GU did not sponsor this review, though, to be honest, I wish they did. Singletracks could use the ad dollars!
It’s been more than ten years since I last choked down an energy gel on a ride. Just the thought of downing the surupy goo, with its cloyingly sweet taste, was enough to trigger a gag reflex. So when a PR rep for GU asked if I wanted to try a sample of their latest flavor, Sour Peach, I was skeptical but mildly curious. Could “sour” be what was missing from all those horrible GU flavors I’d stomached in years past? I would bravely give Sour Peach GU a try to find out.
It’s still gooey and delivers 100 calories of energy
GU Energy Gels are offered in multiple flavors, and most deliver about 100 calories per packet. Sour Peach is caffeine-free, and in addition to carbs, it includes 60mg of sodium and 450mg of GU’s amino acid blend. The wrapper says to eat one gel every 20 to 30 minutes during your ride, though if you ask me, that’s a recipe for energy gel burnout. So I’ve been limiting myself to one gel per ride.
During my energy gel hiatus, I regularly brought Nerds Gummies and Sour Patch Kids along for the ride, and I found that both work well as mental and physical pick-me-ups. GU Sour Peach Energy Gel ($2 at REI) brings these candies to mind, just with less chewing. I’m not sure why it took GU so long to figure out that sour tastes good mixed with sweet, but I’m glad they finally did.
GU Liquid Energy goes down easier
I also tried GU Liquid Energy ($2.50 at REI) for the first time this summer. Liquid Energy is basically a watered-down version of a GU Energy Gel, with 100 calories and similar levels of electrolytes and amino acids. A packet weighs about twice as much as a gel and takes up a bit more room in a pack, but it goes down much more easily. It sorta reminds me of the liquid flavor you might squirt onto a snowcone.
I tried Passion Fruit Orange Guava Liquid Energy first, which tastes fruity without reminding me of any particular fruit. Then, after half a dozen rides, I finally worked up my courage to try “Plain & Simple,” which I wrongly assumed would taste like pure sugar water. To my surprise, “Plain & Simple” is a little tart, and if I squint my eyes, it reminds me of shotgunning a warm, flat Mello Yello. In short, it’s completely bearable.
Just to confirm that my taste-test evaluations weren’t completely heat-stroke-induced, I had Leah test the Sour Peach gel and the Passion Fruit Orange Guava Liquid Energy, and she agreed they don’t suck.
Clearly finding “flavors” for portable energy supplements that taste “not bad” is no easy task. A friend recently offered up a box of GU Jet Blackberry gels on a private message board, writing, “Free. Worst flavor.” Given my newfound appreciation for GU, I was tempted to raise my hand, but another friend beat me to it. Three days later, he posted an update.
“I tried one on a ride this morning. It is like a mouthful of pipe tobacco. Def gross but I will endure it.”
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