Power bar gel Blasts

[maillotpois]

http://www.powerbar.com/Products/GelBlasts/

Tried these yesterday on a 30 ish mile ride. I have been generally "off" solid food for longer rides, but we wanted to test these out before ordering cases of them for the team.

They are SUPER!

Compared to clif shot blocks, they are smaller, less sticky, less sweet and tougher consistency. All of which are improvements in my mind. The consistency is tougher, by which I mean it is a bit harder to chew - more like gummi bears. Clif shot blocks can be a bit soft - and they stick together. These are not sticky.

I was worried about the "gel" center, visualizing Gushers candy. It is a very small amount of gel, and a good flavor. Again, not too sweet.

I think I may give them a shot on the Death Ride next week.

We tried the Lemon one. Right now they have only lemon and cola flavors. I hope they make more. I hate anything besides actual cola that is cola flavored. :rolleyes:

[Zen]

I love lemon.
But I like shot bloks too.
I'll eat almost anything except raw fish or appendages.
I'll look for 'em

[maillotpois]

I'll eat almost anything except raw fish or appendages.


I generally try to avoid appendages as well. :D

[GLC1968]

Interesting, I'll have to look for these. They sound like my kind of cycling food (I hate gels!).

MP - have you tried the Luna moons? I hate that they are expensive, but I love the consistency. Also more like a gummy bear. Not sticky, like the shot blocks. Plus, they are smaller, which I like while riding. I hate having a big block of goo in my mouth while trying to pedal...particularly in the heat, for some reason. (Disclaimer: I do like shot blocks in most situations)

[maillotpois]

I tried the Luna Moons once. it may have been a fluke, but they left my stomach feeling a bit like it does if I take a vitamin on an empty stomach. do they have vitamins in them?

the gel blasts did not have that effect, and the size is much better - bigger than the moons, but not by too much.

[GLC1968]

I think they do have vitamins in them...that's a good point! (I think I tried them with some other cycling food).

I need to make a trip to REI this week, so hopefully they'll have the gel blasts for me to try.

[JennyPi]

I love Margarita, Orange, and Cola shot blocks. They do it for me.

I'm not a gel gal, but I finally found a gel (singular) that I do like. It's a GU ... flavor is called Espresso Love. It's the only one I'll eat. At first the taste definitely seemed unusual, but then I took a liking to it. I guess it's so wrong, it's right! Can't go wrong with the vitamins and caffeine.

I'll pass on the "Gusher" Powerbar Gel Blasts info to the BF. We'll probably pick some up this weekend for Bicycle Sunday and try them out.

[mimitabby]

I checked out the link. This really cracked me up:


# No artificial flavors, color or preservatives
# Available in Natural Lemon and Cola flavors


so what's natural Cola flavoring? :confused:

[7rider]

I love lemon.
But I like shot bloks too.
I'll eat almost anything except raw fish or appendages.
I'll look for 'em

Once you try raw fish, you never go back! Hmmmmm.....sushi! Definitely better than fried pickles! :p
And you haven't lived until you've tried chicken feet.

I saw these Power Blasts recently and put them down, thinking they were like a candy with gooey stuff in the middle (plus, neither lemon nor cola sounded terribly appealing...I like the Cliff Snot Block Cran-Razz and Orange myself). The mere thought of the Power Blasts made my teeth hurt. :rolleyes:

Do these get out of the way (i.e., can you swallow them) pretty quickly, or do they stick around? Usually, I'm picking Snot Blocks out of my teeth for 5 miles. I ride in fear of choking to death on a Blok.....

[maillotpois]

they go down a lot more easily than clif shot blocks. I think it is because they're smaller and less sticky. I was not aware of any bits stuck in my teeth.

I know there are natural colas out there - is it a herbal base of some sort?

[smilingcat]

I checked out the link. This really cracked me up:


# No artificial flavors, color or preservatives
# Available in Natural Lemon and Cola flavors


so what's natural Cola flavoring? :confused:

see http://www.answers.com/topic/cola-nut

[kacie tri-ing]

I love luna moons...but I want to try those now!

Thanks for the review!:p

Has anyone tried the cliff gels? I had a couple on a century this weekend,and I felt like they had a really strange after taste! Maybe it was just the heat...July in southern georgia...everything has an aftertaste!

