Spray-on caffeine. What? No more pre-ride cappuccino?

The sprayable coffee shot

This is one of those products that is either brilliant or silly, innovative or pointless, thrilling or sad.

It may be all six rolled into one and if certainly threatens one of the most powerful rituals of cycling: the pre-ride cup of coffee, latte, capuchin, name your particular variation.

What we’re talking about is a sprayable caffeine hit. No barista required.

The novel caffeine delivery system is from a company called Sprayable Energy. It’s the energy drink that you don’t need to drink. The developers call it “an odorless, colorless, product you spray onto your skin to instantly get smooth, focused energy for several hours without the jitters or crash you get with energy drinks and coffee.”

Can you imagine what the old school cyclists in Italy and France would think about sprayable caffeine replacing their time honored warm coffee beverage? They would’t even shout obscenities — they’d simply shake their heads at another sign of the impending apocalypse brought to you by the American marketing machine.

Then again, progress is progress and maybe you’d rather spray than sip. Sprayable Energy was created by a Harvard student, a venture capitalist, and a PhD in Chemistry with extensive experience on transdermal products. Here’s what their pitch is:

What You Get:

Smooth, steady energy with no crash or jitters
Portable energy you can carry anywhere and have anytime
Energy for a fraction of the cost. Per use, Sprayable is 85% cheaper than coffee or energy drinks
Energy you can control. Spray as much or as little as you need

What You Don’t Get:

No more sacrificing your long-term health just to get energy
No more upset stomachs from harsh coffees and energy drinks
No more calories, sugars, and creams
No more stomaching bitter or artificially sweetened concoctions
No more stained teeth
No more lists of questionable ingredients

So we have to ask the question: Is this the end of cycling life as we know it? The morning stop at the coffee shop, parking your beautiful $5000 carbon bike out front and strolling inside wearing your Rapha gear, ordering a cafe and communing, as it were, with the timeless history of the sport as you slowly sip the holy beverage while recounting your recent exploits.

Is all that now gone, lost in a misty transdermal spray of caffeine? Hard to say but we sure want to check this stuff out.