Gels are good to get me through any ride over 20 miles these days. The liquid ones in the hard to open packets are messy and wasteful when I try to use them. I cut these packages in half, put them in my jersey pocket and take one half every hour. No fuss, no mess, no waste. Whether its real or psychological, I don't know, but the sugar and caffeine boost works almost every time.
One pack of 6 blocks provides 100 mg of caffeine, which helps give you some energy finishing a long ride. The blocks are easy to eat and less messy than the GU packets which can stain your jersey pockets when you put the empties back in there. Like the taste of the black cherry, but a triple crown CA (three 200 mile rides in a year) friend swears the cran-raz berry is the best. The only negative is that the blocks will stick to your teeth and need some dedicated tongue action to work them off.
I was able to get these when they were on sale so I ordered two boxes. So far these are the only thing I can handle while doing my triathlon workouts. Something about the swimming and ingesting pool or ocean water really jacks up my stomach. These chews however, taste great and provide enough sustenance to get me through the bikerun. Highly recommended
I carry Clif Shot Bloks on every bike ride and they deliver the perfect amount of carbs to provide the energy that I need and when I need it. The product is easy to store and use and there are several great flavors to choose from. I highly recommend!
Cut the top of the package before your long ride. Squeeze 1-2 blocks out at a time. Wash down with water. Great taste, easy to digest. These are definitely less mess than gels and seem to be easier on the stomach.
Nutritionally these perform as well any other popular gel chews. To me the best thing about the Blocks is the way it's packaged. It's like energy chews in a PEZ dispenser. Because they are in a neat single row, it's easy to dole out one chew at a time while on the move. You know how convenient and safe this is if you've tried to fish out a piece of chew out of a bag type package when you have your winter gloves on or a long, steep climb. Plus I love the Tropical Punch flavor, and BTD has one of the best prices so you can't lose.
I have tried just about every brands chews. I use the shot blocks exclusively for a few reasons. I like the texture, the ease of getting out of the packing with my mouth and squeezing from the bottom. I like all of the flavors but I really like the new salted watermelon.
I kind of oded on these on a recent trip to Italy so I'll back off for a few weeks now but the ginger ale flavor is really fresh. I love ginger and it's got that going for it in spades. Not spicy mind you but definitely like a Canada Dry on a hot day.
With consumable products I recognize that everyBODY is different. These (Black Cherry w/caffeine) taste great. One objective comment is that I find it difficult to chew/swallow these while riding due to the amount of saliva produced which isn't an issue while not in motion. A subjective comment is that these don't work will with my digestive system. I'm on my 4th box but won't reorder. I'll stick with my flask of Hammer Gel (Mocha w/caffeine).
This stuff is awesome. It helps my endurance a lot better. Especially , really noticeable when I did a steep 11K steep mountain climb. At the end of the climb I was still able to do some extra push of sprint to the finish. It actually would satisfied my hunger too, on a long ride. I have been taking cliff bloks lately instead of drinking my cups of coffee before a ride that led me to find nature a long the way.