Still biking? Definitely…

Product Review by Grant.

Good fortune played its part in me being drawn to Veloskin, before I could even buy their products.  Some of my favourite rides follow the steep contours of the Lake District, and images of these roads featured in the brand’s Instagram activity. How could I not be intrigued? So I was very keen to make my first purchase, soon after their launch during Summer 2017.

Veloskin offer a range of skincare products to meet the needs of cyclists. Their current range includes Chamois Cream, Shave Cream, Post Shave Cream, Moisturiser and Soothing Gel. These types of products play a key part in keeping us comfortable and healthy, and I put a lot of effort into choosing what I believe are the right ones. This is primarily based on high quality, natural ingredients, the performance of the product, and experiencing a non-adverse response when using them.

Veloskin use natural ingredients within all of their range, selecting each one on its quality, suitability and benefits to the skin.

Chamois Cream by Veloskin

On opening the canister of Chamois Cream you are greeted by a fresh citrus scent. The fragrance is created by the inclusion of orange blossom and bergamot, and is a signature of the Veloskin range. I really like the scent, which was seemingly inspired from cycling in Mallorca and Northern Italy.

Fourteen natural, active ingredients are included within the Veloskin Chamois Cream. These were selected based on their potential to soothe and hydrate, protect, moisturise and revitalise. The cream’s properties are anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and antiseptic, as well as providing nourishment for the skin and the wonderful scent.

The cream is quite dense, not sticky, and despite its relatively solid appearance, it is easy to apply and achieve a smooth, consistent, protective layer.

Having tried a number of different chamois creams over the years, I can certainly vouch that the performance of this type of product can vary significantly, and a lesser one can really detract from a great day on the bike. The product I was using prior to Veloskin’s, was one I had used for many years. There was no particular issue with its performance, but I am always receptive to refinements, or new solutions.

Over the last few years my cycling has biased towards longer endurance rides, over hilly or mountainous terrain. These are often 100 miles plus, which I am respectful may be an easy proposition to some, but I think for many cyclists, a century ride still remains a benchmark.

These endurance rides will often draw out shortfalls in the equipment used; reliable kit and being comfortable on the bike is essential. At the beginning of my review of the Veloskin range, I used the Chamois Cream for shorter, higher intensity rides, and sessions on the indoor trainer. This enabled me to try the product on shorter rides to start, to build confidence in its performance, prior to trying it out for 8 to 10 hours in the saddle.

The Chamois Cream proved excellent during these earlier stages of my review. Even when training involved climbing power sessions on the indoor trainer, or riding in wet, gritty conditions, there were no comfort, or skin related issues. Time to move onto the longer endurance rides.

Living reasonably close to the Peak District provides superb roads for endurance riding, as we can easily head into the hills, via fairly quiet lanes, and create 100 to 150 mile loops. The challenging terrain moderates the pace, stretches out the ride time, and tends to highlight if an item of kit has certain shortfalls, especially if you are doing long, back to back rides.

These longer rides highlighted that Veloskin’s Chamois Cream out performed the product I had been using previously. On-bike comfort remained throughout the duration of a ten hours plus day in the saddle, instead of dipping away during the last hour or so. When riding consecutive days, sensitivity in the saddle contact area was significantly reduced.

Having used the Veloskin product for several months now, and well into the winter season, it has continued to perform, and is now definitely my chamois cream of choice.   My partner, Emma has also switched to using this cream.

Soothing Gel by Veloskin

The Soothing Gel has two potential uses to assist the recovery process. Firstly, to soothe and cool soreness and skin damage caused by saddle friction, and secondly, the gel can be massaged into the legs, to ease the ache of muscle fatigue after a long ride, or demanding training.

Prior to the review, I had not used a product of this type, but respecting my increasing love of long days on the bike, it seemed like a perfect addition.  I have now used the Soothing Gel for both applications, and my initial impressions are that it is a very good product, but I want to use it over the longer term, before giving a full insight. Ride distances will be increasing during the Spring, so watch this space for a more detailed review on the Soothing Gel, and also Veloskin’s Shave and Post-Shave Creams.

For full details on the Veloskin range, individual product prices and great value bundles, go to www.veloskin.cc