Gels & Powders
Discussion
Sea Demon said:
Hi - me & 3 mates are riding from Lands End To John O'Groats soon and want to buy some energy gels/powders for when the going gets tough, can anyone recommend what we should take?
Thanks
Not wanting to sound patronising, but from your post, it looks like you fancy jumping on a bike for a fun jaunt to Scotland with some chums. How much riding/training have you done up until now? Is it part of a larger organised event with pre-organised mechanical support, accommodation, etc?Thanks
You don't leave drinking and eating for when the going gets tough - you need to be constantly sipping and nibbling, especially if you're in the saddle for several hours a day.
As above, High5 is good stuff, as is Zipvit and SIS. Some people react better/worse to different things, so experiment on training rides to find out what food/powder/gel works (and doesn't work) for you.
For a 100 miler, I would do the following:
- Big bowl of muesli 1hr before the start, and then start sipping pre-mixed High5 Evergy Source Plus every 5 minutes from 1hr before the start up until the start.
From the start:
- 2x750ml bidons: 1 for water, 1 for energy drink
- Carry 3 SIS "Go" bars
- Carry 2 Zipvit Gels
- Carry 1 tube of Clif Blocks (orange flavour with caffeine)
- Carry 2 60g sachets of High5 Energy Source (for topping up the energy drink bidon)
Top up the bidons at the 50 mile point. The rest I would nibble throughout, with the gels in the final 25 miles.
You might also want to take some cake and banana, as real food is a pleasant relief after all the bars and gels.
Its not like that at all - we've been training fairly hard for the last 4 months with a long ride each weekend 50-70 miles and I ride to work 2-3 times a week which is a 38 mile round trip.
Its not something we just thought we'd do - trust me, we've been planning for months.
No pre-organised mechanical support but were taking spares, anything we dont have we'll have have to deal with. I know you need to keep your self hydrated etc but on training rides I've just been drinking water, Lucozade sport, eating pasta, bannana's, snickers etc which works fine for me but a couple of the others want to take gels/powders so I thought I'd ask here so thanks for your reply
Its not something we just thought we'd do - trust me, we've been planning for months.
No pre-organised mechanical support but were taking spares, anything we dont have we'll have have to deal with. I know you need to keep your self hydrated etc but on training rides I've just been drinking water, Lucozade sport, eating pasta, bannana's, snickers etc which works fine for me but a couple of the others want to take gels/powders so I thought I'd ask here so thanks for your reply
No probs, it seems you're ready to take the plunge then!
Some people make up their own energy drinks with whey powder, etc, and use Kendalls Mint Cake and Malt Loaf. It's an interesting alternative, and cheaper than the energy brands. But I'm too lazy to make my own, and Wiggle is really efficient.
Some people make up their own energy drinks with whey powder, etc, and use Kendalls Mint Cake and Malt Loaf. It's an interesting alternative, and cheaper than the energy brands. But I'm too lazy to make my own, and Wiggle is really efficient.
Edited by Muzzlehatch on Thursday 22 April 13:56
swerni said:
make sure you've tried them out well in advance of your trip.
They have been known on occasion to give people an upset stomach and that's not something you want to find out on the ride.
And don't forget the Zero tablets or other such electrolyte product.
If your not replacing the minerals your sweating out you will really suffer, especially if it's hot.
Ok - good advice! CheersThey have been known on occasion to give people an upset stomach and that's not something you want to find out on the ride.
And don't forget the Zero tablets or other such electrolyte product.
If your not replacing the minerals your sweating out you will really suffer, especially if it's hot.
swerni said:
High5 4:1 or sis PSP22 for energy.
High5 Zero's for hydration and electrolytes.
High5 protein recovery for when you finish each day.
Lots of bags of jelly babies and just keep popping a couple every now and then
+1 - exactly what I would take but swap the jelly babies for RideShots as they're rather tasty High5 Zero's for hydration and electrolytes.
High5 protein recovery for when you finish each day.
Lots of bags of jelly babies and just keep popping a couple every now and then
Biggest thing for me has been getting use to taking gels on the move.
Also certain gels and powders dont taste as good to me as my friends so its been trial and error.
I'm looking to do the event this time next year and want to ride it in 10 days so alot of training is required as i want to ENJOY the ride and not feel completely wasted by day 5.
Good Luck
Also certain gels and powders dont taste as good to me as my friends so its been trial and error.
I'm looking to do the event this time next year and want to ride it in 10 days so alot of training is required as i want to ENJOY the ride and not feel completely wasted by day 5.
Good Luck
Can any of you guys recommend a bar of some sort which is a cheaper alternative to Powerbars etc. I currently use things like Kellogg's Elevenses for 2-3 hour rides but I suspect that there are better ones out there; thing is it's difficult to know which are the good ones.
Apologies for the hijack!
Apologies for the hijack!
sis stuff works for me. the psp22 stuff is pretty good, the rego recovery strawberryy powder has a noticeable effect (but only as well as a pint of milk and nesquik!) and the caffiene "smart" gel for on the bike. the regular lucozade sport is pretty good for me too but it doesnt seem to be as effective.
Rouleur said:
Can any of you guys recommend a bar of some sort which is a cheaper alternative to Powerbars etc. I currently use things like Kellogg's Elevenses for 2-3 hour rides but I suspect that there are better ones out there; thing is it's difficult to know which are the good ones.
Apologies for the hijack!
i use elevenses, there may be "better" out there but if you like them and they provide you with a bit of fuel/energy, there isnt much point searching high nad low for something a bit higher in carbs. the ginger ones are especially good. the thing is, if the weather turns and it gets cold and wet, you want something that will taste nice and perk you up a bit just as smuch as something that is nutritionally good.Apologies for the hijack!
Whatever you do, start trying the drinks and gels now. Most contain varying amounst of maltodextrin which can affect people's stomachs. I personally find the High 5 and SIS stuff has the worst affect, but I know it's not the same for all people. Torq seems to work better for me, and their gels are the easiest to swallow and have the best energy effect on me. Another option worth looking for are Mule Bars - 100% natural so at least your stomach has less to deal with.
Oh, and good luck, should be a great trip.
Oh, and good luck, should be a great trip.
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