Readers who followed my posts from the early days know that I am an avid mountain biker. I am very fortunate to live in San Francisco Bay Area where climate allows us to ride pretty much all year long. We never ever have a snow in a winter and it never rains from mid spring to mid autumn. Love it :). My house is about five minutes away from East Bay Regional Park – Lake Chabot. The trail can take a mountain biker all the way to Oakland and this trail connects all the way to Berkeley. I have never personally ridden to Berkeley due to the time limitations. A ride from a Ranger Station at Lake Chabot to Oakland is about 31 miles long with quite a bit of elevation gain. It takes about three and a half hours to complete with few small brakes on a way.
These long rides require proper fuel for your musculature. One of the products that I have been using since 2009 is eGel which is short for Electrolyte Energy Gel from Crank Sports.
Energy gels should be consumed with water and NOT a sports drink. The result is energy and hydration, but insufficient electrolyte replacement. This particular product has sufficient amount of energy, hydration and electrolyte replacement. With 4 to 5 times the electrolyte levels of traditional energy gels, e-Gel’s Electrolyte Energy formulation is designed to provide complete and balanced electrolyte replacement in addition to sustained energy and hydration when taken with water as recommended. And with 150 carbohydrate calories, e-Gel packs 50% more energy than most energy gels.
In the last couple of years that I have been racing Cross Country and I have never cramped or bonked during those rides. This product is one of the best on a market. I have tried many other products in a past but nothing would come even close to eGel. The following are the links that compare eGel to other products that are available on a market.
>> e-Gel vs. GU
>> e-Gel vs. Powerbar Gel
>> e-Gel vs. Hammer Gel
>> e-Gel vs. GU Roctane
>> e-Gel vs. Clif SHOT Bloks (must read!)
These are the reviews from other riders that I was able to find on www.MTBR.com
Best gel for me. I have used them training and racing, for mountain biking, triathlons, and running marathons. I keep them well stocked and have had a lot of my buddies get hooked on them as well. Crank Sports also has a good, free, on-line workout log that is set-up for multi-sports and is customizable. No, I don’t work for Crank Sports.
This product works and has never upset my stomach. The pre-mix drink packets are also great. If you use the gel and drink there is no Bonk.
Awesome product. Try their sports drink mix as well. The combination of the two cannot be beat. Reasonable pricing and seems to be an item that is wel stocked at many cycling stores – nice for a change to be able to find the product you like!
I highly recommend trying it. I always dreaded eating those Gu and Cliff shots because they made me choke. Great for long road and mtb rides. has more electrolytes so it keeps you from cramping.
