Blue Monday is in the rear view, soaking wet January is almost old news and it’s time for another thrilling edition of In the Drops.
Before we get into the meat and potatoes, let’s dig into some of the highlights you may have missed on cyclist.co.uk this week.
The big news is that the latest issue of Cyclist magazine is out now, featuring a brilliantly written Big Ride in the south of Spain, a whopper of a Classic Climb to sink your teeth into, the best UK climb since sliced bread and an absolutely rockin’ gravel ride at Mont Cenis.
Elsewhere we’ve had reviews of the Argon 18 Dark Matter, Wahoo Elemnt Bolt 3 and Wahoo Kickr Core 2; pro content including an investigation into why male pros are retiring younger, why 2026 could be huge for EF Education-Oatly, a guide to the WorldTour sponsors and all the team bikes and kit; plus a podcast with the creator of a new Eddy Merckx documentary.
Now you’ve read all of those, we can begin.
Maap x Kask Elemento CE helmet
Logos are high fashion now. Will Strickson
In case you hadn’t heard, logos are very much in fashion at the moment, to the point where this helmet landed in my inbox in November and I glossed over it, thinking it was a bit much. Fast forward a couple of months and I’m all over it.
It’s the latest in trendy Australian clothing brand Maap’s collaborations with companies that make the kit it doesn’t – such as its shoes made with Quoc that I very much enjoyed in 2025 – this time focussing on the helmet market, working with Italy’s Kask and it’s highest-end Elemento helmet.
Fluid Carbon 12 is a panel of carbon composite within the helmet shell, which Kask says improves impact energy distribution. Will Strickson
When our erstwhile colleague Emma Cole reviewed the Kask Elemento in 2023, she found very little to fault outside of its pricetag, with its innovative safety tech sitting alongside high levels of aerodynamics, comfort and ventilation. And this Maap version adds aesthetic merit as well as an eco-leather strap.
If this design isn’t for you, there are a trio of quieter Maap designs of Kask Protone Icon CE helmets too.
BBB valves
This is the CoreCap upgrade set and my valve cores are about to be swiftly cast off. Will Strickson
How often does genuine innovation come about in cycling? Quite often to be fair, and the latest example comes courtesy of BBB Cycling, which may have just drawn the curtains on Presta valves.
Is this little thing the future? That little button on the top presses down to allow the air through.Will Strickson
The CoreCap replaces the fragile Presta valve core with its simple screw-on design that BBB says provides 300% more airflow, meaning faster inflation, easier sealant top-up, less chance of clogging, more precise pressure adjustment and no bent valve cores.
It’s pumped up with standard Schrader heads for universal compatibility, can be used with tubes and tubeless, comes in six colours and can be bought as either a full tubeless valve set or valve cap upgrade set (pictured above) for any threaded Presta valve with a removable core.
Maap Essentials CC clothing
Alexa, play ‘Blue Monday’. Will Strickson
Cycling kit brands venturing into off-bike clothing is nothing new, and this isn’t Maap’s first time either, but its Essentials CC products are new. It’s a collection of basic, comfortable clothes to change into post-ride, or just wear at any time you like.
There’s a hoodie, jumper, long-sleeve and short-sleeve T-shirts, cap and large tote bag – though the tote bag appears to be sold out at present, which may have something to do with Harry Styles’ comeback.
Not sure I’m Australian enough to pull this off as trendy, but I’ll give it my best shot. Will Strickson
On display here are the sweat shorts and short-sleeve T-shirt. The shorts are made from 420gsm organic cotton and feature an elastic waistband, side pockets with ripstop lining and a rear zip pocket, while the T-shirt is 260gsm organic cotton with a ribbed collar.
And yes, I’m already dreaming of warmer weather. Sue me.
What we’re into this week: Help(2)
As the music industry starts to wake up again post-Christmas, with new releases from the likes of Harry Styles, Zach Bryan, Snail Mail, Mitski, James Blake, Courtney Barnett and more, one of the biggest stories of the year so far is the new compilation album put together by charity War Child.
As the name suggests, War Child aims to help children and communities in areas of conflict around the world, providing emergency support, psychological support, educational support and long-term support to help families rebuild their lives.
War Child has used musical endeavours to raise awareness and money for a while now, and its most recent project is the Help(2) album, which features new songs and covers from an impressive array of artists (see picture for the full list). The album – along with associated merch – is available to pre-order before its release on 6th March, but a first taste is already available on streaming platforms in the form of a brand new song by Arctic Monkeys. It’s pretty good.
