Favourite Energy Products

[KidsCan]

Hi Everyone,

We’re always trying to improve our charity sportives – The Macc Monster and upcoming PEAK 100 (Sunday 15th April).
In order to keep improving our sportives, we like to make sure the kit we give out to our participants is tailored to the event.
As you can imagine, one of the main things we give to our riders who come along on the day are energy powders and gels. However there’s a pretty big range to choose from!

We’ve had a lot of success with High 5’s products, but we have also used Science in Sport too, but we’re just trying to make sure we bring in the right stuff for our cyclists!
No one wants to try and climb up and over Axe Edge with a bad taste in water bottle!

Do you have a favourite energy product?
What do you think works best for you?

Thanks for your help!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Bananas, apples and truly strong cheddar.

[Jacomus]

Panda Soft Licorice bars are a favorite of mine.

Barely affected by heat and chewy enough that you can easily hold it in your teeth if you suddenly need two hands on the bars for some reason.

Delicious!

p.s. This isn't Licorice AllSorts style yucky stuff, this is soft and tasty.

http://www.hollandandbarrett.com/pages/product_detail.asp?pid=2929&prodid=3552&sid=0&bid=226

[Euan Uzami]

On a sportive I'd probably use an energy drink, but for the real serious stuff like the most excellent Spring Into The Dales audax then I'd probably use a banana or two. 

[Karla]

Indeed, I believe the most excellent SITD audax has bananas and water at the first control and one or two excellent cafes later in the ride.

[KidsCan]

Bananas, apples and truly strong cheddar.

We always have plenty of bananas on the feed station. Always entertaining to go to the check out at ASDA with a full trolly of bananas!
I'd never thought about cheese before though!

Panda Soft Licorice bars are a favorite of mine.

Another interesting choice.
Do you think there are enough cyclsits out there who like licorice?
We try and buy all of our stock for feed stations in bulk.

Thanks for your comments so far everyone.
Very helpful as ever.
Keep them coming!

[mrcharly-YHT]

I believe that all the SiS stuff is vegan - other powders no necessarily so.

[TheLurker]

Dried apricots.  No need for wraps, easy to chew and swallow, no need to put reeky old banana skin back in jersey pocket.

[Dinamo]

Rode the Exmoor Beast sportif last Sunday at the first feed station they were handing out a bag including a banana, flapjack and malt loaf, IMO an excellent choice.

[amaferanga]

Soreen banana loaf.  End off.

[KidsCan]

I believe that all the SiS stuff is vegan - other powders no necessarily so.

Is it vegan?
I didn't know that!

That's a bonus as we had someone asking for more veggie products last year.

Rode the Exmoor Beast sportif last Sunday at the first feed station they were handing out a bag including a banana, flapjack and malt loaf, IMO an excellent choice.

That's an interesting way of doing things.
Mind you we'd find it a bit hard to put a cup of tea in a bag!
Although that said for the rest of the products it may make sure that everyone gets their fair share.

Good idea!

Thanks again everyone, your feedback is invaluable.

[Euan Uzami]

we'd find it a bit hard to put a cup of tea in a bag

They manage it on trains
insist on it in fact 

[GrahamG]

Home made bonk bars - seriously, if you know someone handy with an oven and get a good recipe that's not just fat/sugar/oats then that'll piss on standard packet products. Punters will remember the great home made flapjack too.

[Euan Uzami]

My brother makes his own protein bars out of protein powder and various other 'maximuscle' chemicals, except he freezes them instead of cooking them. (They look, smell, and probably are, rank. So I wouldn't like to recommend the recipe)

[Gandalf]

I'd be happy for anything vegan other than bananas.  Soreen definitely isn't.  I'm also a fan of the panda bars.

[Rhys W]

I quite liked the bite-sized fruit/jam tart things they've had on the Dragon Ride. Nice change from bananas and easy to scoff.

What also went down well (especially at the 3rd feed station, when people are getting sick of sweet things) were buckets of roasted potatoes, slightly salted.

[Somnolent]

for when I'm fed up of the sweet stuff.

TorQ Banoffee gels (with caffeine) - almost instant bonk recovery.

[simonp]

+1 for Torq stuff, both the Energy powder and the gels, both caffeinated and not.

[seraphina]

Peanut butter sandwiches. But must be made with crunchy peanut butter, otherwise no texture. Flapjacks/cereal bars also go down well.  I prefer proper food to gels/energy bars etc

[giropaul]

I rate Overstim products - they have a "plan" which includes pre-event, at stages through it, and after.

It's not easy to get in the UK always, but you can order direct from France, and they are very efficient.