[short cut sally]

I like the Luna Moons and Sharkies, they are like gummie bears and hold up well in the back pocket all day long. Clif Shot Blocks are good too but they tend to get gooier the longer they are in the back jersey..but still do-able.

[bmccasland]

So what's a gal to try if she can't stand things with the consistency of gummy bears, jelly beans, or gum drops?

[GLC1968]

So what's a gal to try if she can't stand things with the consistency of gummy bears, jelly beans, or gum drops?

My H hates all 'gummy' things, too. He sticks to gels in chocolate or vanilla flavor and tries to convince himself that he's eating frosting! ;)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

So what's a gal to try if she can't stand things with the consistency of gummy bears, jelly beans, or gum drops?

Fig Newtons
P&J sandwich on wheat bread cut into quarters
banana or apple
dried apricots and nuts
Trail mix
a cookie
pretzels
and a thousand other things....

Personally, I can't see buying incredibly expensive artificial goo gel packaged in wasteful one-use foil or plastic wrapping. :cool: Something wrong with real food? (just my humble opinion)

Mimi-
when they say "natural lemon and cola flavors", that doesn't mean "natural lemon and natural cola flavors". It means "natural lemon" flavor and "cola" flavor.
I used to be in the food business and I know some of the labeling tricks.

[maillotpois]

I used these on the Death Ride last weekend, and they worked great. Especially at altitude and in heat, both of which we had (before the hail and downpour :rolleyes:), I generally have a hard time taking in food during long rides. These were very easily digested.

I have now been told by someone who shall remain nameless that they smell like a public restroom.

:cool:

Anyway, if you are one who finds this type of product helpful, they're worth giving a try.

[jobob]

There is absolutely nothing wrong with real food, BSG

... unless you're on a very long &/or difficult ride and, if you're like some (not all), your stomach can't tolerate said real food after a while.

So if you keep your rides short & easy, odds are you'll have no problem with the real thing! :)

[Veronica]

Something wrong with real food? (just my humble opinion)


Yep! It makes me want to puke on a long, hard ride!

V.

[SadieKate]

Ditto the yup. During hot weather, Bubba would be collapsed on the side of the road without electrolyte replacement. I've bonked because my body can't digest "real" food on long or hot climbs, and can't say I like sulfur-induced asthma from dried fruit.

Not sure why the wrapping on an energy bar is any more wasteful than the gooey bag leftover from a PBJ or whatever "real food" snack.

[aicabsolut]

So the powerbar things have a little bit of sodium but no other electrolytes? And they have sorbitol? Sugar alcohols destroy my digestion. I tried one of these the other day that my friend had on the ride. Ok. Kind of like gummy bears. After reading the ingredients, I'm not having these again.

[maillotpois]

That's the thing. For a bakery ride - 50 miles or less, real food may be fine. But if it is longer, harder, hotter, etc., then there is a real purpose behind those foods designed specifically for athletic performance.

I struggled for years with fuelling on long rides. I still have trouble sometimes - and everyone has off days. But generally, these performance products (Sustained Energy, Hammer gel, these power bar things, electrolyte drinks) balanced with a nice Payday here or there actually work for me.

(Once again I had to skip lunch at Death Ride, missing out on the soup, because I was too busy trying to shepherd my coach-ees. Between the power bar pine sol pops, the sustained energy and the Paydays, I was fine.)

[maillotpois]

So the powerbar things have a little bit of sodium but no other electrolytes? And they have sorbitol? Sugar alcohols destroy my digestion. I tried one of these the other day that my friend had on the ride. Ok. Kind of like gummy bears. After reading the ingredients, I'm not having these again.

I didn't notice the sorbitol before. So maybe they're not for everyone. However, they did work on a tough ride, so I'm not unhappy with them.

I don't think they're designed to be electrolyte replacement. I use PB Endurance and Hammer E- caps for that.

[jobob]

Paydays are nearly the perfect on-bike food, IMHO. :cool:

[maillotpois]

Well, sure!

I wish I'd been as enlightened about Paydays as I am now when I did the 600k. (Of course, I didn't use SE back then either.) Not that either of those would have made it less insane.

[Andrea]

So the powerbar things have a little bit of sodium but no other electrolytes? And they have sorbitol? Sugar alcohols destroy my digestion. I tried one of these the other day that my friend had on the ride. Ok. Kind of like gummy bears. After reading the ingredients, I'm not having these again.

