Soigneur Motivation: Awesomeness For Your Legs

Update: This giveaway has ended. Congratulations to Mike G. in Massachusetts! A new giveaway is coming soon.

Note: On Friday, April 30, I'll be giving away a tub of Soigneur Motivation embrocation to one lucky reader. Readers who submit a comment to this blog post by Friday April 30, 2010 at 5:00pm EST will automatically be entered in the drawing (make sure you use a valid email address). Readers may also enter by tweeting this post, or the drawing announcement on Twitter. Multiple entries will be counted as one. A winner will be randomly selected from among the entries and notified by email. Good luck!

For many of us, Spring is a time of year where it usually still feels like winter in the morning, but is almost like summer by the mid-afternoon. For cyclists, this means that clothing must be chosen carefully in order to be warm enough during the first hours of the ride while avoiding the need to remove and transport surplus clothing as air and body temperatures begin to rise.

A great way to get the muscles going on a cold morning is embrocation, a lotion or ointment that, when applied to the skin, provides a warming sensation and stimulates circulation in cold muscles. This is a great thing for cyclocross, early season training rides, and early morning starting lines.

New on the embrocation scene is Soigneur Athletic Skin Care, a small company in Grand Rapids, Michigan that introduced it's first product, Motivation embrocation, on February 24. Long a fan of embrocation, I was eager to try a "locally grown" product. I've been using Motivation for the past few months, and have found it to be excellent in a wide range of applications and temperatures - from freezing temperatures up to about 60 degrees Fahrenheit. It has a pleasant, yet subtle smell, and easy to apply.

Soigneur was also a sponsor of this year's Barry-Roubaix, an early season "spring classic" perfectly suited to the use of embrocation.

To find out more about embrocation and Soigneur, I spoke with Soigneur's founder, Dan Socie.

What is embrocation, and why use it?

Embrocation is just a fancy word for a warming liniment or lotion. Embrocations come in different forms - oils, creams, or balms - that have some sort of warming agent in them like capsaicin or cayenne to warm the muscles.

Why use it? Because on those chilly morning rides, starting out with warm legs is a nice experience. Embrocations are good additions to your race kit. Do you need it? No. But it does make your ride more enjoyable.

Is embrocation for cold weather only?

The majority are, yes. They have too much heat to be enjoyable on a summer day. Some companies have non-heat embrocations but those technically aren't embrocations (since there is no heat). Those are pre-sport oils which are used for a pre-race massage.

What inspired you to create your own embrocation?

Remember that first ride with chamois cream? You couldn't imagine how you rode without it. Embrocation is the same way. I'm not sure which brand I tried first; by now I've purchased them all. Many of the guys I ride with have also discovered the joys of warm legs, and now carry around kits with different embrocations. I just took it a step further and developed my own so I could put my own spin on it.

I've been riding for over 25 years and have tried every possible endurance event short of alpine climbing. While I haven't raced in the professional peloton, after all these years I have a pretty good idea of what athletes are looking for.

What is the significance of the name Soigneur, and how do you pronounce it?

Soigneur (pronounced swan-yer) is French for "one who cares for others."

On a professional cycling team, soigneurs pack the bags, prepare the food, schedule the flights, drive the van, hand up the food, carry the bags up to the room, calm the nerves, and massage the legs. The soigneur is the last person to touch a rider before the race, and the first person to hand him a drink after the race. A soigneur's job is far from glamorous, but it is essential to the success of the team.

Very few cyclists in the world will be good enough to have their own soigneur. I started this business to create products that support the athlete so we can all have our own soigneurs.

How did you develop the product? Is this something that you started in experimenting with in your kitchen with a blender, or was it more scientific - lab coats, clipboards and safety goggles?

Actually, I wanted to try making some in the house, but my wife wouldn't let me. She didn't want me to ruin her pots or make the house look like a meth lab. Instead, I partnered with a manufacturing facility and worked with their scientists to help me develop the formulation. We discussed the qualities I wanted, and they made samples for me to test. I tried them all, taking them to races to test on other riders. After about a year - and lots of feedback from riders - we have the final product called Motivation. The lab is an NSF certified, cGMP facility. Which mean my embrocation, and each of its ingredients, has gone through a lot of testing before it was released.

How would you recommend that someone unfamiliar with embrocation get started using your product?

Not just with mine but with all embrocations, you should always try it out on a small patch of skin first. Everyone's skin reacts differently, and you don't want to slather it on from thigh to ankle without knowing what to expect.

I like to use it as knee warmers. Rub it on the knees and couple inches above and below - super nice.

What if I'm concerned that Soigneur embrocation might be too hot for me, or that it might irritate my skin?

Again, try it on a small patch of skin first, you'll know if you don't like it. I've tested Motivation on all different skin types (men and women), and while it gets hot for some, for others it's just warm. A good embrocation is supposed to feel warm to hot, but not unpleasant. I get lots of positive comments that my embrocation gets warm and stays warm.

I've been using Soigneur for running and cycling - where else might I benefit from embrocation?

My wife doesn't run, but she enjoys her walks more now. Golf maybe. Cross country skiing for sure.

What sets Soigneur apart from other available embrocation products?

The biggest difference is that my product is made in the USA, and if you email the company you talk to me, the owner.

Embrocations are like craft brewing. The ingredients are essentially the same, but every brewer crafts his own version. Some people prefer an IPA, and some like a porter, but both are good.

What are your future plans for Soigneur?

We have lots of future products planned. Our chamois cream will be out soon, with possibly a sunscreen to follow, maybe coffee. Since a soigneur provides everything from a massage to lunch to clothing, the possibilities are endless.

Find out more about Motivation and Soigneur Athletic Skin Care at www.soigneur.net.

Buy it today at www.soigneur.net/store/motivation-embrocation or at the following bike shops:

Kentwood Cycling and Fitness (Grand Rapids, MI)
Chicago Drive Cycling and Fitness (Grandville, MI)
Holland Cyling and Fitness (Holland, MI)
Cycle & Fitness Niles Michigan