Energy Bars

[binsted]

Hi All, new here so forgive if this question has been done to death, I have tried the search facility but without success.

There seem to be so many energy bars available but I am sure someone must have done the research and can recommend which ones are good and which ones to avoid.

Any recommendations?

[Vantage]

Personally I wouldn't waste money on any of them. They're over-priced rubbish.
You'll be better off with a common cereal bar like Rice Krispies Squares or flapjack or something similar. They're just as good and more often than not, tastier and come in a much wider choice of flavours. A mars bar kept in your saddlebag/pannier/jersey pocket/trailer/caravan (delete as appropriate) is also a handy energy boost when its needed quickly

[danfoto]

Any recommendations?

Yes.

Prior to purchase, read the ingredients. Then, if you really are convinced that a cocktail of chemicals will actually work some magic upon your body, buy it.

Otherwise eat a banana or some flapjack.

Or both.

And btw, don't bother with "sports drinks" either. 10% pure orange juice in water with a pinch of salt added will do just the same.

[eileithyia]

Ultimately it comes down to personal taste and what you consider is acceptable additives to consume. As said you could easily eat a Mars Bar if you can bear all that revolting goo in your mouth... personally it is years since I have...

Cereal bars are also full of cr*p ingredients. Have spent years trying various energy bars and have only recently found a couple of types that, I personally find palatable.... surprise surprise from german sources.. although I have supplier sources for them i this country now.

A Banana is also just as good a source of energy.

[Ayesha]

Make your own.

120g SR flour.
100g Wheatgerm.
20 g Cocoa powder.
2g Cayenne pepper powder.
60g Granulated sugar.
30 ml Water.

Mix thoroughly, portion onto buttered baking tray and bung in an oven at 180 C or GM 4 for 20 minutes.

Makes 12, 170 kCals each.

Cocoa and chilli can be substituted for anything you fancy. Pulverised coffee beans for instance.

One variety, which is good to hand round at the beginning of Audaxes has Wheat bran in place of the Wheatgerm, 5g chilli powder and the water is substituted with Syrup of Figs.

[binsted]

Make your own.

One variety, which is good to hand round at the beginning of Audaxes has Wheat bran in place of the Wheatgerm, 5g chilli powder and the water is substituted with Syrup of Figs.

lol, will that speed me up significantly

[AlanD]

Malt loaf normally comes highly recommended, yum yum. Also raisins & nuts. Although I find that a certain leading supermarket sells a box of six very good bars at an attractive price.
Having seen the energy drinks and gels touted at events, I also think that they are overpriced, unnecessary and carrying glitzy packaging with 'designer' pricetags. I think it's all just a load of hype.
I am thinking of trying what Alan Sugar does, makes his own with bananas, blueberries, orange & cranberry juice, pinch of salt.

Nearly lunchtime, feeling hungry.

[Ayesha]

Make your own.

One variety, which is good to hand round at the beginning of Audaxes has Wheat bran in place of the Wheatgerm, 5g chilli powder and the water is substituted with Syrup of Figs.

lol, will that speed me up significantly

Accept any unwrapped food BEFORE an event and you might be on a RM. That's not Randonneur Mondaix, that's Rectal Maltreatment.

[bigjim]

Malt loaf slices with peanut butter or homemade jam for me. 2 malt loaves for a pound at Lidl. Lovely grubb. Bananas are great but don't travel well over a day, so an apple is a good substitute.

[Ayesha]

Today is a Friday. There is never ever any sense spoken on cycling forums on Fridays.

This post, because it being Friday, is utter nonsense.

[Michael R]

Wise advice on the folly of energy bars

Also find out what suits YOU. E.g. I can't stand Mars bars so eat other things

I afford all fancy energy foods , drinks etc and simply eat well and appropiately

PS add brown sugar to my drink of squash

[AndyK]

I am perhaps a bit weird in that I love the taste of Powerbars (vanilla crisp - yum) and will happily pay more than a quid for one. On the other hand I would NEVER eat a banana while on a ride as I find that my cycling companions get strangely upset when I bring it back up. Bananas are the food from hell and should be banned. Malt loaf is nice but a bit chewy and rather messy to carry in the back pocket.

What many (not all) energy bars have in common is that the ingredients are mashed up and pressed together with minimal fat added, to make them more digestible on the move than (say) a conventional flapjack. I tend to take the middle ground and use the "raw food" bars widely available in shops - Nakd and Trek are probably the best-known brands. These are reasonably priced (if you look out for multi-buys), easy to store in a jersey pocket, easy to eat and digest and they keep me going through long rides.

Chris Boardman reputedly ate fig rolls as energy food when in training.

[eileithyia]

I am perhaps a bit weird in that I love the taste of Powerbars (vanilla crisp - yum) and will happily pay more than a quid for one. On the other hand I would NEVER eat a banana while on a ride as I find that my cycling companions get strangely upset when I bring it back up. Bananas are the food from hell and should be banned. Malt loaf is nice but a bit chewy and rather messy to carry in the back pocket.

What many (not all) energy bars have in common is that the ingredients are mashed up and pressed together with minimal fat added, to make them more digestible on the move than (say) a conventional flapjack. I tend to take the middle ground and use the "raw food" bars widely available in shops - Nakd and Trek are probably the best-known brands. These are reasonably priced (if you look out for multi-buys), easy to store in a jersey pocket, easy to eat and digest and they keep me going through long rides.

Chris Boardman reputedly ate fig rolls as energy food when in training.

Which just goes to prove my earlier post... we are all different and what suits one cyclists' taste buds doesn't suit another and sometimes you have to do trial and error. Quite honestly for normal cycling, touring/training/commuting / with stops etc., I eat normal food and only use energy bars/gels etc when I am racing, I might carry a gel and energy bar in my bag for emergencies only.

[cyclingvirtual]

As above dont bother, i do use gels though for the longer races for convienance.

[ukdodger]

Hi All, new here so forgive if this question has been done to death, I have tried the search facility but without success.

There seem to be so many energy bars available but I am sure someone must have done the research and can recommend which ones are good and which ones to avoid.

Any recommendations?

I think they're complete rubbish. All you need is sugar. Go into Lydle and buy a bargain pack of Kit Kats. For £2.50 you get about thirty small bars in a big bag. For me that's enough for four days riding.