Good Gels?

I have tried the GU Energy Gels for performance before and while
riding...but they cause my heart to pound really badly and get short of
breath. Is there anything like them that doesn't contain the caffeine (or
whatever the stimulant combination is that makes it so potent)...but while
still giving some energy?

--

Regards,
Greg P.

Golden Rule of Open-Source Programming:
"Don't whine about something unless you plan to implement it yourself"

"Binary" wrote in message
ink.net...
I have tried the GU Energy Gels for performance before and while
riding...but they cause my heart to pound really badly and get short of
breath. Is there anything like them that doesn't contain the caffeine (or
whatever the stimulant combination is that makes it so potent)...but while
still giving some energy?

--

Regards,
Greg P.

Greg,
Use unsalted peanuts and mixed dried fruit (raisins etc, not
apricots/bannanas). Cheap and very efficient. Wash down with a couple of
mouthfulls of water. I first used them in March to ride an end to end of the
UK. I was so impressed I now use them for everything I do from MTB'ing to
rock climbing and swimming. Running out of energy is now a thing of the
past, doesn't even come into the equation ;-)
They don't sit heavy in the stomach and the dried fruit provides an energy
hit almost immediately with the peanuts kicking in a bit later and going on
for longer.
Unfashionable, I know but very effective.....er..unless your allergic to
nuts, of course, in which case it could prove fatal ;-)
HTH,
Dave.

"Binary" wrote in message
ink.net...
I have tried the GU Energy Gels for performance before and while
riding...but they cause my heart to pound really badly and get short of
breath. Is there anything like them that doesn't contain the caffeine (or
whatever the stimulant combination is that makes it so potent)...but while
still giving some energy?

Info about gels:

http://www.cptips.com/gelown.htm

These don't contain caffeine:

http://www.carbboom.com/productinfo.html

http://www.honeystinger.com/about.html

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

"Binary" wrote in message
ink.net...
I have tried the GU Energy Gels for performance before and while
riding...but they cause my heart to pound really badly and get short of
breath. Is there anything like them that doesn't contain the caffeine (or
whatever the stimulant combination is that makes it so potent)...but while
still giving some energy?

--

Regards,
Greg P.


http://hammergel.com/

Best stuff out there (IMHO).

"James Calivar" wrote in message
...

http://hammergel.com/

Best stuff out there (IMHO).

That stuff tastes like crap and gives me serious heartburn. He was looking
for a gel, sans caffeine. I think this has caffeine.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!

"Binary" wrote:
I have tried the GU Energy Gels for performance before and while
riding...but they cause my heart to pound really badly and get short of
breath. Is there anything like them that doesn't contain the caffeine (or
whatever the stimulant combination is that makes it so potent)...but while
still giving some energy?

In my experience, GU is a powerful toxin. During normal riding, it
makes me feel cheesey. During a race it has given me a near-puke
experience. Clif-shot seems to be a little less volatile, even the
caffeine ones (but I'm a bad coffee addict, so the effect on me is
probably not worth comparison).

The only on-the-bike food that I heartily recommend is hammergel.
Info at http://www.hammernutrition.com/

I get it in a pint (or so) sized container and it comes with a small
flask. So no little foil packet to become useless litter, and it's
not single-portion. I have a flask holster that mounts on my stem,
so I can grab the flask, take as much or as little as I want, and
put it back while riding.

My gel flask was pretty much the difference between full dead-stop
bonk and partial, numb legs semi-bonk in a race this past Sunday
(maybe not a hearty recommendation, but I had other problems--never mind).

It has NO gut-bomb effect, at least for me. Very effective energy
boost, and I really like not wasting the stupid little gu packets.
--
Tom Purvis - http://www.arkansasvalley.net/tpurvis/
Salida, CO

"Binary" wrote in message link.net...
I have tried the GU Energy Gels for performance before and while
riding...but they cause my heart to pound really badly and get short of
breath. Is there anything like them that doesn't contain the caffeine (or
whatever the stimulant combination is that makes it so potent)...but while
still giving some energy?

Try Betty Crocker cake frosting.

JD

"Carla A-G" wrote in message
...
"James Calivar" wrote in message
...

http://hammergel.com/

Best stuff out there (IMHO).

That stuff tastes like crap and gives me serious heartburn. He was looking
for a gel, sans caffeine. I think this has caffeine.

- CA-G

Can-Am Girls Kick Ass!



Uh, no...no caffeine in Hammergel. And it tastes OK to me. Plus, I'm not
looking for taste, I'm looking for performance. You go ahead and keep
drinking Gatordade Ice (tm).

I put some Hammergel mixed with water into my Camelbak and it works great
for me. And it's a lot cheaper than other gels since you buy it in bulk.

James

On 17 Sep 2003 07:58:55 -0700, Tom Purvis wrote:

"Binary" wrote:
I have tried the GU Energy Gels for performance before and while
riding...but they cause my heart to pound really badly and get short of
breath. Is there anything like them that doesn't contain the caffeine
(or
whatever the stimulant combination is that makes it so potent)...but
while
still giving some energy?

In my experience, GU is a powerful toxin. During normal riding, it
makes me feel cheesey. During a race it has given me a near-puke
experience. Clif-shot seems to be a little less volatile, even the
caffeine ones (but I'm a bad coffee addict, so the effect on me is
probably not worth comparison).

The only on-the-bike food that I heartily recommend is hammergel.
Info at http://www.hammernutrition.com/

I get it in a pint (or so) sized container and it comes with a small
flask. So no little foil packet to become useless litter, and it's
not single-portion. I have a flask holster that mounts on my stem, so I
can grab the flask, take as much or as little as I want, and put it back
while riding.

My gel flask was pretty much the difference between full dead-stop bonk
and partial, numb legs semi-bonk in a race this past Sunday (maybe not a
hearty recommendation, but I had other problems--never mind).

It has NO gut-bomb effect, at least for me. Very effective energy boost,
and I really like not wasting the stupid little gu packets.
--
Tom Purvis - http://www.arkansasvalley.net/tpurvis/
Salida, CO


I'm still not sure what "long-chain maltodextrin" is. You can buy
"regular" maltodextrin or dextrose for cheap, and just put some light salt
in it. You carry the power and mix it with water. If you're looking for
the cheapest alternative, this is it. It's not as convenient (it's not a
gel), but it's easy.

--
Bob M in CT
Remove 'x.' to reply

I have tried the GU Energy Gels for performance before and while
riding...but they cause my heart to pound really badly and get short of
breath. Is there anything like them that doesn't contain the caffeine (or
whatever the stimulant combination is that makes it so potent)...but while
still giving some energy?

I use PowerGel by PowerBar. Their new formula has a thinner consistency
(similar to Hammergel) and you can get it flavors with or without caffiene.
--
"I tried lube, careful prying, careful digging and even not so careful
digging. Little chunks of rubber." --Sad Bob