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Well, here we are again. It’s been a sweltering week in the UK and all of our conversations have centred around whether it’s going to get hotter, cool down, or rain. We're a fascinating nation. 

This week we got to see a bike race decided by rock, paper, scissors and, with the Tour de France looming, we rounded up the favourites and speculated as to whether a French rider could finally pull it off (no).

We reviewed the rather brilliant Specialized S-Works Power with Mimic saddle, profiled French bike maker Avalanche Cycles, learned all about the importance of sleep and mused on time well-spent at the Giro d’Italia. Let's talk product.

Products included in our weekly round-up are independently selected by our editorial team. Cyclist may earn an affiliate commission if you make a purchase through a retailer link. Learn more.

The Maap × Apidura range was created to complement Maap’s gravelly Alt Road kit line, and this bikepacking-friendly bar roll offers nine litres of storage, with roll-down openings either side to access the main section, plus a pouch on the front for small essentials that need to be more immediately accessible.

The bag is made from Hexalon waterproof laminate and features welded seams for a complete seal.

Weight is a respectable 240g, and there’s a handy loop mount for a light on the front.

And then there’s the hat. You want to know about the hat, don’t you? That’s why you clicked on this article in the first place.

I’m not joining the Foreign Legion, but Maap is leaning into the vibe with the Legionnaires Cap, which includes a removable ‘neck shade panel’ to protect you from the even the most fearsome sunlight.

The cap claims 50+ UPF sun protection and it’s made from wicking fabric. I think we can all agree: it’s a look.

Helpfully, both these products are already showing as sold out, but Apidura still offers a whole range of bikepacking bags, and well, were you really going to buy the hat?

Founded in 2014, Applied Nutrition has its roots in bodybuilding and boxing and has since expanded its ranges to cater for all manner of sweaty endeavours.

Products in the Endurance range are, as you’d imagine, geared towards sports such as cycling, and Applied Nutrition says it’s been engaged in R&D on the range for the past 18 months, drawing on clinical studies and feedback from the Dolan Ellesse Road Race team, which the brand sponsors.

Endurance products include a choice of pre-, during, and post-event nutrition, including gels, drink powders, caffeine capsules and bottles.

Applied Nutrition also sent over its Critical Cookies, designed to be a tasty snack that packs in plenty of protein – 20g in an 85g cookie, to be precise. These come in a choice of chocolate chip or double chocolate.

Bar bags are brilliant and, as a reformed roadie, I love them. However, they don’t work that well on some bikes and their straps can be hard on your paintwork.

The Restrap Bumper Bar could be the solution – this sturdy chunk of steel weighing 178g acts as a support for your bag, pushing it forwards and upwards, away from your head tube and front wheel.

The Bumper Bar fits in your headset stack, acting as a 3mm spacer that should work on any 1 1/8in steerer.

As well as supporting a bag, the Bumper Bar can be used as a hard point to mount extra lights or other accessories.

Oh, and it looks like the grille on a big rufty tufty Jeep, so there’s that.

However I couch this, it’s going to sound like a lame attempt to burnish my feminist credentials and distract from my awful personality, but my content recommendation for this week’s edition is a BBC podcast entirely devoted to menstruation. It’s fascinating.

28ish Days Later is presented by India Rakusen and delves deep into the science and lore of periods across – you guessed it – 28 episodes.

I can all but guarantee you’ll learn something by listening to it, I certainly did. For example, did you know that oestrogen isn’t actually a single chemical, but rather a whole suite of them? And that men’s hormone levels are just as variable as women’s, if not more so?

Even if you’re the blokiest bloke in the world and you’re never going to menstruate, I’d recommend listening to this podcast, because we all know someone who does, or did, or will.

It’s available here, or wherever you get your podcasts.

All photos except Applied Nutrition by Joseph Branston

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