My go-to gels

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

These are my preferred on-the-bike pick-me-up. The consistency is liquid enough to easily ingest but solid enough not to pour out quickly and make a mess. I've never had any stomach issues with this. I've tried most of the flavors... they are all fine. Pick the amount of caffeine you want, and slurp like there's no tomorrow. Because, given the year we've had so far (2020), there might not be.

Corry

Boston Cream Pie

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

If you told me that there was an energy gel that tasted like Boston cream pie that wasn’t awful, I wouldn’t have believed you. Surprisingly, this stuff has actually pretty good, and has kept me up and on my feet numerous times. Not bad!

taylor

LOVE the Citrus!

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Always great on my stomach and tastes great! I’ve probably had over 100 of these.

Jennifer C

love these!

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

my husband doesn't like the texture of these very much but I love it! It's a nice little treat during a long run/race. I'm a huge fan of pudding so the vanilla flavor totally reminded me of vanilla pudding. Gave me good energy, I at about one every hour for a 4 hour run and felt great.

Emily Schultz Carper

Served it's purpose

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I bought the 100 mg caffeine shots for a 24 hour solo race. It did the trick but barring caffeine needs, I would choose GU over the Clif Shots.

Shawn Craig

you gellin'

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

love these gels

rob

Thick, but I'm still a fan

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

The gel is definitely thick but it packs a good amount of sugar and can save you when you're on the verge of bonking. Pretty good product for eating while you're on the move (racing, etc.) Strawberry and Razz are my personal go-to's.

Jacob Dudek

Tasty

These are a thicker gel in the sports gel market. Definitely thicker than honey stinger, gu, and others. I think Clif offers the best flavors. They are not overwhelming with sugar. My favorite is strawberry.

Carly George

Great, but pretty thick. Break=better

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

Thick enough that you legit can't really eat it while pedaling hard. But they are great tasting and seem to work pretty well without the GI distress some other carb-loads cause. Got Razz flavor, which is pretty great tasting.

AaronC

My favorite gel is Citrus

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

Doesn't hurt my stomach while riding (I have a very sensitive stomach), tastes great, small amounts of caffeine, what more could you want?

Jennifer C

Clifbar Clif Shot Energy Gel

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

An all time classic and chocolate flavor is my favorite... The only issue i have is they are a bit thick and higher intensity rides Science in Sports gels are easier to consume.

erhan ayan

Decent but not ideal

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

These gels get the job done but they're pretty thick and can be hard to choke down when you're in the middle of a run. I much prefer using the Stinger gels which are way less thick and grainy.

Payton Schiff

Quick and easy energy

I have used this product for many years and it is my favorite energy gel. Taste and texture are OK but then again this is not like eating a great tasting burger on the trail. I typically eat one every hour with water, due to the thick viscosity of the gel.

Charles H

If you have to gel, this is a great one

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I have to admit that I got a little burned out on gels...they are great for their purpose, but one particular race where I needed about 10 of them let me wanted to use "real food" whenever I can. Having said that, Clif Shots are still my go to product when I do need a gel, and I often throw one or two in my jersey pocket when going on a medium-long ride. The Vanilla, Chocolate, and Espresso are my favorite flavors (in that order).

Brian Quinif

grab and go

Familiarity:

I've used it several times

These make for a great no stop option, they're easily digested and don't feel like they sit in your stomach as some trail foods can, especially on a vigorous route on a hot day. They fit easily in your packs waist pocket. Something to consider is disposal, you will not consume all traces of this which is important in bear country. They roll up very small when empty taking nearly no space but if you simply place it back in your waste belt you will had an exotic and quizzical scent to you pack. Consider placing an empty Loksak in an accessible portion of your partners pack. When you're both done place the waste in the loksak.

Kyle Cherry

Great taste, good ingredients

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

I love this brand, I could say they focus in being organic and ecofriendly. The best flavours for me are Chocolate and Double Expresso

Carlos Restrepo

Love the litter leash

Familiarity:

I've used it once or twice and have initial impressions

I wrote about this on my blog (http://cmkl.ca/2015/05/18/clif-shot-gels-solve-the-what-to-do-with-the-tab-problem/) but I love the fact that the packaging keeps the tab and the tube together after you open it. Makes it so much easier to open, eat and stow the empty while riding.

cmkl

Good GU Alternative

I've used these off and on in conjunction with GU. The effects are almost identical. I enjoy the flavor of the Mocha better than any other energy gel out there (The exception perhaps the new Salted Caramel). The notches in the packets are a nice addition and they seem to tear open just a little easier than the GU packets do.

Ryan Gibbs

Double Shots!!

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

These are some of my favorite gel packs. Taste great and work well.

Bj Chauvin

Does the trick

Familiarity:

I've put it through the wringer

You could get a gel flask and make your own gels, experiment with maple syrup etc. Or you could get these, prepacked=preportioned=easy I usually have 2 gels in my pocket for any ride, more on longer rides. I prefer gels for races just because they are the easiest for me to eat 1 handed. Usually the last thing eaten on long training rides as the banana's go first then any waffles or other real food. But when you hit the wall and need quick energy now these are #1.

Troy Rutherford