Interbike 2009 - Action Wipes

Over the summer I did a bunch of track races at the New England Velodrome. Now, although I really liked racing there, I had to pay a price for admission - the drive up and back. I spent a good 5-7 hours each race day driving back and forth to the race.

(I know, I know, excessive, but until I can build a track around here...)

The way up wasn't bad - reasonably light traffic, all moving along at a decent clip, all while feeling the anticipation of being able to race the track. Loud music, being psyched, it was all good.

The way back, that drive was a bit different. It definitely got long as the summer dragged on.

I was good for a while each evening, energized for the first hour or so by the adrenaline from the races. It helped that I switched highways somewhat frequently and the highway itself would change (like 2 lanes were closed, or there were some cool curves, stuff like that).

But then I'd start looking for familiar landmarks, looking for the next section of the drive, mentally checking things off. By the third interstate, I'd start to come off my racing high and have to deliberately press on. Each night I'd pull over at the same rest stop, looking to break up the drive.

To top it off, I had to do it while kind of grungy.

Ick.

Yeah, I could change after the races. Yeah, I could wipe down a bit with rubbing alcohol. But that only goes so far. And you run the risk of ruining your car's paint job too (don't ask how we figured that out, right Tom?).

Remember, rubbing alcohol and car paint DO NOT MIX.

Anyway, since I drove my fun car to the track, I avoided doing the rubbing alcohol thing. It's not like I didn't try though. I even tried baby wipes, big ones. Initially I wondered how big a baby gets, but then I realized it's more a question of how far does their diaper contents go, and I've seen some pretty messy babies.

Problem with baby wipes? They pill, leaving little rolled up balls of baby wipe where ever you have coarser than baby-skin smooth skin.

Driving 3 or 4 hours like that, well, it wasn't really pleasant.

Then I remembered I had gotten some Action Wipes.

They're a much stronger version of a standard wipe, with nice stuff in it like tea tree oil and eucalyptus. They suds a bit, but it dries right away. I didn't know the sudsing was intentional when I first used them, after some very hot ride in California (one of my ride companions had them). I learned that this year and, more importantly, that it all dries up soon after on its own.

(I was trying to rinse myself off with water in that ignorant time.)

After I'm done I feel a bit of skin tightness, like I just used one of the missus' cleansing lotions, but I'm sensitive like that. I figure it's cleaned my skin better than my normal "guy things" like soap and water. Or rubbing alcohol and water.

I like it though because, like I said, I'm sensitive like that, and yet I never broke out or anything. So my "sensitivity" worked both ways.

Another cool thing about Action Wipes is that you can machine wash them, although I haven't tried that yet. I've been diligently saving all the used ones though, with a compartment in the blue car reserved for Action Wipes - one half new ones, a separate section for used ones.

Anyway, the wipes worked great.

Seriously.

And at Interbike 2009, I finally got to meet the face of Action Wipes, Martha Van. Martha Van something, actually, but everyone seems to call her Martha Van.

While I was there two women strode up, talking all sorts of good things about Action Wipes. Apparently they did the USA Crits the night before, ended up the winning team overall (VanderKittens), and they had to wait two and a half hours for the podium presentations.

They were told to be ready for the presentations at any moment, just in case, so they had to hang out in their raced-in kits in that hot, dry night.

Luckily for them they had some Action Wipes. They said the Wipes worked wonders, all sorts of good stuff, and they weren't even being paid to say it! In fact they were telling Martha Van, someone that doesn't need any convincing.

Anyway, I got a shot of them in their enthusiasm.

"Action Wipes rule! We had to wait around from 8:30 to 11 at The Race and we couldn't leave. Action Wipes saved The Day. We used the Action Wipes and they were Awesome! ActionWipes perform Excellently. They wipe up Streaked Mascara! We call them 'AW' for short. We are proud to use Action Wipes. They are the New Secret Weapon, just a bit better than our Top Secret Black Wrist Bands. We want more Action Wipes. Where do we pay? Nanu Nanu and May The Force Be With You."

Well they said something like that. I think.

Anyway, they come in these cool one-time packets:

One time packets, sealed for freshness.

You can also get a little mesh thing to store them until you wash them in your washing machine:

Mesh storage bag thing.

That thing looks like it'd be good for washing gloves with hook and loop type enclosures, the ones that attack your shorts and jerseys in the washing machine (always in the most visible spot too).

I'm running low on the Wipes and I want to clear out that pocket of dirty AWs from the car, so I'll be getting some of both soon.

Then, when I head out for some hotter weather training during the winter, and do that very messy salt sand sweep out at Bethel, I'll have something to clean myself.

And, of course, I'll have the Wipes for my drive back from the track on Wednesday nights.

Nanu Nanu and May The Force Be With You.