Some of my groupmates prefer to use additives in their water bottles (Nuun, etc) for long rides for electrolyte replenishment. I prefer to keep regular water in my bottle in order to keep the bottle cleaner for a longer period of time. My old bottles developed mold / mildew much faster when using additives that had extra sugars - the bottles can be difficult to get the valves and other parts cleaned well.Since I use regular water in my bottle, I need to replenish electrolytes via food intake and find that Gu is a great means to accomplish this. I ride in Florida and lose a lot of salt through sweat from our hot humid environment most of the year. I have found that in addition to drinking water regularly through my ride that I need to take a Gu about 1 / hr. If I ... MoreSome of my groupmates prefer to use additives in their water bottles (Nuun, etc) for long rides for electrolyte replenishment. I prefer to keep regular water in my bottle in order to keep the bottle cleaner for a longer period of time. My old bottles developed mold / mildew much faster when using additives that had extra sugars - the bottles can be difficult to get the valves and other parts cleaned well.Since I use regular water in my bottle, I need to replenish electrolytes via food intake and find that Gu is a great means to accomplish this. I ride in Florida and lose a lot of salt through sweat from our hot humid environment most of the year. I have found that in addition to drinking water regularly through my ride that I need to take a Gu about 1 / hr. If I don't, I start to have energy issues and find that I struggle to keep pace as I start to bonk.This value pack contains a large variety of flavors, is priced well and is easy to store. If your needs are similar to mine, I recommend it to cyclists or runners.

Love using GU, and I believe they have loads of history and experience behind their name to make them one of the most trusted names in athlete nutrition. I’ve always enjoyed the large variety of flavors, caffeine amounts, and amino blends in their energy gel lines to give me the flexibility to choose which gels fit my needs. For me, they’ve always been easy to get down, even During hard efforts, and I’ve personally never experienced any discomfort or negative side-effects from using them.I like most of the GU Energy and Roctane gels, but my favorites are Hoppy Trails and Salted Watermelon. Hoppy Trails is surprisingly not “flat beer” flavored at all, as some may think. It has nice, citrus-hoppy-floral notes you might get from a craft IPA. It’s actually really ... MoreLove using GU, and I believe they have loads of history and experience behind their name to make them one of the most trusted names in athlete nutrition. I’ve always enjoyed the large variety of flavors, caffeine amounts, and amino blends in their energy gel lines to give me the flexibility to choose which gels fit my needs. For me, they’ve always been easy to get down, even During hard efforts, and I’ve personally never experienced any discomfort or negative side-effects from using them.I like most of the GU Energy and Roctane gels, but my favorites are Hoppy Trails and Salted Watermelon. Hoppy Trails is surprisingly not “flat beer” flavored at all, as some may think. It has nice, citrus-hoppy-floral notes you might get from a craft IPA. It’s actually really refreshing in flavor, not overly-sweet like some gels can be, and does not leave an aftertaste. It’s a great non-caffeinated option for me. Salted Watermelon is my favorite caffeinated option and again not overly sweet for me.

A Quick Take: The Gu-ey the Bad and The Ugly

I really don't know what to say about this product. It could be stated that it fulfills its intended purpose well. However, I get caught up by the process of ingestion, whenever I go suck out the Gu, I find the corners of my lips a little cut up, meaning I can't properly enjoy the consumption experience. From a Mormon perspective I would like to see non-caffeinated options, maybe something like a Jello substance or perhaps a gummy substitute. All and all I personally can't fully endorse this product, head my lip injury warnings and hopefully this review provides you with a more holistic perspective when it comes to the purchasing of such an item.

Birthday Cake is so good!

The Birthday Cake flavor taste just like cake frosting, which if you look at the ingredient list, it basically is frosting so that make sense. The chocolate is good too for the same reason, it taste like frosting. Some of the other flavors are really bad though, avoid the cola.. it's just too much kola nut spice.The energy boost I get from these is sufficient and with the birthday cake flavor tasting so good I'm sold.

