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Publications such as Cycling Weekly and Bicycling have published myriad articles dedicated to joint, muscle, back and neck pain, along with pain prevention and recovery strategies. Going the distance for pro- and semi-pro cyclists often means dealing with varying degrees of discomfort, so offering cannabidiol (CBD) products was a natural progression for Wheel & Sprocket.
The prominent Wisconsin-based bicycle retailer had been getting requests from customers to carry CBD products, according to general manager Kathy DeVries, who handles marketing at Wheel & Sprocket. “The nature of bicycling is that it’s a very active sport, and we have a number of customers that will get joint pain,” she said.
Wheel & Sprocket’s nine locations throughout the greater Milwaukee area, the Fox Valley, Madison and Chicago began offering Floyd’s of Leadville brand CBD hydration products, oils, recovery powder, balms, soft gels and creams toward the end of 2018. DeVries says they had already offered non-CBD versions of items such as hydration powder and balms, so adding CBD forms of those products was a natural extension.
Colorado-based Floyd’s of Leadville was founded by American former professional road racing cyclist Floyd Landis. “CBD has so many health benefits, and because Floyd’s of Leadville is made for the bicycling industry, we decided to bring this particular product in,” DeVries continues. “We were approached by Floyd’s and were impressed that they focus on cycling. Our customers are continually looking for solutions to joint pain relief, and we have heard great stories how CBD is helping them with that problem.”
As Floyd’s of Leadville states on its website: “We use only altitude-grown hemp from Colorado and use CO2 extraction, so there’s no preservatives or additives—just natural organic CBD hemp oil. Of course, all our hemp is non-GMO [not genetically modified], so you get all of the goodness with none of the pesticides.” They also have information and links to articles about how CBD can promote recovery and manage inflammation post-exercise.
Landis—who sustained injuries after a crash and needed hip replacement surgery at the age of 31—turned to opiates to escape physical pain and depression. He later discovered CBD as an alternative to addictive prescription opiates, which led him to form Floyd’s of Leadville, which is one of only a few CBD companies catering specifically to athletes. According to DeVries, Hammer Nutrition Company, specializing in endurance sports nutrition, is introducing a CBD line. “We imagine more companies will introduce a CBD athletic line as well,” she says.
Wheel & Sprocket does a lower volume of business during the winter months, so the off-season was a good time to introduce CBD products in preparation for the start of the cycling season. “We will get more experience with customers using CBD once the cycling season in Wisconsin and Chicago really takes off around April,” DeVries says, “but we are selling mostly CBD oils and balms at this point, and so far, we’ve been getting great feedback in that it is helping customers with joint pain.”
For more information, visit wheelandsprocket.com. Please note that any health claims in this article are intended for informational purposes only and are not to be taken as substitutes for medical advice. Consult with a healthcare professional before starting any treatment.