I'm so glad I'm not the only one!!! My LBS owner offered a pack to me to try out & I had to turn her down. I can't even chew sugarfree gum because it will cause "noxious emissions" within about 36 hours.

Does Aceulfame Potassium mess with you, too?

[aicabsolut]

I'm so glad I'm not the only one!!! My LBS owner offered a pack to me to try out & I had to turn her down. I can't even chew sugarfree gum because it will cause "noxious emissions" within about 36 hours.

Does Aceulfame Potassium mess with you, too?

I don't think I've ever tried that. I avoid artificial sweeteners as much as possible. It would be a safe bet to say that it wouldn't agree with me.


I didn't notice the sorbitol before. So maybe they're not for everyone. However, they did work on a tough ride, so I'm not unhappy with them.

I don't think they're designed to be electrolyte replacement. I use PB Endurance and Hammer E- caps for that.

Well, they say they're a "gel" replacement, and I think a lot of gels have electrolytes, so it's kind of deceptive.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well, i see some people have trouble nibbling real food on long hot rides. I've done 50-70 mile pretty hilly rides with no such problems, but I don't know about centuries yet, or climbing the Alps. ;) I just don't like the ingredients, the price, or the packaging of these gel goo things.


I've bonked because my body can't digest "real" food on long or hot climbs, and can't say I like sulfur-induced asthma from dried fruit.

Not sure why the wrapping on an energy bar is any more wasteful than the gooey bag leftover from a PBJ or whatever "real food" snack.


Yes, a piece of waxed paper is much less environmentally wasteful than those gel foil packages which are NOT biodegradable. I'm not thrilled with individual granola bar plastic/foil wrappers either. You can also buy small waxed paper bags for holding pretzels, sandwich pieces, and such.

You can buy sulphur-free dried fruit at any health food store. They have papaya, apricots, dried apples and pears, mango.... all natural, good for you, and sulphur free. :)

I like to mix about 1/3 real organic fruit juice to my water on long or hot rides. I think it gives me extra energy and nutrients.

Just a few alternate things to consider.

[jobob]

I don't think people necessarily have trouble nibbling the real food, I think it's more a matter of what happens to it once it hits their stomachs! :eek:

[OakLeaf]

packaged in wasteful one-use foil or plastic wrapping. :cool:

I'm all for washing and re-using my plastic bags. At any given time I'll have three or four hanging to dry over my sink. But faced with a bag that's completely coated with whatever goo I made myself to eat - stuffing it back into my jersey pocket to smear its sticky stuff all over my jersey and eventually, my back - having it sit at body temperature or warmer for hours - I'm not too keen to reuse that bag :rolleyes:

[rij73]

FYI for anyone interested... I stick to Clif products because they don't contain gelatin or any other animal by-products. You don't have to necessarily be vegan like me to be grossed out by gelatin. Watermelon Luna Moons rock my world.

From Wikipedia:
"On a commercial scale, gelatin is made from by-products of the meat and leather industry, mainly pork skins, pork and cattle bones, or split cattle hides. ... The raw materials are prepared by different curing, acid, and alkali processes which are employed to extract the dried collagen hydrolysate. These processes may take up to several weeks..." Ewwwwww.

[aicabsolut]

Some gelatin (kosher gelatin) is made from fish. Still not exactly the most appetizing thing in the world, but not quite as gross to me (or so I tell myself) when I really want a marshmallow in my cocoa :p. Who knows what Powerbar uses.

[maillotpois]

Well, they say they're a "gel" replacement, and I think a lot of gels have electrolytes, so it's kind of deceptive.

Ah. I use Hammer gels when I use gels and they don't have electrolyes. I guess Power bar ones may.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Ah. I use Hammer gels when I use gels and they don't have electrolyes. I guess Power bar ones may.

Looking at the ingredients of PowerBars,
PowerBar (http://www.powerbar.com/Products/GelBlasts/Flavors.aspx?id=D0A9B9D8-8711-48C4-AB2B-B3FC04D0FCC6)
and all I see is various kinds of sugar (which they call "C2 Max Carbohydrate Blend"...sugar contains carbs), gelatin, a pinch of lemon concentrate, ascorbic acid/vit C (used as a preservative but not enough to put in the 'percent of daily requirements' table), natural acids for tartness, texturizers, color, and flavors. Hmm...why not just drink sugar water or fruit juice mixed with water?


