Life In The Saddle

Flapjacks are a staple of the cyclist diet. The fact that my High Energy Flapjack Recipe is one of the most viewed blog posts every month confirms that. How can you create variations of the oat based favourite though—to add greater variety and interest? This recipe is for a different kind of oat bar—held together with banana, eggs, and coconut oil—rather than the traditional flapjack honey/syrup and butter. I am not going to claim that it is healthier or better, but it is a great alternative. The less crumbly nature of the bars also means they are ideal for jersey pockets. Ingredients 2 medium bananas 1 large egg 1 cup rolled oats ½ cup wholemeal flour ¼ cup coconut oil ¼ cup dark brown sugar 1 tbsp peanut butter 1 tsp vanilla essence ½ tsp baking powder ¼ tsp salt 1 cup of your flavouring of choice: choc chips, chopped dates, raisins, etc. Method Preheat the oven to 180 Celsius Grease a 6-inch square baking tin with butter or coconut oil Mash the banana...

Bicycle riders can be a tricky bunch to buy gifts for. This 2019 gift selection could provide some great ideas for cycling gifts. Not all of them are two-wheel specific, but all of them are fun and useful presents for a cyclist in your life. Nite Ize Doohikey Key Chain Mini Pen-Knife This great little knife clips to your keys and provides you with a compact blade for those essential tasks. Whether it is cutting cable ties on your event numbers, or unpackaging the endless supply of cycling kit and components that arrives at your door; this sharp little locking blade is a super little companion. I personally find it especially useful for trimming tubeless tyre plugs and cutting race numbers down to size. >>  Shop the Nite Ize Doohikey Key Chain Knife here  << Smoove Universal Chain Lube This is my go-to bicycle chain lube; whether riding road, gravel, or mountain bike, and whatever the conditions. It uses a unique wax-based formula that completely...

Organic energy food that tastes heavenly. The range of bars, waffles and energy chews from American brand Honey Stinger are so scrumptious, you might end up eating them all as snacks... I have always been a fan of organic products; not because of the status that they hold, but simply because I believe eating natural whole-foods in their purist state is the best thing for taste, your body, and the environment. Honey Stinger pride themselves on using organic produce wherever possible, and have produced some fantastic tasting energy food as a result. Some will look at stroop wafels and peanut butter cereal bars and question if this is real 'energy food'. Of course it is. It is just that it hasn't been processed, refined, homogenised or treated like a lot of the product on the market. Instead, Honey Stinger use classic recipes like the stroop wafel, and recognise that their composition of carbohydrates, protein, and fats are actually optimal for fuelling your body, and al...

I am not a vegan, and I don't really agree with those taking it on as a 'challenge' or 'diet'. The exception, is if it means individuals consume more whole-foods and less processed products. Tom Oliver Nutrition is all about this approach, and provide a nice range of vegan protein bars. The protein in these bars comes from soy protein, which is a good alternative for those that can't consume whey protein, and don't like the taste of casein or hemp. Slightly off-putting when initially looking at these bars, is that the most prominent ingredient is Maltitol - an alcohol sugar. Some research reveals that this is a safe and natural sweetener though, and a substitute for sugar in a lot of natural products. Further ingredients are Soy protein, organic cacao, natural oils, and fruit peel. All pretty natural. The Tom Oliver Vegan Protein Bars taste good, if a little dry in texture. My favourite was the Chocolate Caramel version, which has nibbed peanut...

Project E2 Nutrition is a new player in the sports nutrition market, but one that has set itself apart from the masses through a unique focus on endurance sports nutrition. I have been testing their products over the last few months, with some positive results and feedback. About the Brand Project E2 Nutrition is a fresh off-shoot of globally renowned brand CNP Nutrition. Using the knowledge and experience gained from years of producing industry-leading sports nutrition, CNP have created Project E2 Nutrition with a specific focus of fuel and recovery for endurance athletes. The Range The Project E2 collection is composed of a comprehensive range of pre, during, and post exercise products: PRE Workout Drink Powder HYDRO Drink Powder ENERGY Drink Powder RECOVER Drink Powder ENERGY GEL ENERGY GEL+ HYDRO GEL HYDRO GEL+ ENERGY BAR The Drinks The drinks range from Project E2 is designed to give endurance athletes a complete pre, during, and post workout/race hydratio...

