Drinks, snacks and gels

spadey

Anyone got any recommendations for where to buy cheap energy drinks, bars and gels? Have been using the Science in Sport ones during 3-5 hour rides, but there have got to be cheaper versions.

Have not really experimented in mixing my own but willing to try it if the price (and taste) payoff is significant.

Cheers

whyamihere

Drinks: www.myprotein.co.uk I'm using a 2:1 mix of Matodextrin and Fructose, with a bit of salt added, and it seems just as good as my Torg powder.
Bars: I make my own, kind of. I make a kind of dense banana cake with sultanas, which has a lot of carbohydrates as well as sugar, giving a nice energy boost. It's just a standard banana cake recipe, but with plain flour rather than self raising and an extra egg, which helps make it denser and less crumbly. I bake it in a brownie tin, so that it's flat and can simply be cut up to take a couple of small cakes on a ride. Will at some point experiment with making oaty bars, but this cake recipe is so nice...
Not found a way of making cheap gels yet. I will though...

Frank the tank

Drink wise I find those nuun tablets good. One/500ml of water and they come in various flavours 12 tablets for a fiver, less than 50p/500ml. Good value at the side of ready mixed drinks.