Gels, bars and shot blocks

itboffin

Rick Chasey wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

(c) because I really don't care for sucking down something of that consistency. Even if it has a fruit flavour.

Sure you don't greg

what goes on tour eh Greg

Sewinman

Oh come on, you know all this already. Human bodies have not evolved significantly since you did those 60 mile plus sportives a few years ago and managed fuelling absolutely fine!

DonDaddyD

Technology has. In my day Garmin's only went up to 800. Now they've got the 1000 and my old World mind cannot comprehend what it does, I suspect something involving that Book of Faces.

Went in the shop the other day to get my compact put on (never knew Shimano has developed "One Crank to fit them all") and looked at getting some Cliff Bars and was bombarded with a plethora of gels, blocks, shots, i-hits and caffeine super conducting energy XL something another and figured I better ask before trying and giving myself runny belly.

The general rules seem to be the same mind: homemade if you're that guy, bars are good (Cliff are the best), shot and blocks are gimmicks, and gels still, I imagine, feel like what I imagine it would be like to take man love into the mouth.

I'm probably gonna stick to cliff bars and experiment with some high energy shots. One thing I know about me is my very diesel engine cannot go up hill or do much of anything if I'm running on fumes so fuel is important.

rubertoe

Malt loaf and Nutella,

And pork pies. You dont need anything more.

ddraver

I would be a lot more interested in homosexuality if man love tasted like Torq banoffee pie or rasberry ripple gels....

apreading

DonDaddyD wrote:

shot and blocks are gimmicks

The point of Shot Bloks is not that they are any better than gels - just more convenient as you dont have to have a whole one at a time and dont need to deal with any runny/sticky mess. Not a big deal but more than just a gimmick.

daddy0

Veronese68 wrote:

Regarding food I go for flapjacks in the little blocks you get in a tub and stick them in a sandwich bag the goes in a jersey pocket. Easy to reach back and grab one on the fly and they taste good. Gels are foul. And some of the powder stuff in a drinks bottle, the other plain water.

This is pretty much how I roll too. But then I also stop at the last feed station and fill my pockets with gels to take home, because I am cheap. I got 12 on the last Sportive.

meanredspider

apreading wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

shot and blocks are gimmicks

The point of Shot Bloks is not that they are any better than gels - just more convenient as you dont have to have a whole one at a time and dont need to deal with any runny/sticky mess. Not a big deal but more than just a gimmick.

The problem with Shot Blocks IME is that the packaging is impossible to open. I actually quite like them but I find getting at the product infuriatingly difficult and certainly not something I'd try whilst riding. They may have improved it since last year but it certainly put me off them.

In the meantime I have just received a box of 24 GU salted caramel gels (I hope I like them.... )

tgotb

DonDaddyD wrote:

Technology has. In my day Garmin's only went up to 800. Now they've got the 1000 and my old World mind cannot comprehend what it does, I suspect something involving that Book of Faces.

I might be wrong here, but I was under the impression that old-school Garmin 800s did still work. Again my information may be out of date, but I had thought the same applied to old fashioned food...

When I was a kid we used to ride around with a packet of jelly babies and an OS map in our pockets, but that was a very long time ago; I should imagine OS maps haven't worked for years...

ddraver

meanredspider wrote:

apreading wrote:

DonDaddyD wrote:

shot and blocks are gimmicks

The point of Shot Bloks is not that they are any better than gels - just more convenient as you dont have to have a whole one at a time and dont need to deal with any runny/sticky mess. Not a big deal but more than just a gimmick.

The problem with Shot Blocks IME is that the packaging is impossible to open. I actually quite like them but I find getting at the product infuriatingly difficult and certainly not something I'd try whilst riding. They may have improved it since last year but it certainly put me off them.

In the meantime I have just received a box of 24 GU salted caramel gels (I hope I like them.... )

That's fair, I ve only really used them on MTB 24hr races where I could open them before a lap. They were then only in my pocket for 30 mins or so.

greg66_tri_v2.0

Rick Chasey wrote:

Greg66 Tri v2.0 wrote:

(c) because I really don't care for sucking down something of that consistency. Even if it has a fruit flavour.

Sure you don't greg

I thought that was going to sail over everyone's head. Ironic that it didn't for you, what with you being a circus dwarf 'n' all.

Walls82

I prefer shot bloks don't get sticky mess everywhere and easier on the stomach.

It does make me laugh how many gels companies recommend - I think you would give yourself diabetes if you followed their guidelines!

If your doing any kind of long distance its worth investing in a heart rate monitor and learning about the different zones and the different sources of energy you use depending on how hard your working.