I have always been a huge fan of taking slices of Christmas cake as festive ride fuel: that mix of candid fruit, dates, nuts, honey and spices; it is sublime, and one of the best things about the Festive 500 . UK brand Veloforte have taken those ingredients, and made individual 100% natural energy bars with a similarly superb taste and texture. They were always going to win me over... Veloforte Di Bosco - a mix of red berries, almonds and pistachio nuts Veloforte Classico - a mix of citrus fruits, almonds and honey Veloforte Ciocco - a mix of dates, almonds and cocoa Three flavours, all delicious in their own right. All made from simple, natural whole-foods. Most of the bars have less than a dozen ingredients, and all of those I can pronounce and have heard of; that's not something that I can say for a lot of energy bars out there. It is both reassuring to the mind, and far better for your health. Pumping yourself full of preservatives was never how our ancestors did it. ...

Chia seeds warrant their status as a super-food. These tiny little seeds pack a serious punch: delivering magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, anti-oxidants and protein, in each serving. The range of products from Chia Charge makes the most of these tasty little nutritional winners. Chia Charge Flapjacks These are proper flapjacks; made with butter and oats (and of course chia seeds). They have a lovely cake-like texture, and they are a real pleasure to eat. Available in plain (slightly salted), banana and cranberry flavours, I have had them as morning coffee-time snacks and as on-the-bike fuel. Packing a good energy punch of 370kcals each, they should keep you pedalling for a good while. Chia Charge Karma Raw Fruit and Nut Bars Cold pressed fruit and nut bars are very much on-trend at the moment, with brands like Nak'd and Rude Health also having some tasty offerings. These Chia Charge ones are some of the nicest I have tried.  The Cocoa Karma and Koffee Karm...

The German company Multipower  produces some of the best tasting protein powders, bars, and smoothies that I have tried to date. I have mentioned their huge 50 gram protein bar and quality protein powders in my two previous blogs ' Fuelling on Fat and Protein ' and ' Five of the Best Drinks for Cyclists '; I have also used their products in recipes like my ' High Protein Banana Bread ' and ' Protein Ice-cream ' recipe. The Multipower products use quality ingredients, and have a more natural taste and texture than a lot of protein products on the market today. In this blog post, I want to give a mention to three new products from Multipower: the 53% Protein Bar, the Multipower Protein Fruit Smoothies, and the Power Layer Protein Snack Bars. These are all again great tasting products, and each great for a cyclists' diet... The 53% Protein Bar The huge 100 gram Multipower 50% Protein Bar packs a serious protein punch, and I found it to be an...

Advice on best-practice sports nutrition is constantly evolving and adapting. Take on-the-bike nutrition: in the distant past, Tour de France riders could be seen fuelling with wine and pastries! Nowadays, that is more likely to be gels and sports drinks. Although, recent research suggests that pistachios and rice cakes could be the real winner... Interestingly though, there is one line of thought on sports nutrition that has remained quite constant through time... porridge! It seems that the importance of fuelling up on complex carbohydrates pre-event, has long been recognised. It also seems that popular opinion on the king of pre-ride fuels, has remained constant over time: porridge still tops the rankings. Porridge has become quite a 'trendy' breakfast in recent years, and with good reason. A bowlful is packed full of low-GI carbohydrates, protein and dietary fibre. It's a nutritional combination that will keep you feeling fuller and fuelled better, for longer. Cyc...

Suz is a colleague of mine, and a keen 'natural nutrition advocate' too. I passed a few Rude Health  bars her way to test out... Suz: Rude Health is known for creating virtuous, healthier-than-healthy cereals and snacks. Their approach is nothing artificial and nothing refined. Just pure, wholesome goodness! I was lucky enough to be given the chance to try out two of their snack bars: The Beetroot and The Peanut. Here’s how I got on... The Beetroot Bar The Beetroot Bar is literally just beetroot, dates, nuts, seeds and a weeny bit of oil. My first impression was that it looked and felt like a Nakd Bar – nice and dense, yet fudgy in texture. Thanks to the beetroot, it’s also got a curious pink hue. Beetroot can be bitter unless it’s mixed with something else so I wasn’t sure what to expect! The addition of dates to the mixture made sure that it was love at first bite! There was a slight earthy aftertaste but it was needed to offset the sweetness of the dates. T...

