To close out our editorial team’s favorites lists, Hailey Moore weighs in with her top products from the year, with a couple women’s-specific picks, and shares the rides, reads, tunes, and more that shaped her 2024.
#Skratch-Labs
tag
Reportage
Gas Station Fueling Tips: When Cycling Nutrition Goes Rogue
Even if you’ve never given the phrase “carbs per hour” a second thought (or a first), Hailey Moore would bet that all cyclists have a shared performance goal: we want to feel good while riding. And while performance-focused sports nutrition brands like Skratch Labs have largely catered to the carb-counting crowds, the science of nutrition underpinning their products can still be applied outside of the controlled confines of racing—to bikepacking, randonneuring and other unsupported adventure riding—when nutrition goes rogue. Hailey sat down with Skratch Labs dietitian, Colette Vartanian, to talk about gas-station fueling strategies, the magic of chocolate milk and if drinking ‘Trash Juice’ is actually ok. Read on for an unconventional conversation about cycling nutrition.
Radar
Radar Roundup: Shovel Research Light Mounts, SRAM $108 Level Bronze Stealth 2-Piston Brakes, VO Polyvalent in Stock, Skratch Clear, Kokopelli Raft Bikerafting Kit, Neko Mulally on Steel, and Luce Operations: Volume 1
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
Radar Roundup: C_O_A_T_Z x Beach Club x Team Dream, Suplest Shoes North America, Fearless Vulture Ti, Wolf Tooth Reserve Restock, ENVE Alloy Stem, Skratch Crispy Rice, and Vision of the Hawk
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
Skratch Labs Fruit Drops
In Skratch Labs’ pursuit of creating the healthiest, tastiest on and off the bike nutrition, they’ve developed a new treat for your jersey pocket. The Skratch Labs Fruit Drops come in either Raspberry or Orange flavor and are available as individual pouches or a pack of 10.
I can’t wait to try these out… Check out more at Skratch.
Radar
Skratch Labs… Cookie Mix?!
Anytime a package arrives from Skratch Labs, I have no idea what to expect. More often than not, it’s a packet of hydration mix, but when this box arrived last week, I’ve got to admit, I was scratching my head. Cookie mix? But I thought sweets were bad? Well, not really, in fact, there’s a whole piece on the Skratch website as to why it’s ok to eat cookies.
Now, with any product like this, there are sure to be naysayers and commentators, requesting information as to why Skratch’s $8.50 cookie mix is better than Pillsbury’s. Well, for one, I’m going to say Skratch knows a thing or two about nutrition. The ingredients are as healthy as you can get with a cookie mix but the addition I noted after eating one was the salt.
The guys at Skratch love salt and with good reason. As a cyclist, your body needs salt to help keep itself hydrated and while it’s easy enough to add salt to your own cookie mix, I found this mix to be a pretty great novelty gift for a cyclist. The mix is easy, simply add whatever you want to it, along with butter and an egg and bake it as a cookie, or as a fruit bar. Is it gimmicky? Sure. But, I can’t remember the last time I baked cookies…
Check out all the information you’d wanna know at Skratch Labs!
Reportage
2014 Amgen Tour of California: Stage 04 – Monterey
How many more of these stages do I have? Are we on the coast yet? It’s been hot as hell… I just want more coffee from the Rapha MCC and some more House Industries caps.
Yesterday was Monterey to Cambria, one of the most scenic routes in the 2014 Amgen Tour of California. The race course snaked its way through Big Sur and the coastal redwoods as they hit two KOMs back-to-back, three total and one sprint section.
I was in the Skratch Labs Neutral Human Support vehicle, watching them work – more on that in the captions – and trying to get a few shots from the passenger’s window. Meanwhile, with no cell reception, we were all forced to soak in the Cali coast…
Read up the captions, because I tried to be clever this morning.
Side note: if you’re on Instagram, follow Skratch and tag your photos with #SkratchNHS and a quick description of what you think “Neutral Human Support” means for a chance to win a bag of product from Skratch!
Reportage
2014 Amgen Tour of California: Prep Day
Yesterday (in California), I arrived at the host town for the first stage of the 2014 Amgen Tour of California. Most of the teams had been pouring into the parking lots for the days prior. Their mobile mechanics areas were glistening with overspray from bike washing, their rags hanging in the sun to dry and all the bikes were being prepped for the first stage.
Part of the reason I’m here is to check out what the guys at Skratch Labs are doing for the tour, which I’ll elaborate on this week. Their task yesterday – Saturday afternoon – was to fill 150 water bottles – bidons – for the first stage.
Skratch is doing a “Neutral Human Support” car. A vehicle that will offer up free bottles, moral support and other forms of encouragement to the racers, regardless of their livery. 150 bottles, stuffed into coolers, covered with ice and ready to be handed off to racers… it was going to be a warm day on Sunday – which it was!
