"GU" tastes OK, but....

[BiggJawn]

it has the consistentcy of mucus.
Or something created in a Gland.

It does got into circulation quickly, though...

If it just didn't feel like snot...

[Fovea]

1. My doctor hates it.

It is exactly not what a diabetic cyclist needs.

[BiggJawn]

3. What's you doc suggest?

Mine is more like "Eh, carbs is carbs, but you should REALLY go for something that burns like Coal, instead of Hydrazine..."

I see it being useful if you're stuck between GU and bonking, but I really wouldn't want to do a whole ride on it.

I told my daughter "I wish there were more choices for quick ride nutrition than Orange Snot and Mud Muffins" ("energy" bars", which have the palatibility of soft conrete)

[Fovea]

11. She says that trail mix

with it's complex carbs and fructose would be better for me.
I carry the jerky for the salt, primarily. My hypertensive drugs
throw my Elyte balance a bit to the Potassium side, so I have to take in a bit of salt now and again.

On long rides I will also carry one bottle with some koolaide in it.
just in case my sugar drops too low.

I represent the left side of the performance curve, but after a stroke and two heart attacks on the same day four years ago, I am lucky to be alive, never mind getting ready for a ride across the KATY trail.

The diabetes and hypertension make more of a day to day difference in my riding. Well, I can feel the heart injury climbing long hills on the recumbent. But I am no longer a hammerhead. When I run out of steam, I stop for a bit.

My personal best post stroke is a metric century. But when I was a teen, I did a century and a quarter, and metrics were nothing.

Of course, a metric century in Missouri is nothing to sneeze at, I suppose.

I have a year to go to cheat the 58% 5 year mortality for people with my cluster of problems, and I am starting to believe that I will do it.

[Longhorn]

2. Nothing about it sounds appealing to me.

I guess I'll never be hard core, huh? ;)

I'll take a Luna Smores Bar any day! :9

[BiggJawn]

4. Oh! A "Mud Muffin"!

How are the Luna bars? Are they as "Solid" as a regular Clif Bar?

By the time I've chewed one of those little bricks up enough to swallow it, I've burnt off all the carbs I was supposed to be getting...

[Longhorn]

5. I've never had a Clif bar so I can't compare.

But to me, the Luna Bars are moist and chewy. You can easily bend them and break in half, for example. And they are quite tasty!

[BiggJawn]

6. They're pretty dense.

And pretty flavour-less, too IMO.

None of the "energy bars" I've tried so far excite me. They're either really chewy, which is no fun given my bad teeth, or they have less flavour than the wrapper they came in.

I read that "Back in the DAY", before "Space Food Sticks" were invented (bet that's where they got the idea for most this stuff) the team Sommeliers would fix REAL food for their racers to eat during the stage. Sandwiches, maybe a chicken leg, some pastries...

I may have to experiment with that. Ham and cheese, PB and something (NOT jelly)
Needs to meet 3 criteris:
1. It's gotta have the calories to make it worth eating.
2. It's gotta stay down.
And
3. You gotta be able to GET it down...

Interesting that I rode Sunday's ride on a sausage and cheez Griller, hash brown and a small Coke, an apple, a quart of Gatorade, and a packet of GU. Still felt fresh at 30 miles, not a hint of "Bonk".

[dean_dem]

8. Fig Newtons are a good subsitute

for two dollar energy bars too.

I prefer the Clif Bars, because they aren't all "Chocolate Fudge Ice Cream Surprise" flavors, but Balance bars make some pretty good bars too. And the aside question is why the hell people need to feel like they need all these chocolatey, fudge/candy tasting bars anyway?

And Powerbars should be avoided at all costs. Yuck.

[BiggJawn]

9. Yes, very good, and moist and tasty, and easy to get down.

I carry those with me sometimes, too.

I read in "Buy-Cycling" magazine once that "Twizzlers" was supposed to be good for quick energy, so I took 'em with me on my first Century attempt.

Besides the fact that I couldn't stand to stick 'em in my mouth after 25 miles, they didn't fuel me worth a shit. I bonked BAD at 53 miles and flagged down the sag-wagon.

I think somebody at Rodale Press was pulling our leg.

I like the peanut butter Clif bars, and Powerbar just plain sucks. So do most of those "Breakfast" bars, granola, and other energy bars. What do they ake those things out of, sawdust?

[welshTerrier2]

7. the perfect drink ...

it has 3 great qualities for hardcore cyclists ...

first, it's incredibly lightweight ...
second, it's a classic rehydration substance ...
and third, it's super easy to mix ...

and what is it? dehydrated water ... all you have to do is add water and voila, it's ready to drink ...

[BiggJawn]

10. Shhhh! That's my "Secret Weapon"

"Instant Water"! Just add Water and it mixes up into a refreshing, clear beverage!

Can I sell you some? I take PayPal! :P