Home made energy "gel"?

[Eden]

Eden, Clif Shot has an energy gel called Cola Buzzz. I've never tried it, but had a friend who did. I've never seen anyone spit something out and run to rinse her mouth so fast! Of course, everyone's tastes are different, so it's worth a try. I happen to love the chocolate GU that you loath.

Its not that I think chocolate GU tastes bad -kind of like chocolate frosting- but during a race, its so thick that I can't swallow it. It sticks in my throat so much that it interferes with my breathing. I need a thinner gel to be able to get it down. Banana and vanilla bean are my current favorites, but I know lots of people who can't stand the banana. I think it tastes kind of like banana pudding if you really stretch your imagination.

[Pedal Wench]

What about plain old honey? That's the main ingredient for the Stinger products, so it should work just fine.

[Hammer]

I've made my own that I like alright... still working on a recipe... But, I've gotten a jar of brown rice syrup from the local grocery store, mixed about 4 oz of it with a tbsp or so of pure vanilla, a bit of chocolate protein powder and thin it to your desired consistency with water... and then I also throw in about a 1/4 tsp of morton lite salt or whatever. It seems to taste okay to me... you can tweak the flavorings to your liking...

[Kitsune06]

I would think the maltodextrin combined with brn. rice syrup, some fruit syrups or 'essence' (the sugar free syrups you can get at brew shops, maybe) or the cola syrup (same) might work. I'd be hesitant on the protein powder until post-workout- it might get glooby.