Also If you find a group that's working well on a sportive (almost always cycling clubs) and they don't mind you tagging along that will save you a ton of energy and you won't need to eat as much - even better join a cycling club and your guaranteed a good group!

meanredspider

Walls82 wrote:

Also If you find a group that's working well on a sportive (almost always cycling clubs) and they don't mind you tagging along that will save you a ton of energy and you won't need to eat as much

I still don't quite get this approach in anything but team events/competition. If I enter a 100-mile sportif, I'd quite like to think that I'd cycled the 100 miles myself rather than having been towed around by other cyclists. I know lots of people do it but it doesn't float my boat because it's sooo much easier in a group. Different if it's a team event - like Rapha Prestige Limburg I'm doing in a couple of weeks - 200km, teams of 4 and you must ride together. It's "not a race" but it is timed and, with over 2500m of Ardennes-style climbing and gravel sections, it won't be easy either. It's all about working as a team against other teams.

tgotb

meanredspider wrote:

I still don't quite get this approach in anything but team events/competition. If I enter a 100-mile sportif, I'd quite like to think that I'd cycled the 100 miles myself rather than having been towed around by other cyclists. I know lots of people do it but it doesn't float my boat because it's sooo much easier in a group.

But if you wanted to prove to yourself that you can ride 100 miles unaided, couldn't you just pop out, next time you have 5-6 free hours, and go for a 100 mile bike ride?

Given that the roads are free for anyone to use at any time, and yet people are prepared to fork out £40 or more for the privilege, I can only assume they specifically want to ride around the course in a group.

dhope

TGOTB wrote:

meanredspider wrote:

I still don't quite get this approach in anything but team events/competition. If I enter a 100-mile sportif, I'd quite like to think that I'd cycled the 100 miles myself rather than having been towed around by other cyclists. I know lots of people do it but it doesn't float my boat because it's sooo much easier in a group.

But if you wanted to prove to yourself that you can ride 100 miles unaided, couldn't you just pop out, next time you have 5-6 free hours, and go for a 100 mile bike ride?

Given that the roads are free for anyone to use at any time, and yet people are prepared to fork out £40 or more for the privilege, I can only assume they specifically want to ride around the course in a group.

Same for the marathon though. Anyone can go out and run round the block for 4 hours but it's nice to have an event to aim for. And closed roads around London is largely unheard of unless you fancy starting the 100 miler at 2am

meanredspider

dhope wrote:

Same for the marathon though. Anyone can go out and run round the block for 4 hours but it's nice to have an event to aim for. And closed roads around London is largely unheard of unless you fancy starting the 100 miler at 2am

Spot on. And it's supported, safer and there's the feel of an event etc. if you want to ride in a group, join a club (as suggested) As I said, I can see why people do it but it doesn't float my boat. It's not a big deal though

Walls82

Well you would expect to do some work if the group is rotating properly(which will never happen in a sportive ), just being towed around is pretty pointless and would annoy everyone who is working! I guess it depends what you want to achieve on your ride.

Personally I'm not a big fan of sportives anymore but found them a good stepping stone into club riding. Looking forward to ride london for the closed roads, hopefully better weather than last year!

Ben6899

DDD, my twopenneth.

Eat "proper" food (such as PB sarnos, bananas) and/or energy bars that are not full of synthetics (Clif, Mule). Take a gel (or two) for absolute emergencies. I only ever resort to a gel, if I've somehow cocked up my food intake and am on the limit of bonking.

But - without wanting to wave the old fella about in here - it's only 100miles AND there are feed stations. Don't over-think it.

rick_chasey

Ben6899 wrote:

But - without wanting to wave the old fella about in here - it's only 100miles AND there are feed stations. Don't over-think it.

Half the fun isn't it?

Ben6899

Rick Chasey wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

But - without wanting to wave the old fella about in here - it's only 100miles AND there are feed stations. Don't over-think it.

Half the fun isn't it?

Waving the old fella about or over-thinking it?

rick_chasey

Ben6899 wrote:

Rick Chasey wrote:

Ben6899 wrote:

But - without wanting to wave the old fella about in here - it's only 100miles AND there are feed stations. Don't over-think it.

Half the fun isn't it?

Waving the old fella about or over-thinking it?

secretsam

markhewitt1978 wrote:

Porridge pot for breakfast and cereal bars during the ride usually do the job for me.

Porridge doesn't work, remember (see separate thread...somewhere... )

roger_merriman

meanredspider wrote:

dhope wrote:

Same for the marathon though. Anyone can go out and run round the block for 4 hours but it's nice to have an event to aim for. And closed roads around London is largely unheard of unless you fancy starting the 100 miler at 2am

Spot on. And it's supported, safer and there's the feel of an event etc. if you want to ride in a group, join a club (as suggested) As I said, I can see why people do it but it doesn't float my boat. It's not a big deal though

if it's shared experience with friends yes I have and probably will do sportives/audux in the future.

On the whole though I'm wary of group riding, people do dumb things, and massively underestimate the distance it will take them to stop.