Energy gel.........

[DDYB]

Probably a really silly question but unsure of the answer.

I have been advised to try energy gels on a long ride so picked up a couple today, anyway my question - Do you consume the whole thing at once or just little bits at a time? And is there a limit on how many you should use per day?

Thanks in advance.

 

[garrilla]

You consume it all in one go - you'd have a job trying to put an open one back in your jersey!

YOu have to take liquids with them.

Depdending on the brand they should be consumed at regular intervals. The lucazade ones are every 30mins for example.

Is this info not on the package? I would be concenred about taking them if you don't have the proper instructions. Basically you are taking them to replace what you have lost/burned.

Not keen on Bananas then?

 

[monnet]

All in one go. I find they are only really useful for two situations.

1) The most common time I use them is in a race/ hard group training ride when I am going flat out and need energy quick. Depeding on what I've eaten, I might shovel one in before a time trial too.

2) If I'm doing a long ride I'll take one in addition to my usual food just in case I stat to bonk in the last 20 miles.

Otherwise, bananas, dried fruit, flapjack, energy bars, cereal bars, fruit cake... all work just fine on long rides.

 

[yello]

I eat (or is it drink?) them in one go. Some types of gels do have a kind of stopper thing that can go back into the tube but it's a tad fiddly to do whilst riding.

Gels do have their uses. They take up less space in a jersey pocket for a start. You can take a good supply with you; more than of, say, bananas or flapjack or whatever. They're also a pretty concentrated and quickly digestible hit of energy. I reckon they are ideal for sportives, where you're not planning to stop and so spending hours in the saddle with some pretty demanding energy requirements.

As to how many you should eat in one day, I really don't know. I usually get sick of the sweet gloopiness of them after around 3 so it's never been an issue for me!

Like monnet above in 2), I always carry a couple on long solo rides as a 'just in case' - I do prefer real food, bananas especially.

 

[DDYB]

I tried a couple today, I thought they were alright but as suggested above not really any better than bananas.

I think I'll stick to 'real' food in future however I do appreciate that these gels do a pretty good job and can be much more handy than carrying real food.

 

[HeartAttack]

As mentioned if riding non stop for a few hours gels are great, only takes a couple of seconds to rip it open with your teeth and swallow the contents, maybe not as good for you as proper food but they do give a good kick of energy. Last week I did the Norwich 100, we did it as a training ride over the course of just under 5 hours I took 8 gels (roughly every 30 mins after the first 45 mins), 2lts of energy drink and 2 sports bars, I was tired at the end but had enough get up and go to ride without wishing I was being given a lift. The next day my body didn't feel drained or anything and was able to go out and do a nice ride without the normal wasted feeling.

 

[Helly79]

I wish i knew about these gels as I had a pocket full of cereal bars and two bottle of luczade when I did the Norwich 50 last week need to make a mental note for next year.

 

[stoatsngroats]

I've tried one, but my preference, as has been said already, is real food. I take bananas, malt loaf, flapjack, nuts, and lucozade sport and water to drink.

 

[Plax]

I hope those of you that use gels dispose of the wrapper accordingly and not litter the country side with them. One of my pet peeves is people that just throw their used water bottles in the bush. Not come across a gel wrapper yet though and the water bottles are probably just as much walkers as cyclists.

Any way, I digress........ I used to have an emergency gel in my saddle bag but had to use it. Wasn't overly impressed (I found it a bit sticky and a bit of a pain sticking a used one back in your bag). I have an emergency mini bag of dried apricots now and some of those energy sweets. I always take bananas with me on a long ride and occassionally a sports drink with my water.

 

[Randochap]

Gels are strictly and "emergency" food for me. They are easy to pop in a jersey pocket or Bento Box and come in handy if I'm a distance from real food. They'll get me through to the next town on a long ride. But I don't suggest getting on the simple-sugar roller coaster as a matter of course.