I don’t really mind what ‘specialist’ products any of you invest in to give yourselves a psychological boost, just as long as you pick up the wrappers afterwards..
I’m regrettably almost looking forward to the day when I catch a littering cyclist red-handed at the moment..

That’s one of the reasons why I thought a squeezy bottle of syrup would be better than gels.
No fiddly wrappers to tear open and carry.

After lots of experimenting with tris and ultra marathons, I went back to my old climbing favourite…..yes Kendal mint cake. Romneys ideally as crumbles less. Easy to carry, nice energy and refershing taste! Gave up on dried apricots after nasty experience 30 miles into first ultra marathon!!!!!

Surely you only need gels and stuff when you’re running you’re body close to its limits? I.e if you a pretty elite athlete? When a pound of fat contains 3500 calories if you’re an average adult in you’re late 30’s to early 40’s then 20 to 24% of you is lard – more if you’re carrying a bit too much timber. I don’t think you’re close to truly bonking with around 100,000 calories insulating you. You can train your body to access body fat quickly as a source of energy during exercise by training when hungry. Elite athletes who have low body fat percentages have to rely on gels and external energy sources, but for us normal folk, we’re already carrying our own energy reserves with us all the time. Leave your gels at home, have your breakfast after your ride, take plenty of water with you to ensure you’re always hydrated.

I don’t really mind what ‘specialist’ products any of you invest in to give yourselves a psychological boost, just as long as you pick up the wrappers afterwards..
I’m regrettably almost looking forward to the day when I catch a littering cyclist red-handed at the moment..

You and I both!

I’ve used syrup a few times now on long rides, and in the established tradition of using anecdotes instead of evidence on the internet, it works.

Try a pint of Stella mid ride, I always get home in double quick time….. or so it seems.

I know a bloke who did the Bob Graham (Sub 24hrs) on only Kendal Mint Cake, for variance he used both types.

Eeeeuuuuggggghhhhh!

“Haven’t touched it since”
Someone has too….your arse?

So if I pour honey on my kebab I’ll be ok then?
More to the point why do gels taste of sodding fruit? Why not nice flavours, like kebab or roast beef?

Very thankful for the gels I was carrying yesterday during the ultra I did – maybe it was psychological, perhaps figs or syrup would have been better, but I definitely felt a welcome boost that carried me through the last 20K.

I don’t usually use them on normal Sunday rides, I prefer a banana and flapjack. But as a lightweight portable energy source they’re pretty good.

I do wonder how the old staples of Soreen, Fig rolls and Jam Butties actually weigh up on a proper scientific nutrition scale with the ‘sports nutrition’ products?

Not often that I use energy drinks but when I do, it’s a good organic jam mixed with water (passed through a seive if it has seeds), pinch of salt.
I’ll try it undiluted in one of those reusable gel bottles if I ever get round to it. Home made bars/brownies etc…

Surely you’ve gotta be plain lazy or a mug to pay for powerbar stuff?

marzipan – about 4000kcal per bar!

Kendle Mint Cake.

You are aware of how Kendal Mint Cake stops you being hungry, aren’t you?

When all that’s left is KMC you can suddenly think of all manner of things you’d rather eat, (eg rocks, raw sheep, your own boots) and then you’re not that hungry.

Did the Bontrager 24 hr solo a few years ago. I can never face a gel again. A guy who was riding out of our pits did the whole thing on Jacobs Crackers and honey. He came 5th. Make of that what you will.

I did one of the UK 24 hour solos on jam sandwiches. Thick layers of strawberry jam, yum.

Didn’t do real well though. 🙂

I raced the singlespeed worlds at Aviemore in 2007 with a bottle of red wine in my camalbak, funnily enough i lost interest in racing approx 500yards from the start and pootled round the rest of the course, i even pushed back up one of the furthest away downhill sections a few times as it was a brilliant section and a giggle when half cut, i then got waylaid at the beer stop 3/4’s of the way round and settled down to heckle with the rest of the troublemakers…….If i only used Gels instead of red wine i could have knocked Adam Craig from the #1 spot……. 😉

Bad angle pic of the beer stop, i may have been crawling around drunk by this point, to be honest the only way i could have knocked adam craig from the #1 spot was by lobbing beer cans at him.

Any race where Gels are used is not fun, give us beer/wine/whisky…preferably in that order.

Haribo sprinkled with malodextrin powder?

Come to think of it this thread has made me think of the only logical use for a Pez dispenser – although I’ve never seen one with a handlebar mount :S

Surely you’ve gotta be plain lazy or a mug to pay for powerbar stuff?

cash rich, time poor.

😀