sdmc530

I attempted to make homemade gel today. Used honey, molasses, salt. Was way to sweet and thick to be used on a ride. Flavor was fine but waaaayyyy to sweet.

2.5 honey
1 mol.
Small amount of salt. Tablespoon was measuring tool.

Thoughts?

canklecat

Trying mixing some baby food (they come in packs similar to gel packs, with reusable caps) with something like a chia gel or comparable base. After getting the texture right, then you can tinker with the desired amount of sugar and salt or other electrolytes.

If you have a food processor/juicer, you can mix your own stuff from raw. But the ready made baby food gel packs are handy and cheap. More content in larger packs per dollar than sports gels. But the texture and flavor are about what you'd expect -- baby food, kinda bland. I've used them on a few rides. It's not awful when you're hungry enough. The replaceable caps sure are handy.

But if I did it again I'd tweak it closer to my own taste -- a little more seasoning, like extra fresh ginger paste added to yogurt, that sort of thing.

sdmc530

huh....thought this was going to be easy lol

thanks

canklecat

It is pretty easy to make a chia gel based sports gel. The hard part is the single serving packaging. I suspect most of the cost of energy gels is in packaging -- raw materials to make the packages, logos and labels because branding is a big factor in elitist sports like cycling, marketing and shipping.

Here's a recipe to get started.

I haven't carried gels for awhile. I usually take one or two energy/protein bars (I like Think Thin bars) and extra water.

I've been prone to hypoglycemia bonks since I was a kid so I tote a small tube of glucose tablets for bonks. Depending on conditions I might not use them at all, but did chew one Sunday at around the 40 mile mark of a fairly hard ride. The headwind was demanding more energy than I'd expected. I usually empty half the glucose tablets into a ziplock baggie to save for refills. Then I'll tuck a small sandwich baggie with a few first aid supplies (some ibuprofen, asthma emergency tabs, etc.) into the tube. Fits inside my saddle bags next to the spare tube, multitool, etc.

Check out the label for Huma chia gel based energy gel. Looks like pretty basic ingredients. The gel makers save some money buying in bulk.

Sugar, flavorings, chocolate, coffee. You can buy the extracts and concentrates and mix these at home. But not as cost effectively, although you're not paying for packaging, marketing and shipping.

A dark chocolate with sea salt candy bar would probably do as well for high intensity bike rides. But chocolate melts pretty easily. Depends on the cocoa butter/fat content.

sdmc530

Well I did some more messing around today with different flavors and such to not much luck. this is not really worth the trouble to me anyways. BUT I didn't know you could get gels in bulk. Yep, I am going that route. Got some GoToobs today and they seem to be a slick little flask for the gel. I think I found my solution. Bulk prices is pretty decent too actually.

Anybody need some molasses? lol

elcruxio

Well you already gave up the idea but if you ever want to try it again,

Most gels have their bulk of the carbs from maltodextrose, which is produced from corn, is fast acting but most importantly doesn't have a lot of flavor or sweetness. If you add carbs from sweet sugars only (honey which is fructose, or molasses which is sucrose) the end result will be pretty nasty. But add most of the carbs with maltodextrose powder and the result should be much more palatable (though gels still taste pretty horrid)

OldTryGuy

On the contrary, I found Crank Sports e-Gels to be extremely good in taste and texture and supply a better bag for my buck. Ingredients worked very nicely on Sunday's 167 mile Cross Florida and yesterday's 101 miler. Nice comparison table to other products.

https://www.cranksports.com/egel/