Oakleaf- I would opt for using a waxed paper sandwich bag for one-time use for sticky foods like P&J sandwich quarters. Like you I rinse out plastic bags too, and reuse them several times. :)

[aicabsolut]

Ah. I use Hammer gels when I use gels and they don't have electrolyes. I guess Power bar ones may.

Hammer gels most certainly contain some electrolytes (no calcium or magnesium).

Example (Apple Cinnamon Hammer gel):

Long-chain Maltodextrin, Filtered Water, Apple Concentrate, Energy Smart® (Fruit Juice, Natural Grain Dextrins), Malic Acid, Vanilla, Cinnamon, Amino Acids (L-Leucine, L-Alanine, L-Valine, L-Isoleucine), Sodium Chloride, Potassium Sorbate (as a preservative), Potassium Chloride

[maillotpois]

Ah, well, you learn something new. I always assumed since their endurance drink didn;t have any and they heavily market the E caps that their gels did not. Guess I got a bonus... :D

[Veronica]

The sodium in Hammer Gels is only 2% of your RDA - 40 mg. I never considered them a significant source of electrolytes.

BSG - people eat what suits them for the type of ride they are doing.

V.

[maillotpois]

Ah - that makes more sense, Veronica. It's not an amount of electrolyte you can rely on for rides. Just that, a bit of a bonus.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

BSG - people eat what suits them for the type of ride they are doing.



Yes, I hear you. I do know however that sometimes people don't understand what is actually in the prepared foods and drinks they buy. When marketing such items, ingredients listed can often sound impressive and nutritious but actually be just a sugar, a texturizer, or a preservative, etc. It's always good to know what we are putting into our bodies and to think of all the various choices we have. I do understand that not everyone's stomach can handle eating for instance a p&j sandwich on hard rides. :)

[jobob]

Well I guess the masses are well-informed now.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Well I guess the masses are well-informed now.

Or else everything (both pro and con) about Power Bar Gel Blasts has pretty much said at this point? :rolleyes:

[snapdragen]

Well I guess the masses are well-informed now.

I dunno, I think an in depth study with the help of a biochemist would help.......:p

I'm on the "I can't eat gummie bear/sharkie type stuff" team, so I guess I won't be trying these delicacies. Now, give me a Payday, or a Luna Nutz over Chocolate........:cool:

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm on the "I can't eat gummie bear/sharkie type stuff" team, so I guess I won't be trying these delicacies. Now, give me a Payday, or a Luna Nutz over Chocolate........:cool:

Is there a way to carry and ingest chocolate in some form on a 3 hour ride over 80 or 90 degrees?

[OakLeaf]

There's a chocolate LaraBar. It seems pretty solid. And it's fair trade, even!

[maillotpois]

Power bar makes a good chocolate gel that is like frosting. One of my teammates is a big chocolate Gu fan.

[crazycanuck]

Mmmm..Chocolate GU..mmmm...

LaraBars..mmmmmm..

[Veronica]

There's a chocolate LaraBar. It seems pretty solid. And it's fair trade, even!


We use to love Larabars - until Thom got violently :eek: ill from one. That's part of the risk of things that don't get processed I guess.

V.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

We use to love Larabars - until Thom got violently :eek: ill from one. That's part of the risk of things that don't get processed I guess.

V.

Yikes ok I guess I'm not going to try them then!

Hmmm....maybe some chocolate covered espresso beans wouldn't melt? Probably just wishful thinking...

[SadieKate]

Sure. Take them. Then try to figure out what to do with the gooey, messy wrapper after . . . .

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Sure. Take them. Then try to figure out what to do with the gooey, messy wrapper after . . . .

Figure out what to do with a piece of waxed paper? Um....throw it away of course....it's totally biodegradable. (Unless it's fairly clean or you can easily rinse it off, in which case put it in in the paper recycles.)
Or, use a piece of tin foil and then rinse the chocolate off at home and recycle it.
Or if there's room in your saddlebag, use a really small plastic tub snack container that you can re-use over and over again.

[Veronica]

Is there a way to carry and ingest chocolate in some form on a 3 hour ride over 80 or 90 degrees?

I like peanut M & Ms and a Red Bull.

Jo, do you look at what I buy on my permanent receipts?

V.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I like peanut M & Ms and a Red Bull.


