Has anyone ever used these? I'm using the gels and they're starting to make me gag!!
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Has anyone ever used these? I'm using the gels and they're starting to make me gag!!
I don't know what 'sharkies' are, but any kind of gel that makes one gag can't be a good thing. :o
How about pretzels, Fig newtons, apple slices or banana?
Sharkies are a chew like clif shot blocks.
They're a little bit harder that the Clif shots.
Honey stinger makes a chew that I like too
Sharkies. Luna Moons. Cliff Shots.
All of them stick to my teeth.
The only thing I've been munching on during a ride lately (other than a Lara bar at stops) is Powerbar Gel Blasts. Oooo...and I see they finally came out with new flavors! I'm getting sick of Lemon.
I like Sharkies. Most gels creep me out and I really try to only use them in emergencies. Sharkies are kind of like less-sweet gummy bears and they don't upset my stomach at all. I also like that they can take heat. When I would ride in the southern summers - that was a critical requirement.
My favorite feature is that they are small and you can eat just a few....you don't have to eat the whole pack at once. I used to like the Cliff shot blocks for this reason as well, but the shot blocks are almost too big for me and therefore are borderline 'gag-a-licious' as well. ;)
I also like the Sharkie flavors better than the Luna Moons (though texture is the same).
I guess I'll show my age :p :p
I prefer banana and fig newton. Also carry Luna bars, toasted nuts'n cranberry my fav. If I could carry a boiled red potato without a mess, I would.
As for sports drink, I've graduated to Cytomax and haven't move up to anything newer.
Just a question. Why is it that most of us are willing to pay more and look harder for natural and organic food. But when it comes to sports nutrition during a ride, we are looking at all these "synthetic" chemical concoction?? Being food supplement, I think they fall through the cracks of regulatory oversight (not that they actually protect you).
gummy bears, worms, shot blocks all gives me the hibbee-jibee's. Closest natural thing would be frut leathers but they are bit of mess to make and they don't last :p
And all those energy boost drinks with unpronouceable ingredients. yuck!! Mtn-Dew is bad enough... Growing up I was used to Fresca and diet coke...
or am I just being a hippie carry-over (latter-day hippie)??
I assume that this is somewhat directed at me since I am all about organic home grown food in my house, but yet I still use Sharkies...Quote:
Originally Posted by smilingcat
Honestly, if I can take a bag of grapes or a home-made oat bar for my cycling nutrition, great. Most of the time, that is just not a reasonable option. I can buy a bunch of bags of Sharkies (which are organic, by the way) and leave them in a drawer. If I get to ride - it's usually a 'grab my crap and go' opportunity, so making a sandwich or washing and packing some fruit (assuming I have something that travels well available) isn't always possible. Either I ride or I prep food...often there is no time for both so a quick, reasonably unspoilable option like a bag of Sharkies is the best choice.
Would I love to quit my job, stay home, bake organic home grown cycling food and ride to my heart's content? Hell yes. Is that reasonable? Not even a little bit. ;)
I do the best I can. (the same holds true for protein powder - it's there for when cooking chicken breast or fish is just not an option...)
I'm also a real food fan. Fig Newtons and quartered oranges are great, as is trail mix.
Though I'll admit I've gotten hooked on Sports Beans because they taste so much like Jelly Belly jelly beans... :rolleyes:
I haven't graduated to any energy drink, bar (except for granola-like bars occasionally) or gel. I am willing to try a free sample. That's it. :DQuote:
Originally Posted by smilingcat
Methinks I'm just fundamentally lazy to try this stuff. But then, I never liked carbonated drinks or soft drinks, even as a child..so for me to transition to an artificially concocted drink (even if it's good for me) just won't happen. I still have a unopened can of Mountain Dew in the fridge. I got it free last June from Bike-to-Work-Week festivities.
There is a truly a part of me that would like to make my tasting palate and stomach flexible enough that wherever I travel and whomever I visit, that my body is capable of eating a broad range of real local food /dishes made from real local produce/ingredients. I don't want to be the tourist in some rural area within and outside of North America..that needs soft drinks, gels, energy drinks,...etc. It has happened to me many times when we cycle-tour in rural areas, the paucity of certain foods. One just has to eat whatever is locally available.
I don't mean to pick a fight - but those of you who say you prefer "real food"...since when are fig newtons real food? :confused:
Check this out ~
Fig Newton's ingredients (not the fat free version, either):
ENRICHED FLOUR (WHEAT FLOUR, NIACIN, REDUCED IRON, THIAMINE MONONITRATE {VITAMIN B1}, RIBOFLAVIN {VITAMIN B2}, FOLIC ACID), FIGS PRESERVED WITH SULFUR DIOXIDE, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, SUGAR, SOYBEAN OIL, WHEY (FROM MILK), PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED COTTONSEED OIL, SALT, BAKING SODA, CALCIUM LACTATE, MALIC ACID, SOY LECITHIN (EMULSIFIER), POTASSIUM SORBATE ADDED TO PRESERVE FRESHNESS, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR.
