Energy Gels - feedback

dinkdankdo10

Hey fellow bikeradars !

I am looking to launch a new energy gel and wondered if I could gather your feedback on them.

What do you like about them ?
What don't you like about them ?
What are you favourite brands ?
What are your favorite flavours ?
Anything you would change about them ?
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ?
Where do you currently buy them from ?

Thanks and I will be in touch soon with more details

(apologies if this is in the wrong section)

t.m.h.n.e.t

dinkdankdo10 wrote:

Hey fellow bikeradars !

I am looking to launch a new energy gel and wondered if I could gather your feedback on them.

What do you like about them ?
What don't you like about them ?
What are you favourite brands ?
What are your favorite flavours ?
Anything you would change about them ?
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ?
Where do you currently buy them from ?

Thanks and I will be in touch soon with more details

(apologies if this is in the wrong section)

Energy in a small space
The wrappers could be biodegradable maybe? Who wants sticky gel sachets in a jersey pocket.
High5
All of them
Yes. I availed of a wiggle BOGOF offer a few months back.
Wiggle ^

apreading

High 5 are by far and away the best tasting and nicest to take - they are just like real fruit juice but a bit thicker. They dont have as much energy in them as some of the others like zipvit though. Many are thicker, stickier and lots of people find them unpleasant but I personally dont have a problem. I hate any that hafe caffeine in them though.

Biggest problem for me is the sticky packet and what to do with it.

I wouldnt pay £1.50 for them though - anything more than £1 is too much in my opinion.

I am not mad on orange or lemon or lime flavours and prefer apple or red fruit flavours.

dinkdankdo10

Thanks both for your time and great feedback !!!! much appreciated.

others please feel free to provide any further feedback.

twotyred

Actually I hate High 5 gels. The mouth feel is like eating runny snot and the flavour isn't intense enough.

Torq gels however are great. Gel is more viscous and the flavours are more intense. Black cherry yoghurt flavour is my favourite.

£1.50 is a bit steep. I buy in bulk.

danlikesbikes

easy to use
messy packets in my pocket afterwards
GU
mint choc (tastes like after 8;s) or espresso
Not much
Never like paying too much but quality is worth it I guess
On line

danowat

I am looking to launch a new energy gel and wondered if I could gather your feedback on them.

What do you like about them ? Perfect for racing, ease to carry energy
What don't you like about them ? Can be a pain to open at racing speeds
What are you favourite brands ? High5 and/or SIS (must have caffeine, must be isotonic)
What are your favorite flavours ? Have yet to find a flavour I really like, but the closest I've had was Powerbar Gel strawberry and banana, most taste a bit "medicinal" and sharp for me
Anything you would change about them ? Decent flavour, less sticky (if possible)
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ? Thats about the going rate, do I "mind" well, I buy them because I race, and they are perfect for that, but I wouldn't mind paying less!
Where do you currently buy them from ? Tesco

thegreatdivide

What do you like about them ? Fast energy hit.
What don't you like about them ? Sticky packets in jersey/jacket/gilet back pockets and sticky fingers if I spill some.
What are you favourite brands ? High5 Gel and Gel+.
What are your favourite flavours ? High5 all flavours.
Anything you would change about them ? Some kind of simple valve on the packets to stop remains leaking out in your pocket and as above, biodegradable wrappers, especially for those d1ckeds who either can’t put them in their pocket or think it’s Pro to chuck them on the ground when they’re done. You’re not Pro mate, you’re a prick!
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ? I don’t pay £1.50 for them. I buy bulk.
Where do you currently buy them from ? Discount Supplements or if I’m in a hurry my LBS (then I have to pay £1.50+).

TBH the best on bike gel isn’t a gel it’s Clif’s Shot Bloks. No mess, taste great and 100% veggie.

mamba80

Instant energy.
Cost
Can tolerate any brand aprt from High5 - those seem to make me fart like a horse.
Accelerade - with a bit of protein, do seem to hit the spot.
Any strong citrus flavours and Vanila
+1 on the bio wrappers - sometimes with the best will in the world a wrapper can fallout
online in bulk

apreading

Tops like this would be good for coping with the stickiness after use: http://www.ellaskitchen.co.uk/ellas_pro ... e-red-one/

also +1 for shot bloks - have used them alot. the other nice thing about them is that you can spread the intake out so rather than a big hit of energy, you can take smaller amounts on a more frequent basis. They dont seem to deliver the same amount of energy as the best gels though.

maddog 2

What do you like about them ?
easy to store, no chewing obviously, good options for fuelling (normal, caffeine etc.)

What don't you like about them ?
well some are too thick but of the decent ones: still tricky to get into them on the bike, potential for splits/mess, I'd make them bigger by volume personally.

What are you favourite brands ?
SIS and Torq, currently. High5 are okay too.

What are your favorite flavours ?
Whatever suits. SIS orange is nice, Torq Rhubarb+Custard

Anything you would change about them ?
Better 'entry' system. More size options. Lower cost.

Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ?
Yes. I buy bulk usually.