I know you do some long hot rides- do peanut M&M's hold up in the heat ok? I do like them!

[Veronica]

I keep them in my Bento box or in one of my bags and they do fine. I think it's that "Melts in your mouth, not in your hand," candy coating.

I wonder what sorts of nasty ingredients M & Ms have.

V.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I wonder what sorts of nasty ingredients M & Ms have.

V.

Well here it is:
http://www.sugarstand.com/sc/sc0057-m-m-peanut-xxl-bag.htm

Yes they do have some non-healthy ingredients, especially the fake colors. But the substantial amount of chocolate and nuts in them are at least more real than just a sugar/gelatin combo. And m&ms are more earth-friendly packaged (in a giant bag rather than individual plastic foil packets), they're cheap, and they don't disguise themselves as a hi-tech sports wonder food and charge a fortune for basically just textured sugar.

That's a good idea, thanks! I think I may start carrying some peanut m&ms on long rides. Good to know they don't just melt into liquid in the heat. I like chocolate.

[GLC1968]

I love chocolate, but I cannot eat it when riding. It always upsets my stomach...always. Ick.


My favorite cycling 'real food' are PB filled pretzels. They handle heat well, they don't upset my stomach, they have a nice salty-sweet goodness and you can buy them in bulk at many stores. As long as I eat them before I'm seriously glycogen depleated, they work great!

[Veronica]

Well, there you go. Something you can feel good about on all counts.

I don't buy them in a giant bag. It would be too easy to eat them when I am not riding. They are one of those things I buy mid - ride when I need to get a receipt - along with Red Bulls.

V.

[SadieKate]

Petroleum-based waxed paper thrown out with each use. Any biodegradable coating better be made with food by-product or its not enviromentally friendly either.

Use of precious non-renewable water that's been treated and transported to your tap to re-use an item. It takes a ton of water (plus soap) to wash the goo off plastic wrap.

Sometimes you can only choose the lesser evil.

I love Nectar bars when I'm riding.
http://www.clifbar.com/food/products_nectar/

And the wrappers can be recycled.
http://www.clifbar.com/soul/sustainability/

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I don't buy them in a giant bag. It would be too easy to eat them when I am not riding.
V.

Hmmm... i didn't think of that. :cool:



Petroleum-based waxed paper thrown out with each use. Any biodegradable coating better be made with food by-product or its not enviromentally friendly either.

Use of precious non-renewable water that's been treated and transported to your tap to re-use an item. It takes a ton of water (plus soap) to wash the goo off plastic wrap.


I don't wash goo off plastic wrap with soap, I agree that it negates most of the re-use benefits. I hardly use plastic wrap at all anymore. I try to use plastic bags many times, as I also do with pieces of tin foil. But I admit I do use 'non-renewable water that's been treated and transported to my tap' for cooking, washing myself, drinking, flushing, and cleaning.
Here's an example of non petroleum based waxed paper:
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/items/All_Natural_Waxed_Paper
Check your food co-op or health food store. :)

[Veronica]

And then there is the electricity we're using to be on the internet. :D

V.

[SadieKate]

Then some of us work from home and don't even burn up a bicycle tire to commute. :D

We have a friend who lectures us constantly on not washing every single jar so it can go into the recycling. Here in Central Oregon, all glass must be stored at the recycling collection site and then transported long distance to be recycled. He just cannot lift his eyes to the big picture of water use and transportation as part of the cost to the environment. A beer bottle that needs a tsp of water to rinse goes into the bin. A peanut butter jar? No. The fish need that water.

[Veronica]

Some of us are on vacation... I do feel guilty about the number of showers I take some days though. I shower after I run or ride in the morning. Then if I'm meeting with the trainer in the afternoon, I shower after my session with her. Don't even suggest Navy showers... hot water makes my sore muscles happy.

V.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

And then there is the electricity we're using to be on the internet. :D

V.

Yeah. And the carbon dioxide we pollute the earth with when we exhale!
We should just kill ourselves, or eat ourselves. (Soylent green, like they do with cows?)
Well, as most people here have as well I'm sure, I've made an effort to make lots of small choices and changes, it can add up. I've found many wasteful or environmentally bad things that I used to do just automatically without thinking about it, out of longstanding habit, and I've tried to do them better. :o

[Veronica]

My carbon dioxide is good for my indoor plants.

V.

