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Mike T.
Cat 3 Groupie
Joined: 18 Oct 2009
Posts: 10
Location: Ontario Canada
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 Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 9:00 pm Post subject: Embrocation question |
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I have a question about embrocation that maybe an old time bike racer can answer. Years ago (40+) back in the UK (I'm in Canada now) I would attend time trials at ridiculous hours on a Sunday morning and the air would be full of the pungent and unforgettable odor of embrocation.
Does anyone know what that stuff was? Elliman's maybe?
Fast forward to a couple of years ago and I was riding our local indoor velodrome - the Forest City Velodrome in London Ontario Canada - and that same odor came wafting at me like a ton of bricks. It was coming from the legs of my riding buddy Orlando. Now he's from Columbia in S.America so he knows nowt of timetrialing on the East Lancs road or Goostrey in Cheshire in the mid '60s. He'd made this stuff himself from a bunch of ingredients. I've got his "secret" formula and I'll share if here if anyone is interested.
I don't want to debate the benefits of said embrocation, or the lack, of as it's probably quite useless except for setting off old geezers' smell memories after 4 decades.
So who knows the name of that ponging stuff? I just want to smell it and re-live the memory of doing blindingly fast one-eights at 6am on a Sunday morning. |
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wobbly
E, Silver
Joined: 08 Aug 2003
Posts: 893
Location: all over the road
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 9:47 pm Post subject: Re: Embrocation question |
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| Mike T. wrote: |
I have a question about embrocation that maybe an old time bike racer can answer. Years ago (40+) back in the UK (I'm in Canada now) I would attend time trials at ridiculous hours on a Sunday morning and the air would be full of the pungent and unforgettable odor of embrocation.
Does anyone know what that stuff was? Elliman's maybe?
Fast forward to a couple of years ago and I was riding our local indoor velodrome - the Forest City Velodrome in London Ontario Canada - and that same odor came wafting at me like a ton of bricks. It was coming from the legs of my riding buddy Orlando. Now he's from Columbia in S.America so he knows nowt of timetrialing on the East Lancs road or Goostrey in Cheshire in the mid '60s. He'd made this stuff himself from a bunch of ingredients. I've got his "secret" formula and I'll share if here if anyone is interested.
I don't want to debate the benefits of said embrocation, or the lack, of as it's probably quite useless except for setting off old geezers' smell memories after 4 decades.
So who knows the name of that ponging stuff? I just want to smell it and re-live the memory of doing blindingly fast one-eights at 6am on a Sunday morning. |
Musclor was the prep of choice 25 yrs ago. Does anyone still use the stuff or something similar ? |
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Dark Helmet
E, Gold
Joined: 03 Jul 2003
Posts: 3099
Location: Here and now
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 9:48 pm Post subject: Re: Embrocation question |
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| Mike T. wrote: |
I have a question about embrocation that maybe an old time bike racer can answer. Years ago (40+) back in the UK (I'm in Canada now) I would attend time trials at ridiculous hours on a Sunday morning and the air would be full of the pungent and unforgettable odor of embrocation.
Does anyone know what that stuff was? Elliman's maybe?
Fast forward to a couple of years ago and I was riding our local indoor velodrome - the Forest City Velodrome in London Ontario Canada - and that same odor came wafting at me like a ton of bricks. It was coming from the legs of my riding buddy Orlando. Now he's from Columbia in S.America so he knows nowt of timetrialing on the East Lancs road or Goostrey in Cheshire in the mid '60s. He'd made this stuff himself from a bunch of ingredients. I've got his "secret" formula and I'll share if here if anyone is interested.
I don't want to debate the benefits of said embrocation, or the lack, of as it's probably quite useless except for setting off old geezers' smell memories after 4 decades.
So who knows the name of that ponging stuff? I just want to smell it and re-live the memory of doing blindingly fast one-eights at 6am on a Sunday morning. |
If I remember correctly you could buy Ellimans HORSE embrocation, the JuJu of choice for us amature footballers in the '70s
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Lone Wheeler
E, Bronze
Joined: 13 Apr 2004
Posts: 411
Location: Dubai
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 11:11 pm Post subject: |
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Algipan, came in a toothpaste type tube with a scew top, pinky in colour and burnt like 
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Chrissylaa
E, Gold
Joined: 17 Apr 2009
Posts: 3382
Location: On a hillside desolate.
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| Posted: Sat May 15, 2010 11:35 pm Post subject: |
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Remember when,as a junior ,i finished a race got home and had a hot bath.
That embrocation was like a blowtorch on my legs!!! 
Happy days.
Never again.
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And the senses being dulled are mine. |
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Mike T.
Cat 3 Groupie
Joined: 18 Oct 2009
Posts: 10
Location: Ontario Canada
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 1:00 am Post subject: |
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| Chrissylaa wrote: |
Remember when,as a junior ,i finished a race got home and had a hot bath.
That embrocation was like a blowtorch on my legs!!!
Happy days.
Never again. |
Maybe the idea is for it to make you race faster so you can get home sooner? I dunno.  |
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verticaldropout
Cat 3 Groupie
Joined: 30 Apr 2008
Posts: 11
Location: Over the Hill
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 8:06 am Post subject: |
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| Procainol seems to ring a bell - it was orange in a tube and came from France I think |
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legro
Moderator
Joined: 28 Feb 2002
Posts: 28780
Location: Colchester
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| Posted: Sun May 16, 2010 8:11 am Post subject: |
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there was also Muscular (sp) that had a distinctive smell. Capsolin-arghhhh that was hot worked better when trying to wash it ff, worked even better when you got it on your knackers
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Bally
Div 2 Pro
Joined: 11 Aug 2004
Posts: 5664
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| Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 3:54 pm Post subject: |
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Wintergreen oil?
