I absolutely swear by Clif Shot Gels. They are so easy to suck down when riding fast or in a group, easy to open with my teeth, and I appreciate the "litter leash". I love the raspberry flavor and the double expresso. Can't imagine why someone would consider them "gross"? The raspberry is like eating jam. They give me a really quick boost when I start to feel any loss of energy or onset of hunger. For rides longer than a couple hours I will eat a Clif Bar or two during the ride. Mint Choclate is yummy. Picked up a bunch of Jelly Belly Sports Beans at the Tour of California and I like them also. But, their drawback is this, you open the package with your teeth and a) hope you don't rip the whole side of the package open and lose the beans, or b) you are left with a piece of litter to deal with. I just can't see eating them if you are going very fast, it takes too much balancing and use of the hands. Clif Shot blocks are the same, too many pieces to deal with.
Fausto