Where do you currently buy them from ?
Online - wiggle, CRC, the usual.

mrc1

dinkdankdo10 wrote:

What do you like about them ? Easy energy
What don't you like about them ? Stickiness and some are far too thick (SIS for example), packets in jersey pocket
What are you favourite brands ? Was High5 but now CNP gels
What are your favorite flavours ? Cola CNP
Anything you would change about them ? Better way of packaging them?
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ? Yes that's too much
Where do you currently buy them from ? Online

ShutUpLegs

Seems a lot of people use energy gels....

jgsi

What do you like about them ? convenience
What don't you like about them ? almost all of them packaged far too awkward for direct use when racing, so use a gel flask and as about as far removed from real food as you can get.
What are you favourite brands ? no real favourite but least favourite are Torq and SiS
What are your favorite flavours ?
Anything you would change about them ?
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ? yes
Where do you currently buy them from ? Luckily, I can source at direct manufacturer pricing so I have a very good idea of your markup

nunowoolmez

Instant energy hit, easy to carry, revitalising,
Some taste naff & some give you a wobbly tummy
only use Torq & Maxifuel viper boost after trying out loads, these are the best suited to me
torq banofee, torq rhubard n custard (delish), maxifuel viper boost citrus (well zingy)
nothing to improve on the brands i like
happy to pay £1.50 if the product is right, but buy in bulk anyway
buy from wherever is selling cheapest. wiggle currently.

dinkdankdo10

Wow. Thank you all for your replies and your time. Much appreciated and it's given my lots to think about. Will be in touch once they are launched.

THANK YOU

Herbsman

What do you like about them ? Nothing
What don't you like about them ? The packaging that people throw away and litter the countryside with
What are you favourite brands ? I've only tried two so can't comment
What are your favorite flavours ? Banana, apple, citrus
Anything you would change about them ? Make them easier to consume without littering (i.e. an alternative to the small tear-off end-piece)
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ? Are you joking?! That's more than double what I pay.
Where do you currently buy them from ? Online retailer. Even from my LBS gels are £1.20 at the very most. Yours had better contain dextroamphetamine for £1.50.

nunowoolmez

herbsman, if you don't like anything about them, why use em? very odd

Herbsman

nunowoolmez wrote:

herbsman, if you don't like anything about them, why use em? very odd

I don't like anaerobic endurance training. So why do I do it? Very odd.

Herbsman

Because it does what it's designed to do, perhaps?

RonB

What do you like about them ? Concentrated energy, speedy benefits
What don't you like about them ? Sticky mess in pockets if they are too strong you end up needing to drink loads as well
What are you favourite brands ? Sis, Zipvit
What are your favorite flavours ? Orange, Blackcurrant and cola
Anything you would change about them ? Packaging as mentioned by others
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ? Yes, £1 about right
Where do you currently buy them from ? Sis from LBS, Zipvit direct & in bulk.

thegreatdivide

@ dinkdankdo10 - if you need a guinea pig to test your gels out drop us a PM.

ShutUpLegs

Herbsman wrote:

Because it does what it's designed to do, perhaps?

Almost worth a Whoosh

alex1rob

High5 are to small, it's barely worth the effort. SIS much better in terms of size, consistency and probably taste. The sachet would be nice if you could tear the top in a way in which it stays attached that way you don't have two pieces of sticky rubbish to lose.

patchy

What do you like about them ? Ease of use, easy to carry lots, easy to consume
What don't you like about them ? packaging getting sticky go all over kit and handlebars; variable consistency. Some taste foul;
What are you favourite brands ?Gu, Torq
What are your favorite flavours ? ornage, mint choc, berry, choc, coffee
Anything you would change about them ? reusable flask containers
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ?nah, that's ok
Where do you currently buy them from ? bike shops and online retailers.

simona75

What do you like about them ? easy to consume, easy to carry in jersey pocket
What don't you like about them ? stickiness, the little flap you have to put in your pocket once you have opened them with your teeth (i wont spit this out onto the road like some)
What are you favourite brands ? SIS or Powerbar
What are your favorite flavours ? anything citus or berry based - like it to complement my drink
Anything you would change about them ? overpriced
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ? yes, the markup must be massive
Where do you currently buy them from ? either on groupon style offers (good one on at the moment) or in Tesco

Muffintop

What do you like about them ?
Digest relatively easy, and a good energy hit without needing much appetite.
What don't you like about them ?
Some of them are just foul. SIS and any 'yoghurt' or 'dairy' tasting ones.
What are you favourite brands ?
High5 and Powerbar Gel Plus - the kind with caffeine
What are your favorite flavours ?
Lemon and/or lime, cleaner on the pallate than other flavours.
Anything you would change about them ?
Make them taste better - you wouldn't think something that sweet would be horrible, but it's not the sweet that tastes horrible. Make the texture less viscous.
Do you mind paying a £1.50 for them ?
I paid £1.50 for the Powerbar ones - though tend to use a lot less of those than the High5 which I buy online for £1.
Where do you currently buy them from ?
Evans cycles for High5 (on line if I've remembered) and tiso's for power bar ones.

Mx

dinkdankdo10

Thanks again everyone. Valuable feedback and the offers of testers I will take you up on that ;-)))

Just finalising everything now and will let all the bikeradars know when they are launched.