Sharkies ingredients:
ORGANIC RICE SYRUP, ORGANIC RICE SYRUP SOLIDS, ORGANIC EVAPORATED CANE JUICE, PECTIN, ORGANIC WHITE GRAPE JUICE CONCENTRATE, CITRIC ACID, SEA SALT, COLORS ADDED (BLACK CARROT JUICE CONCENTRATE), NATURAL FLAVORS, ORGANIC SUNFLOWER OIL, CARNAUBA WAX.
Which one seems more 'real' to you?
The one that at least has flour and figs in it along with all the other crap.Quote:
Originally Posted by GLC1968
Hey, GLC, probably alot of us know the reality of chemicals used for food preservation. Often unavoidable especially for food portability or if unrefrigerated.
I guess for myself I just stick to fruit, a sandwich (or part of one), natural fruit juices, ice cream (not so bad if ride is long), etc. to replenish my energy.
I'm also cheap. At this time in life, we can't afford to experiment with these energy gels, etc. I also want to keep life simple and some of these foods, require more experimentation. I'd rather experiment with different cuisines...alot more to explore there!
And the way how I replenish my food energy on rides hasn't hurt me from the standpoint of maintaining my weight. But maybe it doesn't work for some folks.
I was thinking the same thing about the Fig Newtons! As far as the convenience issue relating to real food, wouldn't trail mix/dried fruit work well as far as being real food that can be stored in a drawer and ready to grab and go?Quote:
Originally Posted by GLC1968
Oh, don't get me wrong. I don't care if people choose to eat fig newtons! Everyone is free to make their own choices.
I just picked up a distinct disdain for anyone who chooses Sharkies because they are not 'real' food and I wanted to point out that in fact, they are quite real.
That is often the case here and maybe I am more sensitive to this because I find I have to catch myself often in real life. It's great to choose organic, home grown, local, sustainable, etc when we eat. It's something entirely different to turn our noses up at someone (or worse, to 'correct' them) for wanting to drink Coke or eat Power bars.
I can't eat solid food during most long bikes. My stomach can't tolerate it. Just looking at it makes me sick and I can't force myself to choke it down. So my choices are have the Gu or stay home.
When I need a fig bar, I go for a Fig Newman.
http://www.newmansownorganics.com/funfacts3.html
I don't usually eat on the bike, though, so even the Fig Newmans are a once in a blue moon treat.
So what if I LIKE gels?
Actaully I don't really like gels--I ONLY LOVE Chocolate GU! It is like eating a packet of fudge choc icing (when it is cool) or warm, melted chocolate (when it is warm). It is kinda like a treat.
I, too, prefer "real" food like subtances for longer rides. But a chocolate gu gets me going mid ride!
(Ok, off topic, I know. But not all gel's makes one gag! :D)
Oh and while I am kinda off topci...there is this one organized bike trail ride I do and the volunteers make these wonderful treats:
oreo, with peanut butter on top, then a slice of banna and 1 little raisin to top it off. OMG they are delicious. What a treat! I swear one day I'll start a little resturant/brew pub with a bike theme and you'll find that little treat on the dessert menu!:D
I'm a fan of Sharkies...along with all the other "chews" out there - Clif Shot Bloks, Luna Moons, Honey Stinger, GU Chomps, etc.) I like the portability of them, plus they hold up well in the heat (no melting or getting soggy). My favorite is the Honey Stinger chews...they don't stick to your teeth like the others do sometimes. But I keep a stash of all of them on hand and use them religiously on long rides. I also like the "mini" Clif Bars, too. They fit nicely into my bento box, and at 100 calories each...are perfect for me to replenish calories.
Speaking only for myself, I think my distinction is between "real food" having at least marginal (imaginary?) nutritional value, vs. something that bears more similarity to candy (like gummies, jelly beans, etc).
Ditto this... anything "solid" really upsets my stomach because it just sits there on a ride... especially if I am drinking a lot too - not fun! But gels, gummies, and similar don't bother me much at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by nscrbug
I personally prefer something that has ingredients that aren't just chemicals... and with fewer preservatives, even if it's form equates it to little more than 'candy' to most.
I love Sharkies, but only the kids' kind. The flavors are better, they're coated with sugar, and they don't have that gummy, stick to your teeth texture like the adult version. Check out Target for a good selection of flavors. :-)
I wasn't meaning to pick on anyone. It was just a sense that I got from fellow cyclists who have serious conversations regarding natural food, organic food... Yet at a LBS, or at a gathering they talk about shot blocks, gu, different kinds of sport drink mix that comes in powder...
Didn't realize fig newtons have High Fructose Corn Syrup. I guess, I'm going to have to check out Paul Newman's organic fig newton.
I will admit though that athletic performance has been improving over long period of time. And its not jut because of better training but because of better understanding of nutrition. Part of this includes all the "chemical" concocction athletes eat and drink during the endurance events.
So my sincere apology to GLC, I really was not thinking about you when I wrote my disdain for all this 'stuff"
Sincerely,
Smilingcat