There’s often a conversation before a group ride or a race which follows the theme of pocket contents. How many bars, gels, bananas, jelly babies, quiches lorraine are you carrying? We’re all different, some of us will carry more than we ever need – just in case. Others will take the perfect amount and eek it out carefully during the ride. But one thing seems to be common – the idea that an energy gel is a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ option.
THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
Take one before a hill, before a sprint, when you’ve already bonked. The sense that things have got so bad that a nasty tasting sachet of something powerful is required. We’ve all had gel disasters; sometimes its a simple case of spilling the indeterminable clear sticky stuff all over your pristine bar tape and having to finish the ride with your face screwed up in discomfort. Often your face is screwed up for an entirely different discomfort issue, more related to the stomach. Not pleasant. We’ve heard countless tales of riders taking a gel on the start line, only for the race to be cancelled. Cue some pretty intense house cleaning on the return home to make use of that caffeine buzz.
GELS PACK A PUNCH
The truth is that gels are a really useful tool for cyclists, runners and other endurance sports participants. But, importantly, they don’t have to come with such terrible penalties. Gels are a fast acting energy course with a consistency that stops them sitting in the gut too long. They pack a punch because they’re an extremely portable source of carbohydrates, quick and easy to eat on the move.
WHEN NATURAL MEANS NOTHING
We use a different recipe from most other energy gel brands who favour lab manufactured ingredients. Sadly “Natural” doesn’t always mean natural – only Organic means you’re not eating the bad stuff. A lot of our competitors’ products are far from clean and really not good for you, which is partly why you feel terrible after using them. This film goes some way to explaining just what people can get away with calling ‘Natural’.
GEL AMNESTY WEEK
Gels don’t have to be unnatural and bad for your belly. We’d love for you to try our gels and see the difference yourself, that’s why we have decided to run a Gel Amnesty Week. Bring your bad gels to the Road Cycling World Championships in Yorkshire this week and we will swap them for some tasty and effective Rawvelo Gels!* All you need to do is find us at the Fan Zone in Harrogate, follow @rawvelo on instagram and tag an instagram story post of our stand with #gelamnesty and we’ll swap you!
Don’t worry if you’re not going to be in Yorkshire, you can play along wherever you are. For your chance to win a bundle of Rawvelo nutrition products follow @rawvelo on instagram, post a picture of yourself in need of a gel and tag it with #gelamnesty and #fuelledbynature.
CLEAN, ORGANIC AND PERFORMANCE PROVEN
Rawvelo Organic Energy Gels come in three all-natural flavours and are made from organic fruit juices, coconut sugar and natural brown rice syrup. They are preservatives free and contain no artificial colourings or flavourings. Our gels are as clean and natural as energy gels can possibly be.
And this doesn’t mean they don’t work! Our gels are designed for use immediately before or during exercise to provide a fast absorbing source of energy to fuel the body at times of extreme exertion. That’s why elite teams like Drops and Bianchi Dama rely on them, along with our bars, to help them with nutrition for racing and training.
We have balanced the recipes to ensures that the gels are easy to digest and absorb, even when your gut is under stress, meaning there is far less likelihood of the issues that are often associated with energy gels. Another bonus is that the gels are much less viscous than traditional energy gels and can be easily consumed without water.
VISIT US AT THE ROAD CYCLING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS IN YORKSHIRE
Don’t forget, come meet us at the Road Cycling World Championships at the Fan Zone in Harrogate this week. Follow @rawvelo on instagram and take part in #gelamnesty week to win.
*We will swap your energy gels for Rawvelo Gels in person at the Fan Zone. Limited to 3 gels per person.
Gel Amnesty Week runs from Wednesday 25th September until Sunday 29th September.