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JONNO
Div 1 Pro
Joined: 24 Jul 2006
Posts: 9031
Location: Up North
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| Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 4:04 pm Post subject: |
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| legro wrote: |
| there was also Muscular (sp) that had a distinctive smell. Capsolin-arghhhh that was hot worked better when trying to wash it ff, worked even better when you got it on your knackers |
There were different strengths, I think one was a green tube and muscalor 'b' or summatt that was red? You could never leave your shorts unattended in the changing room because some tawt would rub it in your chamois for amusement while your back was turned.
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Dave Griffiths
E, Silver
Joined: 20 Jun 2005
Posts: 1181
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| Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 7:31 pm Post subject: |
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| JONNO wrote: |
| legro wrote: |
| there was also Muscular (sp) that had a distinctive smell. Capsolin-arghhhh that was hot worked better when trying to wash it ff, worked even better when you got it on your knackers |
There were different strengths, I think one was a green tube and muscalor 'b' or summatt that was red? You could never leave your shorts unattended in the changing room because some tawt would rub it in your chamois for amusement while your back was turned. |
I used to go to an 'old styleee' chemists, back in the late 1950's and ask for capsicum. Chemist would search out a large pot of the stuff and spoon it into a small, brown glass, jar and charge two bob or something. It was a pinkish colour and something like a vaseline but much thicker, near solid, just a light smear being necessary.
As Legro wisely said, the main thing was NOT to get even a whiff of it onto anything sensitive (needless to say, it DID happen!  ).
I would rub some in to knees before applying the Ellimans Horse Linament and, if wet, some olive oil over that. Of course, you were obliged to have your woolly 'racing shorts' on first but, in the panic of the changing rooms guys often got the order wrong and ended up in all sorts of bother. Another danger was getting capsicum near your eyes, just one 'auto' reaction and you were in trouble. To wash it off your hands required soap and hot water, seldom available.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capsicum
From Wiki: Chili peppers are of great importance in Native American medicine, and capsaicin is used in modern medicine—mainly in topical medications—as a circulatory stimulant and analgesic |
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Steve McGinty
Div 2 Pro
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 4902
Location: Norther than the Northerners
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| Posted: Tue May 18, 2010 7:47 pm Post subject: |
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[quote="Dave Griffiths"]
| JONNO wrote: |
| legro wrote: |
| there was also Muscular (sp) that had a distinctive smell. Capsolin-arghhhh that was hot worked better when trying to wash it ff, worked even better when you got it on your knackers |
As Legro wisely said, the main thing was NOT to get even a whiff of it onto anything sensitive (needless to say, it DID happen! ).
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Heard of one rider who after an early Sunday morning TT returned home to find his missus still in bed. Decided to try for some of that "luvin' feelin" -
Terrible Scenes...
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henriquez
Cat 3 Groupie
Joined: 28 Apr 2008
Posts: 19
Location: London
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 9:39 am Post subject: |
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| Can we see your mate's formula please Mike? |
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Mike T.
Cat 3 Groupie
Joined: 18 Oct 2009
Posts: 10
Location: Ontario Canada
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| Posted: Thu May 20, 2010 9:59 am Post subject: |
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| henriquez wrote: |
| Can we see your mate's formula please Mike? |
Yep, here it is -
Orlando's Extraordinary Embrocation
1 part generic baby oil.
1 part generic rubbing alcohol.
1 part Sloan's liniment or 'Heet!' These 2 products are becoming difficult to find. Look for substitutes that contain ''capsaicin" - it's the essential ingredient you want.
0.5 part generic camphorated oil
This will give you a solution that will warm your muscles so that you can race/train in temperatures ranging from about 15 to 18 degrees Celsius in shorts. Wearing tights, even very light lycra ones will generate more heat.
When it is colder add a bit more of the last two.
When it is warmer add a bit more of the 2nd one.
You can also add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to the solution, I think it improves circulation.
A drop or two of eucalyptus oil on a swab of cotton or tissue inserted into the nostrils and inhaled will clear your air passages and lungs.
I have also added a 'dash' of oil of wintergreen. But don't use too much of this as it can damage tendons and ligaments if overused. However, it does help the solution to penetrate the muscle tissue.
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I've got to add that Orlando's daughter is a *CENSORED* (chemist in UK?) and I would imagine that he's had her look over this recipe. Edit - Hahaha, this site censored the word p-h-a-r-m-a-c-i-s-t !! Is this a mucky word in the UK?  |
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olamba
E, Silver
Joined: 29 May 2010
Posts: 1106
Location: Istanbul not Constantinople
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| Posted: Wed Jun 02, 2010 9:01 am Post subject: |
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| Chrissylaa wrote: |
Remember when,as a junior ,i finished a race got home and had a hot bath.
That embrocation was like a blowtorch on my legs!!!
Happy days.
Never again. |
still have nightmares...my wife couldn't stop laughing  |
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Dudley Busser
E, Bronze
Joined: 20 May 2003
Posts: 346
Location: Halfway between Hell and back!
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| Posted: Mon Jul 12, 2010 11:04 am Post subject: |
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Remember Cramer red hot? Still got a tub in the loft hoping it will cool off over time
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