Normally rely on cafes but atm… I had a free sample of Clif Bloks which I ate today. Seemed to help or was it the placebo effect? So as a very average Joe on a bike should I leave all that expensive shizz to the ” athletic” Brigade and just rely on bananas, peanut butter sarnies and flapjack?

Depends what works for you. On longer, less intense rides I tend to gravitate towards normal foods as you mention. It’s only really on shorter more intense rides where I tend to go for gels, drinks and energy bars.

Most of the specific products available do work but have drawbacks. Firstly they are expensive compared to generic alternatives. They also have a gut busting effect so using them over a day or on multiple days gives me stomach problems. But when you are on the rivet in a road race, I’ve not got the ability to chew a sandwich so gels and drinks it is.

I’ll often have a gel in a pocket on a long day. It’s a bit of a boost if I find I’m starting to get a bit wobbly and haven’t eaten enough. Like the Blocks, they are just sugar though so anything else that is easy to eat will also work. It’s why people talk about wine gums and jelly babies. The Bloks I had did work well though, about the right size and consistency to be convenient.

This from a road biking/XC point of view where you are eating out of back pockets. If you are stopping to fish food out of a bag then the convenience matters less to me.

Perhaps I should go back to my old favourite Haribo 😎

I tend to go with ‘normal’ food where i can.
I’ve once tried some fancy energy gel product and it was rank. It also turned my normally stable digestion into something akin to what Red Adair would be asked in to deal with.
I do occasionally use things like Haribo or super nice homemade flapjack or Tiffin stuffed with anything energy I can think of.

Percy pigs

Some of the specific stuff is OK. I’ve always got on with Torq and with the Clif bars and gels. High 5 and some of the other stuff is rank.

Mostly I tend to go with normal food. On longer rides I’d rather depend on what I can buy in shops and cafes as I go.

I always have a gel in my pack though. That quick boost has got me through a couple of dodgy moments.

Pretty much as @jonba says. The “sports” oriented gels and bars are more suited to the short intense efforts where there’s a requirement to get food into you in the most convenient manner possible.

If you are doing endurance or less intense rides then pretty well anything will do, just take what you like. Just remember to keep drinking as your stomach needs some fluid to aid digestion.

I carry gels for emergency rations, but usually a dozen will last me a year or so. Ordinary flapjack or granola bars are my usual “normal” carry pack, Veloforte or Cliff bars if I’m feeling flush. In normal rides all rides are planned round the cafe stop, luckily we have a great range of local takeaway options around us.

Clif Bloks work well for me, and these guys do boxes of 18 packs for £4.99 (they’re close to best before date, but don’t go off!)

https://naturalthyme.co.uk/?subcats=Y&pcode_from_q=Y&pshort=Y&pfull=Y&pname=Y&pkeywords=Y&search_performed=Y&q=Bloks&cid=0&dispatch=products.search&security_hash=2ef9e0e8ec946af1a8472d6c208d017c

Out of stock at the moment, but they get them in all the time.

Discovered Clif bars at the Etape Loch Ness one year and they are my favourite but blooming expensive energy “product.” But snickers bests them every time!

I love torq gels! Mmm the coffee flavour one is delicious as are lots of them.

I don’t need them. I rarely do long rides with no shops.

On a full all day ride, 6am to 5pm/ 8am to 11pm kind of days I guzzle them! I could probably just eat normal stuff but the sports stuff is a quick way to cheer up when I get grumpy and hungry.

I bought 5 boxes of the cliff blocks stuff, not realising a box is 18 things. That’s enough to see me for the next 4 years, so I’ve been slowly munching my way though them 🙂

Cheese and Jam sandwich made with seeded bread works for me

Bananas, malt loaf and Tesco’s own version of nutri-grain breakfast bars form the cornerstone of my on bike food. I also carry SIS caffeine gels as a get out of jail free card but rarely use them

Really depends on how far you’re riding for. Up to 3 hours, I’ll just take a bottle of energy drink and maybe a spare gel in my pocket. Day rides, I just rely on regular snack bars, maybe a banana and see if I can include a stop half-way. Day long rides and longer need to start thinking about whether to replenish en-route or take it all with you. Some folks’ digestion can react to certain energy gels and drinks, so definitely try them before you need to rely on them.

I mix everything, energy bars and/or those wee energy balls from Aldi. Mix and match with mini Soreen, Clif Bloks and always a couple of Gels.

I seem to react well to gels, very instant, noticeable effect, caffeinated more so!

I’ll buy specific products as portion sizes seem well suited to little and often snacking, e.g. all 20g of carbs or thereabouts.

Energy drink just goes straight through me sadly, unless it’s peak summer temps in Spain or something and I’m sweating buckets

How long are you out riding for to need refuelling? For up to 3 hours I tend to just throw a gel in the pocket but rarely use it. If I’m working hard I don’t really like eating much.
Longer than that, maybe another gel, maybe a Clif bar if it’s low intensity stuff.

I think everyone different re: fueling, I could do 100km on a big breakfast and maybe a mid-way banana, but I would be a grumpy cranky mess for the rest of the day.

Long hard rides with regular fuelling and I’m still relatively good for family duties afterwards.

I try to have a couple of gels in my pocket just in case and have found recently that for shorter rides they’re all I need. For longer rides I always revert to what my dad always took with him on gnarly long Audax rides; honey and date sarnies. Can’t go wrong with them 🙂

I wouldn’t eat for up to 2hrs unless racing (rare these days) but gels etc I like if I am racing and doing longer distances – some have caffeine which is proven to give you a boost and there’s probably a psychological effect relative to healthy normal stuff I’d eat otherwise.

Torq gels especially the coffee and the raspberry ripple. Also got given some Moonvalley organic Queenberries endurance fuel that’s very easy on the stomach. About one of the only energy powders I can handle. I also find stroopwafel go down well.

If there’s no takeaway café I make sure I take my own, usually a cheese sarnie & cake, lemon drizzle recently but today I went sort of seasonal

If I’m doing a longer ride, non metric century etc I try and eat a little every 20 miles

Snickers bars & Jelly Babies for 1/2 day rides. Jam and cheese sarnies for all-dayers.

Not got a copy but seen a book of healthy cycling snacks mentioned on here a few times? Would like a reminder…Mrs antigee bakes up something with sunflower seeds and almonds….for me soreen maltloaf, chocolate raisins kit kats as a treat, bananas and a cheese sandwich cover all day hilly gravel riding…carry a cliffbar for emergencies…do quite like a cafe stop just for a sit down…that’s an age thing I suspect

I found clif bars et al too expensive so started making my own granola bars. Easy to make and very compact. It’s also a decent enough substitute for a main meal if there’s no better option. Alternatively, when it’s not too hot nothing beats a chocolate bar for morale.