Great for long runs or bike rides!

I am a new cyclist but I adore cycling. I've been a lifelong runner but cycling is a new found joy! Last year I cycled 42 miles as my longest ride. I mix my training with running and hiking mostly in northern Michigan which has a lot of hills. Where are live there are some of the highest hills in the state. With Gu energy gels I can go the extra mile. As a novice cyclist, I've experienced the bonks as it is similar to hitting the wall. With proper planning, nutrition, water, and Gu energy gels I don't hit walls or bonk. I've been able to go on shorter rides from 20-30 miles and feel great! My favorite is Chocolate Outrage! Seriously tasty As someone who is lactose intolerant as well as having a wheat allergy I appreciate these being vegan and gluten free!

I've tried several

Sometimes you need energy, but don't want food. I have a friend who is trying to get into shape and gets exhausted on hikes, but can't handle food and these have been exactly what they need.Here is my opinion on a few flavors:Birthday Cake- It's birthday cake. It delicious and by the second or third taste you realize it's way too sweet... but you keep eating it lol. It's birthday cake.Cola- Its flat Cola. Ever had some leftover coke in a bottle you left capped and hoped it still had gas when you went for a drink only to be disappointed that it was flat and just tossed it out? This is that.Caramel Macchiato- ever had the iced coffee from a place like 7-eleven? Its kind of chemically and you understand what they were going for but its not that. This is that. ... MoreSometimes you need energy, but don't want food. I have a friend who is trying to get into shape and gets exhausted on hikes, but can't handle food and these have been exactly what they need.Here is my opinion on a few flavors:Birthday Cake- It's birthday cake. It delicious and by the second or third taste you realize it's way too sweet... but you keep eating it lol. It's birthday cake.Cola- Its flat Cola. Ever had some leftover coke in a bottle you left capped and hoped it still had gas when you went for a drink only to be disappointed that it was flat and just tossed it out? This is that.Caramel Macchiato- ever had the iced coffee from a place like 7-eleven? Its kind of chemically and you understand what they were going for but its not that. This is that. Maybe you like it. I do not.Chocolate Outrage- Chocolate, not too sweet, but just a tad chemically. Not as bad as Caramel Macchiato, but not my favorite.Espresso Love- Tastes like fudgy pudding. Its delicious and I can't get enough.Vanilla Bean- Sweet, not as sweet as birthday cake, no chemical taste. Very good option.

Life-savers!

These energy gels have proven themselves to be real life-savers... literally. I'm diabetic and don't always realize that my energy is flagging. Fortunately, I keep these on hand - in my pocket and in my backpack - for when I feel that drop in blood sugar. They work faster than eating a piece of candy and the caffeine kick in some of the flavors helps to curb any headache I may have gotten from allowing my sugar to fall. I also use them when hiking in general, to keep up my stamina between meals. They're easy, fact-acting and highly portable, making them perfect for traveling.

Quick Delivery from Energy Snacks

I have to say GU Chocolate Outrage are soooo nice! I used these for marathon training back in 2015 but the toffee one mainly (I tried a few different flavours.) They did the job. This time, again marathon training I thought I would try again and the taste is so much nicer. The best desert in an energy gel! Would thoroughly recommend. Good to take with a sip of water after but shame to wash down the nice chocolate after taste!

Quick Energy, But Not So Tasty

I've tried a few flavors of this energy gel, and I don't care for the texture or flavor compared to Clif's version. Usually I like coffee flavors, but I had to choke the mocha one down. There are a lot more ingredients and nutritional supplements, which seem unnecessary to me, but might appeal to some. It did provide a quick energy boost, as it said!

The name really captures the texture and flavor...

For the weight/calorie/size ratio, this is one of the more portable foods. I usually carry PBJ/applesauce/fig bars or something I can get from the grocery store but they can take up more space. Replacing some of the calories from the "real" food will help free up some space.I don't like sweets and I think this affects my judgement of the flavors. I just try to gulp it all down in one go and chase with water.