to try some of the other Mad Alchemy products meant for even colder winter temps and for those warmer to even hot days of summer.

What a treat for this old timer to come across such a great product made with pride and all natural ingredients that really works in all conditions. I am looking forward to putting the knickers back on soon and sloshing about in those early spring group rides with fenders and bare legs. 
 

One more tip from the Bike Guy before I go. It is OK to put on a thin layer of Mad Alchemy under your tights or leg warmers when starting out on those soon to warm up cold morning rides. That way when you peel off the above-mentioned layers your legs will still be protected and warm for the rest of the ride.