Well, picking the winner for this debate is long overdue! We tossed all your names into a hat and Stephanie emerged victorious! Congrats, Stephanie - we’ll be in touch to get your prize on it’s way.
Stay tuned - the next debate is ready to rock.
Argue for or against this tasty topic. Leave no Clif Bar unturned. Get ready, get set… DEBATE!
Pros;
They pack easily. They may contain traces of something resembling nutrients. They make you look like the “real deal”. The wrappers can be used to signal aircraft for help. Or to lure fish in a survival situation. You can even put your gum in the wrapper. Wow.
Cons;
They taste like mustelid derrierre. Thier wrappers scare away wildlife what with thier crinkly racket and whatnot. The wrappers can be left on the trail where they don’t readily decompose and can chock naive rodentia. Without proper water intake they make playing the harmonica virtually next to impossible. And they ain’t cheap!
Gimme some real ol’ grub anyday, like pemmican, hardtack, bannock and whatever is growing or crawling at the time what don’t make you puke or go blind. Apples and even “regular” granolie bars slip into the ol’ Camelbak with nary a complaint, and the only real time I see fit to eat that space age food is during a race or endurance event. A snack is just that. A snack. Not rocket fuel. Why put av gas in a Pinto?
With bananas at .89/lb, you may as well buy powerbars. They don’t turn brown and don’t make a mess when you crash and land on one.
I get my masseur to make me a panini and I have a domestique bring it to me while I am racing. Powerbars are for people that have to carry their own food.
I find the bars and gels make me blow stink later on as well. Not good.
I huck a few cliff bars in my camelbac because they last for ever and if I forget that means I have them. I’d rather take a banana, some nuts , some granola bars and some chocolate tho.
And what aaron said : no sense putting jet fuel in a pinto like my self. Hell even Pinto is being gratitioius 
real food is probably best but nearly as convienient and easy to carry
like jefff I’ll toss something in a pack or a jackey and sometime forget it’s even theretill I need it
I personally like the blocks… I can’t remeber the name right now… easy to get into you and and full of calories and not as messy as a gel and do not require half a bottle of water to wash down liek osme of the bars do
I prefer beer as an energy drink/boost.
Pros:
convenient packaging
lots of carbs
water hydrates (yes alcohol dehydrates, so maybe this is a neutral point)
relaxes the rider so big stuff seems (temporarily) smaller
Can be had before, during or after the ride
If you happen along a chicken you can start a fire and make Beer Can Chicken
foodnetwork.com/recipes/the- … index.html
If Beer is not available I suppose a powerbar gives temporary energy to get you through the ride. They also are convenient and provides sufficient substinence, but is there a widely available recipe for powerbar wrapper chicken…I think not!
Polls closed RiderX wins.
He showed me his secret riding Wenworth XC a few years back. Climbed like never before. A few times.
I asked myself this same question recently after I purchased some high protein post workout bars for women. After the first bite buyer’s remorse set in…not to mention they cost $36 for a dozen. Ouch! A quick google search confirmed by what I suspected. Other than the convenience factor, real food gives the high tech stuff a run for it’s money. Who wouldn’t rather eat a McDonald’s egg McMuffin over a pre-workout energy bar? or PB&J over a powerbar? See all the face-offs at… menshealth.com/foodfaceoff/
What do I like to pack? Peanut butter & chocolate chip sandwiches (a.k.a. the bundy bundy), dried fruit (apricots, raisins, dates), unsalted nuts (almonds, sunflower seeds) & for dessert… Fig Newtons!!! One of the world’s most perfect foods! ooey googey rich and chewy inside…golden cakey tender flaky outside.
This debate has been very entertaining so far. I had a few chuckles from the comments. I can’t say that I’ve had one of those gel thingy’s, but did try a Clif bar once and it wasn’t bad … expensive, but not bad. When I am riding with RH, he usually brings regular granola bars or Sunkist jubes. There have been occasions when he found a mystery snack at the bottom of his camelback that he wasn’t sure how long it has been there. If I am riding alone, I usually take natural almonds, granola bar, or banana, but after reading Stephanie’s post, I am going to get myself some FIG NEWTONS for the next road ride (yummy). They are a favourite of mine and I can justify eating them since I will be burning them off on the ride. So you may see a whole package sticking out of my pack on my bike. Finding the foods that replenish your stores for the ride/race is important, but this “cycling girl” loves food too much to eat snacks that don’t taste good. Now where’s my “To Do” list … oh there it is … buy several packages of Fig Newtons.