Gels and their consumption.

ianrobo
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by ianrobo »

david7591 wrote:I too use jelly babies, and also energy drinks. If I want anything more substantial, I stop to eat.


If you eat JB's and just 12 an hour not sure you need an energy drink do you ?

Is that just a personal preference ?
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Si
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by Si »

Tried an energy gel for the first time ever this week....one of our suppliers had.a couple of boxes that were a few days past their sell by date so let us have them.

Now i understand how they work....you quoth one and then immediatly need to eat loads of solid food to get rid of the after taste and the feeling that you have just necked a slime mold.

Think i'll stick with the malt loaf and bananas :D
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meic
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by meic »

I have had a box of them on the windowsill for a few years now (a present from ChainReaction) I havent ever summoned up the courage to actually try and eat one. I think eating worms on a survival course was a more appetising idea.
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ianrobo
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by ianrobo »

Regardless of my personal stance on eating/drinkin carbs I could never recommend anyone to have these vile things.

If you want something similar, dead easy, prepare Orange Juice, Water and salt before you ride ...

cheaper and far easier on the stomach, obvious on long rides this is not so easy if you need a refill.

If you want to eat then all the way, every time do Jelly Babies or similar.
DFinn23
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by DFinn23 »

Interesting topic. All I will add is if you use these, please try them before the big race day.
I did not and learned the hard way!
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NATURAL ANKLING
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by NATURAL ANKLING »

Hi,
Si wrote:Tried an energy gel for the first time ever this week....one of our suppliers had.a couple of boxes that were a few days past their sell by date so let us have them.

Now i understand how they work....you quoth one and then immediatly need to eat loads of solid food to get rid of the after taste and the feeling that you have just necked a slime mold.

Think i'll stick with the malt loaf and bananas :D

First I tried one a few months ago..............blahhh..........but I did a 5hr cycle at pace a week a go and decided to top up before a big hill, it actually disappeared in half a second and wasn't that bad, I probably ate something, well several go fast junk a minute before so my taste buds were overloaded :)
Emergency yes but normal diet I don't need, I am still trying to work out what you eat when you cant taste a thing which is normally 11 hrs in the saddle out of 12, I need more practice in consuming whilst on the bike, learning not to drop it is the first lesson.
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mjr
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by mjr »

Si wrote:Now i understand how they work....you quoth one and then immediatly need to eat loads of solid food to get rid of the after taste and the feeling that you have just necked a slime mold.

The best description of them I've read was roughly, translated to a safer-for-work version, like the aftereffects of pleasuring a teletubby with one's mouth. I wish I could remember who wrote that, though! Maybe any gel consumer who's read this will struggle to avoid the mental image of looking up at a teletubby whose eyes are rolling back in bliss... :twisted:

Jelly babies or candied ginger for quick boosts. Real food for real fuel.
MJR, mostly pedalling 3-speed roadsters. KL+West Norfolk BUG incl social easy rides http://www.klwnbug.co.uk
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tatanab
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by tatanab »

energygel_plus_product1-600x600.jpg
I bought some of these for backup on a hard tour last year. They are quite palatable being soft fruity semi liquid. I found that if I was sagging before lunch I could take one of these and after about 10 minutes there was a definite positive effect. How long the effect might last I do not know because it was only a stop gap to get me to real food. I could not imagine taking them as a sole sustenance on the road.

NATURAL ANKLING wrote:I need more practice in consuming whilst on the bike, learning not to drop it is the first lesson.
You can always stop for the 30 seconds needed to open and consume the contents, unless in the middle of a road race that is.
david7591
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by david7591 »

ianrobo wrote:
david7591 wrote:I too use jelly babies, and also energy drinks. If I want anything more substantial, I stop to eat.


If you eat JB's and just 12 an hour not sure you need an energy drink do you ?

Is that just a personal preference ?


I wouldn't know. I don't eat twelve an hour. I tend to have them as 'emergency' back up if I feel in need of a boost towards the end of a long or hard ride. An energy drink as well as providing sugars etc, also provides water, which is probably important due to sweating and fluid loss whilst cycling.

And I don't aim to find out as carrying and eating sixty jelly babies on a five hour cycle ride doesn't appeal.
softlips
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by softlips »

I quite like the SIS gels and find they give no unwanted after effects. I do like jelly babies too which for me add the sensation of actually eating something.
cyclingmad
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by cyclingmad »

Why do they need to be in gel form rather than just pure liquid? Are gels more nutrious than say a bottle full of freshly squeezed orange juice?
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RickH
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by RickH »

cyclingmad wrote:Why do they need to be in gel form rather than just pure liquid? Are gels more nutrious than say a bottle full of freshly squeezed orange juice?

I think the idea of a gel is the contents are more concentrated so you can get more energy value in quickly, probably as much if not more than drinking a whole bottle full of something more dilute.

I think a lot is down to personal preference - artificial sweeteners tend to make me gag. I once made the mistake of trying out a sample electrolyte tablet in a bottle without reading the ingredients carefully. I took one swig & rode the rest of the ride without drinking any more, even though I'm one who generally drinks quite a bit while riding.

Generally I'll just drink water but on a hard &/or hot ride I'll use Torq energy/electrlyte drink as it tastes OK to me (& was the first I found to be pleasant as the flavours are natural fruit). I also like the odd jelly baby. I did have a sample of some energy sweet, I think they were Powerbar branded, that were quite like jelly babies in consistency & they tasted OK too. I'll happily eat oat & fruit based bars on the move too, if I want a bit of fuel.
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althebike
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by althebike »

I do not think gels were designed as an all day food, but more for times where you need a fast energy hike . They are absorbed with water so if you take them on their own you may well get the tummy troubles reported in the earlier posts.
This has some interesting information
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiaTxSxmmns

The trend seems to be start with something solid, like porridge and or omelette, during the ride start on solid, such as flapjack, banana crustless sandwiches and progress to the gels when you cannot take any more solid stuff.
I have to peck away on things really light, your jelly babies sound good, but I can only eat so many before they become sickly.
Have you tried something light like a currant bun or banana which can easily be carried in a back pocket?.
crazydave789
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Re: Gels and their consumption.

Post by crazydave789 »

the first gels looked and probably tasted like the sample bags from an Insemination clinic - with a hint of lemon - I used to use them in the army. I've never been that keen on them. one thing I do notice when on roads used by regular cyclists and club runs is the quantity of energy drinks cans thrown in the verges.

I found honey, salt and lemon mixed up as a drink is refreshing and does the job - I get a big tub of honey and 2 litres of lemon juice from costco - lasts ages in the fridge too so I make a batch up with boiling water and let it cool. for a cheap energy drink that you can digest then dilute coke or fanta (other brands are available) 50:50 with water which makes it much easier to digest and hydrate.

someone makes energy gel gummy sweet type things that aren't so bad in a haribo kind of way. if you are okay stopping for a second like cycle touring then a spoonful of peanut butter is packed full of energy, many long distance hikers use it as a trail snack as well. and of course there's dextrose tablets.
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