[Blueberry]

Some of us are on vacation... I do feel guilty about the number of showers I take some days though. I shower after I run or ride in the morning. Then if I'm meeting with the trainer in the afternoon, I shower after my session with her. Don't even suggest Navy showers... hot water makes my sore muscles happy.

V.

I feel guilty too - but not that guilty:D I sweat when I ride. A lot. So, if I'm running errands by bike, etc. there will be a shower after the ride. If we walk (or do another ride), I shower again. I do try to keep them short....

[BikerDar]

So what's a gal to try if she can't stand things with the consistency of gummy bears, jelly beans, or gum drops?


I'm kinda partial to Jelly Belly Energizer Beans, but if I don't have those I'm also a big fan of dried fruit, raisins, cherries, berries.

[crazycanuck]

Let's all stop breathing for 10 seconds & see what that does..

Lisa-let's just say not all of us live as if we're trying to be the little house on the prairie family :rolleyes:


Actually..since i am rather flatulent, i'd like one of the flatulence collection mechanisms a farm somewhere in the UK now has on all it's cows

[OakLeaf]

I feel guilty too - but not that guilty:D I sweat when I ride. A lot. So, if I'm running errands by bike, etc. there will be a shower after the ride. If we walk (or do another ride), I shower again. I do try to keep them short....

I amazed myself yesterday. I went out for my run, and when I came back the plumber was in our motel room fixing the tub leak we'd told the front desk about. This is an older property, so he had to turn the water off to the ENTIRE COMPLEX to work on our room :rolleyes: We had about 20 minutes to get dressed and get to where we needed to be, and I couldn't even wash my face. The housekeepers let me use a room they were cleaning, to change in. And y'know what? it was fine. I felt really gross for about the first hour, then I got over it. I don't eat much animal products and I sweat heavily, so (I'm saying this myself, but I've heard it from others too) I don't really smell.

So I'm going to try to be better in the future about taking two showers in the same day - now that I know I can do it and not rot from within :rolleyes:

[OakLeaf]

Use of precious non-renewable water that's been treated and transported to your tap to re-use an item. It takes a ton of water (plus soap) to wash the goo off plastic wrap.

Not all of us live in the thirsty West. Some of us have plentiful, untreated ground water. Granted it still takes electricity to run the pump (and at 300 feet, a hand pump is out of the question), but in comparison it's a small usage. And when you're washing your plastic bags in the same load as your other hand-wash dishes, there's some extra rinse water but no extra soap or wash water.

[Dogmama]

I put my potentially gooey stuff in plastic bags. Afterwards, I have something to put the gooey stuff in when I stuff it in my pockets with the rest of my stuff. So my stuff doesn't get gooey.

And back to the topic, powerbar shots are great. I had one yesterday and FLEW through my ride. For lactic acid buildup, though, you can't beat Cytomax.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Lisa-let's just say not all of us live as if we're trying to be the little house on the prairie family :rolleyes:

Making choices towards less unhealthy junk in foods and less plastics and waste that pollute the planet has little to do with being a "Little House on the Prairie family".

[maillotpois]

Just to bring this every so slightly back on topic ;) , while we were away in bend after the Death Ride, we received our big Power bar shipment with some new products we're testing for our team for next year (and yes, we got a couple of big boxes of the Gel blasts, because Pine Sol and all I like them! And isn't that what reallly counts? :) ).

So..... for pre-ride/lunch, I am eating a PB Energize Fruit Smoothie bar, which in addition to a bunch of vitamins and minerals also has a lot of fruit in it and is pretty tasty. I have some PB Hydration in the bottle and will be using the standby PB Endurance drink for the ride I am about to go on. When I come back, I'll try the new PB Recovery bar which looks pretty good. (And then I'll have a lovely recovery drink from the Deschutes brewery stash.)

I've also got a pretty snazzy new kit! :D This is the first year ever their clothing has been at all appealing. So I'll wear that on my ride....

In the interest of full disclosure, we are sponsored by PB as TNT coaches and receive a large allotment of product every year - but the only reason I put the Gel Blast recommendation up was because I actually liked the product and it's new. I don't recommend stuff I don't like - and I certainly don't recommend stuff just because we're sponsored. We get a lot of product from them, for which I am very very grateful because it offsets the costs of providing SAG food to our Death Ride team every year.

[jobob]

For those so inclined, MP's pine sol pops are on sale at Chainlove.