Clif Bar – Review
We scoff a bag full of Clif Bar products and call it “testing”!
The rules state clearly “no food on rides under four hours”. For those of us that break that (us… all the time!) Clif bar make a range of tasty and nutritious foods to suit a range of tastes and needs. Extra UK, the UK distributor sent us a tasty looking envelope with 3 products ideal for shoving in your bag and getting what you need inside you on a ride.
First up, the Clif bar. Their classic bar. Small, dense and slightly gooey looking these are really tasty. The flavours cover a myriad of classics, based around nuts, raisins and chocolate combinations. We tried the chocolate almond fudge and the blueberry crisp. Both tasted great and weren’t too much hard work to eat.
They also managed to have a bit of texture to them meaning you felt like you were actually eating food. Stacked up against a similar sized Mars bar it delivers slightly less energy, but as a much more even mix of carbohydrates (slower release) and sugars (faster energy fix) than the planet named treat. Clif bars also contain far less fat, so your body has a fighting chance of using up the energy. You can eat one of these without immediately feeling like you need to drink a gallon of water, and I’d recommend giving them a taste, they are great for having in stock in your bag. £1.49
Next up, the gel. First up, I dislike gels entirely on principle. I associate them with middle aged tri-athletes gasping, sweating and smearing them into their faces before chucking the wrapper on the floor in the middle of their getting changed race. Ahem, rant over. Gels are something I’ve only recently given a proper go (probably to do with my opinion voiced above!) but have been (sort of) converted to them as emergency/racing “food”. We tried two flavours, raspberry razz and double shot expresso[sic]. Razz was pretty tasty, not super sweet but certainly good for a moral boost. As big coffee fans, the (perhaps) deliberate misspelling of expresso irked us slightly, and with more caffeine than a can of Red-Bull, make sure you don’t mind being awake for a bit after having it! The flavour is a bit like a super tasty coffee cake, and actually quite pleasant. Again, it’s a good mix of fast hitting sugar and longer acting carbohydrates. Both gels did need a bit of water after eating, but if you are at the sage where you need the boost of a gel, you should probably be drinking anyway. A nice touch is the litter leash system that stops you having two bits of litter, roll it up and shove it in a pocket, don’t be a gel-jerk! £1.49
Finally, we have the Shot Bloks. We are big fans of these, each little packet contains six super tasty jelly blocks that deliver a great little boost. The packet opens in such a way that it’s easy to get one lump out at a time without them escaping all over your pockets. In terms of energy these little guys pack a bit of a punch, and have been great at getting me out of some low points on long rides. £2.49
The Clif products are great for convenient food and keep a long time stashed in your riding pack. As a bonus they are made from tasty and natural products and have a sensible mix of ingredients to try and avoid dizzying highs and crushing sugar lows. Well worth picking up a few and seeing if they have a flavour for you!
