nice thread.
in my old race days, powerbars had been out for like 2 years, so they were still that nasty, caulk textured bar. everyone swore by 'em. i tried them 2 times back then. the first time i ate the bar on the drive to our ride, leaving my water bottle on my bike in the back of the truck (you're supposed to drink like 3 gallons of water with those things), and i ended up puking about 1/2 mile into our ride. the 2nd time i shattered my ankle (14 weeks in a cast, reconstructed foot/ankle, and moved back in with mom and dad). i swear it was related to the bar.
my ritual from then on is still the same: crumb donettes and OJ. try it- you'll see.