Power bar gel Blasts

[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-...ut-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.

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...al_Waxed_Paper
Check your food co-op or health food store.

[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.