Energy gels

[paulb55]

Hi all,

Again pick brain time, after a 20 mile ride i am usually a bit hungry and many cyclists say to drink an energy gel with caffeine to stop the hunger, and of course that sandwich etc, to stop adding the weight on

Now the only problem is that they are bloody expensive at around £1.60 for a 30ml tube

Is there any other substitute for them that can be home made

comments welcome and thanks

 

[Friz]

https://www.cyclechat.net/

 

[PpPete]

I have taken those caffeine enhanced gels.... but only as an emergency measure get me through the last hour of a 300km audax (or a very hilly 200km)..

As you say, very expensive, or would be if I had one every time I rode 20 miles.
Banana should be enough surely?

 

[barongreenback]

Wouldn't eat/drink an energy gel after a 20 mile ride (nor before or during for that matter). Have a banana when you get home or my old favourite after really long rides, peanut butter on wholemeal toast.

 

[paulb55]

I have taken those caffeine enhanced gels.... but only as an emergency measure get me through the last hour of a 300km audax (or a very hilly 200km)..

As you say, very expensive, or would be if I had one every time I rode 20 miles.
Banana should be enough surely?

brilliant guys

thanks a million

WHAT WOULD I DO WITHOUT YOU

 

[paulb55]

Wouldn't eat/drink an energy gel after a 20 mile ride (nor before or during for that matter). Have a banana when you get home or my old favourite after really long rides, peanut butter on wholemeal toast.

YUMMI YUMMI

 

[barongreenback]

We've saved you money you can put towards n+1 now

Probably a personal thing but I find that a combination of carbs and protein helps me if I'm hungry post ride. Carbs alone give me a sugar rush that leaves me hungry soon afterwards.

 

[Hacienda71]

Fuel before, oats with skimmed milk and honey soaked overnight, drink while riding and scoff a few jelly babies and eat normally afterwards. It works on 100 k plus rides for me.

 

[Broadside]

Energy gels are useful to replace lost (spent) energy quickly, they will not do much to stop you feeling hungry. Take foods with you to stop the hunger, the usual suspects like banana, flapjack, oat bar, Jelly Babies etc. I have ridden too many times towards the end of 70+ mile rides fueled by gels but feeling absolutely starving. Better to take something small with you to eat.

 

[StuAff]

Energy gels are useful to replace lost (spent) energy quickly, they will not do much to stop you feeling hungry. Take foods with you to stop the hunger, the usual suspects like banana, flapjack, oat bar, Jelly Babies etc. I have ridden too many times towards the end of 70+ mile rides fueled by gels but feeling absolutely starving. Better to take something small with you to eat.

+1. A decent breakfast or lunch should see you right in any case, you shouldn't need that much to keep you going. Did 38 quite lumpy miles in three hours on Sunday morning, with nothing more than a calorie-free drink on the ride, after a bowl of muesli.

 

[Monsieur Remings]

Did 75 miles today Paul (OP) and used one energy gel. I did a cyclosportive the weekend before last (160km) and used three. I agree with dmoran, they replace spent energy and some I've come across recently like the Pacific Lab 2nd Surge should only be taken, IMO, toward the end of a ride because if you take it too soon you'll expend too much energy, perhaps believing you've got more left than you think. A lot of research on caffeine suggests that the effect is mostly psychological and you can only borrow so much before you are spent if that makes sense?

I never leave for a ride hungry, not saying that's what you do, but I don't eat a great deal on the go either. This is a personal thing and yet when I'm on a sportive and things are available I usually go for banana and malt loaf. As a usual for me I'll have a can of baked beans, sometimes with an egg or two, on toast, let it settle and then head off with a few gels in case, water and a bottle of energy drink. Torq and Accelerade are two I use.

But, although I wouldn't use a gel for a 20 mile ride, some might because we all have different ability. Most of us will develop our 'ability' over time and so what knackers you now, might not in time. Likewise, what constitutes the need for a gel now, might not come that increase in ability to ride further.

 

[paulb55]

Brilliant guys,

one thing you can count on in this fantastic cycling forum is intelligent and excellent feedback

Love ya all

 

[Fast_Mark]

Just to echo the other posts, don't ride on an empty tank and for fuel on the go either a banana or malt loaf. If you want quick energy then jelly babies are great.

I ran my first (half) marathon this weekend and took a couple of SIS caffeine gels with me. For what I was doing they were great but I'd only consider them if I was doing something halfway competitive and knew I'd need to keep fueled without time for stopping. It also helped that at the finish line I was able to raid the goody bags and pinch half a dozen of the things

 

[Jim_Noir]

snickers and a can of Irn Bru, best fuel combo you can get.. or jaffa cakes if the fat in the snickers gives you the fear

 

[zacklaws]

This year on a lot of my 100+ rides, I got addicted to Turkish Delight. It all started one day when I needed to feed at about 50 miles, wondered what to eat when I was able to find a shop, Turkish delight stuck in my mind and nothing else would do and it started from there.

I got such an uplift from eating a couple of them, that when I thunk about it, I realised that it is almost a gel wrapped in chocolate and even the content is similar to a gel. The only problem is that with the chocolate outside, I cannot carry them else they would melt. Every stop now on long rides, I always wolf a couple down if they are available