Last year, I reviewed the Secret Training Race Day Care Kit , and I was taken by how much time and consideration had gone into the design and contents of the compact little bag. Since then, I've used the kit for almost every race that I've attended; and it's clear that Dr. Tim Lawson, the designer of the product and founder of Secret Training, knows exactly what is needed for a day on a bike in variable UK conditions. Dr. Tim Lawson was one of the founders of Science in Sport, and has been a nutrition coach to many professional riders to date. Having left SiS several years ago, it was only a matter of time before he again utilised his high-end scientific skills in nutrition to launch some new products. It's because of this great scientific footing, that I've been very interested to try the STEALTH range from Secret Training, ever since it was released earlier in the year. Here's what I thought of it… Secret Training STEALTH Hydration Drink Mix I...

'Natural Tasty Energy' sounds like a good strap-line for any energy bar. MuleBar have taken the standard cereal based energy bar, and added some unique and tantalising flavours; to encourage you to keep fuelling whilst you train. I've been testing a mixed box of the bars, and thought I'd do a bit of a group-test blog post, to shout about my favourites! MuleBar Hunza Nut - Apricot and Walnut Bar A fruity mix of apricots, with a textured crunch of walnuts. This is easy to eat, high in fibre and the walnuts should help to provide a bit of protein and sustained energy. MuleBar Summer Pudding - Raspberry and Blackcurrant Bar This has fast become one of my favourites. The 'Summer Pudding' really does come through with the mix of raspberries and blackcurrants. It's got that slightly bitter zing to it, from the berries, and it seemed especially appropriate for the 'early summer' training days I had in Mallorca last week .  MuleBar App...

I've always been a fan of dried fruit, nuts and seed mixes. Whether you're snacking after a hard morning training session, or you need something to break up the monotony of energy bars and gels on a long ride; dried fruit and savoury nuts are an ideal source of energy and protein. MuleBar have clearly tapped into this idea with their new Nosebag products; handy jersey pocket-sized bags of dried fruit, and savoury nuts and seeds, which provide a great alternative energy source . There's nothing particularly revolutionary about the contents of MuleBar's Nosebags, but they do taste great. First up, there is the Fruit Avalanche. This is a mix of raisins, dried apricots, dried cherries, cape gooseberries and goji berries. Much like a good dried fruit mix, it's a riot of flavours, and will certainly add a bit of interest for a palate that has been numbed by sugary energy gels. There's a great mix of textures too, so you can enjoy gently chewing on that goji be...

It's the most popular blog post of all time on Life In The Saddle, and it is frequently the most popular month on month, too. The chances are, if you're a regular reader of the blog, you've read my first review of the Bounce Natural Energy Balls before (if you haven't give it a look). Since December 2012, when I wrote that first review of four balls from their range, Bounce Energy Balls have grown and grown; and they've been very kind to keep up their partnership with the blog over that time. The growth has included the introduction of a few new tasty flavours, to add to the four that I first reviewed; that seemed worth shouting about! So here they are, four new taste sensations! Cocoa Mint Protein Bomb Like After Eight mints? You'll love these. The Cocoa Mint Bounce Ball came out about a year ago, and it quickly became my joint favourite Bounce Ball (tied with Apple and Cinnamon below). It tastes incredibly good, has a really mixed and moist textur...

" You're reviewing cereals on your blog now?! " is the response that I expect many of you had when you saw the title of this post. Yes. Yes I am. Because, cereals and healthy snacks are just as important to a cyclist's diet as the energy bars, drinks and recovery products that you use. What you have for breakfast before your training ride, will undoubtedly have an effect on how well you perform out on the bike. Rude Health is a UK based company, who produce a wide range of products from cereals to snack bars; all of which seek to taste great, but also provide you with an easy and convenient healthy option. I've been trying out a selection of their products over the last few weeks, and I think they tie in very well with the demands of a cyclist's diet. They're natural, low in fat, high in complex carbohydrates, and most of all, they taste rather good. Here's what I thought of the range... Breakfast! Rude Health Daily Oats Porridge, Ultimate Gr...