The Great Energy Gel Scam
buckmulligan
Posts: 1,031
I was rifling through my box of bike bits this evening and came across a couple of SIS energy gels that I got at a sportive last year. Out of boredom had a quick read through the ingredients and got to the nutritional information... 87 KCAL PER SERVING!!!! 87?!?
What is the bloody point??? I burn that much getting the sodding thing out of my pocket and in to my face!!! What a waste of time... :roll:
What is the bloody point??? I burn that much getting the sodding thing out of my pocket and in to my face!!! What a waste of time... :roll:
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Comments
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I think the point is that it's all carbs...0
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If you don't think they do anything for you then don't buy them. Free will is a beautiful thing...English Cycles V3 | Cervelo P5 | Cervelo T4 | Trek Domane Koppenberg0
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It's mostly carbs and it hits you fast. They're great if you feel close to blowing. If you're just topping up then you're right, a banana (about the same total calories) is tastier and cheaper (albeit more difficult to eat and the skin will get your clothes gunky when you put it back in your pocket.0
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I use exactly 87 KCAL when I check the time on my wrist watch, so bringing one out of my pocket the same time works well for me.
May not work for others though, depends on your time telling energy consumption.0 -
Gels are the easiest source of energy to consumer when you're riding at higher intensity - that's the point.0
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And you have satisfaction of chucking the empty packet all over the countryside like the pros do...0
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rstabler11 wrote:and the skin will get your clothes gunky when you put it back in your pocket.
it's biodegradable - throw it over the hedge...0 -
Mikey23 wrote:And you have satisfaction of chucking the empty packet all over the countryside like the pros do...
:shock:0 -
It takes 2 years for a banana skin to decompose, take them home or find a bin.0
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An interesting point though... What do you guys that regularly use them do with the wrappings... Presumably you don't put them back all gunky in your back pocket? I know that they do follow the courses and pick up what they can but I'm sure people don't climb down 500 ft ravines?0
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You just put the empty wrapper back in your jersey pocket, take it home and bin it, if you are worried about the gunky mess, make sure you dispense the gel into your mouth and not onto the wrapper.Mikey23 wrote:An interesting point though... What do you guys that regularly use them do with the wrappings... Presumably you don't put them back all gunky in your back pocket? I know that they do follow the courses and pick up what they can but I'm sure people don't climb down 500 ft ravines?
I do toss banana skins, as the local fauna will consume it well before the quoted 2 year decomposition rate0 -
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When I use High5 gels I squeeze them into a handy High5 gel bottle = no need for wrappers and no mess in my pockets. They're also really handy to use on the move.0
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pocket the empties, or put them in a roadside bin or at a cafe stop, if your'e not in a race it's no big deal stopping for 5 seconds to bin stuff
+1 for gel bottle, decant gels into it before ride, it's easier to slurp on the go especially with full gloves on, you do need to wash them out properly!my bike - faster than god's and twice as shiny0 -
If you're not racing you shouldn't be eating a gel
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I carry an empty freezer bag. Collect the gel wrappers and bin when I get back. People who throw the wrappers around deserve shooting, the mess left after a sportive tends to be appalling.0
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Agree re:wrappers (Isa some when on the roads around Hitchen last week and was apalled.
Fruit skins, toss 'em.
I've watched a banana skin in the gutter on my walk to the station decompose in about a week, even in winter....not sure where 2 years comes from....0 -
thegreatdivide wrote:When I use High5 gels I squeeze them into a handy High5 gel bottle = no need for wrappers and no mess in my pockets. They're also really handy to use on the move.
I'd never thought about doing that... never knew they existed in fact... sounds like a good idea.“You may think that; I couldn’t possibly comment!”
Wilier Cento Uno SR/Wilier Mortirolo/Specialized Roubaix Comp/Kona Hei Hei/Calibre Bossnut0 -
lemuppet wrote:It takes 2 years for a banana skin to decompose, take them home or find a bin.
Quite a few sources say 3-4 weeks. They may take 2 years in salt water, if that was the source of your thinking?0 -
So with these bottles do you end up wasting a larger % of the gel? One lot of waste when you squeeze it into the bottle and another when you eat it? I assume some % sticks to the package bottle each time?0
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lemuppet wrote:It takes 2 years for a banana skin to decompose, take them home or find a bin.
3-5 weeks, depending on temperature. 2 years, my ar5e.0 -
Dabber wrote:thegreatdivide wrote:When I use High5 gels I squeeze them into a handy High5 gel bottle = no need for wrappers and no mess in my pockets. They're also really handy to use on the move.
I'd never thought about doing that... never knew they existed in fact... sounds like a good idea.
Yup - I use a cheap runners flask if I'm going to need a few gels on a long, fast ride. A lot less fuss opening too when riding in a group.
Fits well in a jersey pocket.0 -
gloomyandy wrote:So with these bottles do you end up wasting a larger % of the gel? One lot of waste when you squeeze it into the bottle and another when you eat it? I assume some % sticks to the package bottle each time?
Nope, none goes to waste. When you get down to a gel's worth, store the bottle upside down in your pocket - make sure the end is closed though! Also, if you come home from a ride with gel left in the bottle stick it in the fridge for the next ride ;-)
Please note - these bottles only work for the super thin fructose High5 type gels. They won’t work with those horrendous ZipVit things.
You can pick the bottles up for buttons at Discount Supplements.0 -
The point of gels is that in a road race you'll be damn lucky if you have the time and breath to consume anything else. Anything that involves chewing means you can't breath (unless you're one of the 5% of people in the race that are fit enough to win).
If you're not racing then I'd leave the gels unless you're doing an event that's 20%+ longer than you're used to and then take a caffinated gel as a just in case you're grinding to a halt with 20 miles to go.
Once consumed fold the wrapper into 3, open bit turned in first then fold the bottom over the opening and stuff it in your jersey pocket. No mess and no bloody littering.0 -
As above ^^^^
And even if it does mess up the jersey pocket, so what? Presumably the jersey goes in the wash after the ride anyway?0 -
What could be easier (apart from throwing the wrapper away) than taking a bottle from your pocket, opeing the end with your mouth, squeezing a shot of gel in, then closing the bottle and sticking it back in your pocket. No fuss and no mess.0
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thegreatdivide wrote:What could be easier (apart from throwing the wrapper away) than taking a bottle from your pocket, opeing the end with your mouth, squeezing a shot of gel in, then closing the bottle and sticking it back in your pocket. No fuss and no mess.
Taking a gel out of your pocket, opening it, eating it and putting it back in your pocket...its not rocket science.0
