posted by Tyler (Editor) - September 2, 2010 - 11am EDT
ZYM will be unveiling their new flavor called Rival at Interbike.
With an Orange flavor, it has a couple of things to set it apart. First, it has no sugar and uses stevia to sweeten it. Second, it uses Rhodiola Rosea, an herb that purportedly boosts energy and reduces fatigue.
“Unlike other similar drink tabs, ZYM RIVAL is the first and only portable, naturally sweetened sports drink,” owner Brian Koff says. “Made from premium ingredients, RIVAL provides athletes with natural energy, fresh legs and enhanced performance. And its light, refreshing orange flavor quenches an athlete’s thirst with a clean finish and no sugary residue.”
RIVAL also contains essential electrolytes to maintain adequate hydration plus added vitamins.
You know the story…Lance takes some ownership in company, Lance helps guide product development, etc., etc.
Well, in this case, his ownership in Honey Stinger has led to the development of this sugary treat, the Honey Waffle. As our man on the street at OR reported, this snacky-doodle has Honey Stinger honey slopped between two thin waffles. You might want to slather some peanut butter on it, or eat it with their protein bar, just to keep from going on a sugar high, but it sure does look delicious. Mmmmm…waffles. gglaaaaaaaaahhhhhh.
posted by Tyler (Editor) - July 26, 2010 - 10am EDT
Um, yeah, Allen Lim’s a genius and all, but I think I’ll stick to my own:
Dates
Apples
Olive Oil
Pinch of Salt
Cinnamon
Walnuts
Oats
Put all ingredients in a food processor and turn it to mush. Add enough oats to make it thick enough to hold it’s shape. I don’t write down amounts, so it’s a new experiment each time. Go easy on the olive oil to start. Wrap “bars” of it in plastic wrap or baggies or something reusable if you have it.
Got your own homemade energy bars? Leave a comment with your recipe so we can try it out!
posted by Tyler (Editor) - July 19, 2010 - 2pm EDT
If you’re looking to get “all swole” after your workout, bring the gun show to town or just back up that “Quad-zilla” nickname on the bike, you might want to think twice about the protein powder you’re mixing up.
First up, we’re not generally alarmists, and being highly active, long riding and weight lifting individuals (most of us, anyway), we pretty much dismiss the extremely low amount of protein requirements that the FDA guidelines recommend. It’s fairly well established that those looking to build muscle and recover well can use and tolerate extra protein than what’s needed merely to conserve minimal body mass.
That said, the Consumer Reports article that goes along with the video above (the video shown basically lays Channel 7’s voice over the video created by Consumer Reports, which is ridiculous, but the CR version wasn’t loading properly) is fairly alarming, especially if you regularly consume protein or recovery drinks. Not to make totally baseless claims, but many supplement manufacturers buy their ingredients from the same suppliers. I (Tyler) used to work in the beverage industry, so I’ve seen it first hand, and not everyone does complete testing of their finished products.
But, should we be concerned?
Maybe. Maybe not.
We’ve sent inquiries to most major cycling related sports nutrition companies asking for comment on this and whether they specifically test for Cadmium, Arsenic, Lead and Mercury, which are the four heavy metals mentioned in the Consumer Reports health article.
We checked the websites of EAS and CytoSport (makes of Muscle Milk), the two mentioned as having the highest levels), and EAS and Cytosport offered statements on the matter, shown after the break along with the list of products they tested…
Honey Stinger, of which Lance Armstrong is part owner, has announce a new flavor protein bar:
PRESS RELEASE: (Steamboat Springs, Colo.) – Honey Stinger, manufacturer of honey-based nutritional products, combines three delicious flavors in its newest 10-gram protein bar. The Dark Chocolate Mint Almond Pro bar is formulated specifically for athletes and health-conscious individuals seeking protein to help rebuild muscle after workouts or as a meal replacement. Honey Stinger protein bars are unique to the category as they are the first to include 100 percent organic honey.
“These new protein bars might be the best-tasting products we’ve ever created,” states Bill Gamber, Honey Stinger co-founder. “It’s like after-dinner chocolate mint for post-exercise, with natural ingredients and lots of nutritional protein.”
Honey Stinger protein bars ingredients after the break.
posted by Tyler (Editor) - June 19, 2010 - 4pm EDT
Just got our samples of the new GU Clementine Orange flavor in, which we posted the Press Release here, and tried them on a road ride this week.
If you’re keen on GU, this is now their best flavor and one of the best tasting energy gels of any brand (other honorable mentions go to CarbBoom apple cinnamon and Hammer Nutrition’s Monrana huckleberry). It actually tastes like fresh Clementine Oranges, and there seemed to be noticeably less aftertaste and tongue coating than some other flavors.
posted by Tyler (Editor) - June 16, 2010 - 9am EDT
It may not be the Team Sky luxury bus, but Team Saxo Bank riders will have their own gourmet rolling kitchen and pro chef catering to their dietary needs throughout the season. Seimens and Invita have sponsored the creation of a mobile gourmet kitchen, which will be put to work doing some “Performance Cooking” developed by Danish chef Thorsten Schmidt, owner of two restaurants and noted chef de cuisine.
PRESS RELEASE: Throughout the past decade, Riis Cycling has been groundbreaking in terms of developing new, progressive methods to achieve superb team results. From the season 2010, the Team has initiated a project under the name “Performance Cooking” with gourmet-chef, Thorsten Schmidt and in close teamwork with Anne Dorthe Tanderup he will secure a nutritious and partially ecological diet for the Team riders. To gain full benefit from the project, Invita has sponsored a well-equipped kitchen fully mounted in a Team truck with kitchen appliances from Siemens. To be independent of hotel kitchens provides Team Saxo Bank with a number of advantages which can be crucial in order to reach the overall goals:
Hankering for an espresso? Need a new tube? By all means swing by the Happy Coffee Co. for both! Located in the Salvagetti bike shop, 1611 Platte St. in Denver (one block east of 15th and Platte) the bike thru coffee window serves up a selection of Italian-style coffee drinks–and pretty much any bike part you may need. I think, if they could fit it through the window, they’d even serve you a bike. They are, after all, attached to a bike shop.
Be sure to check out the “Free Stuff” link on their website. You can get free coffees–and discounts on bike parts (even wheelsets!)– if you’re first to do one of the things listed, such as wearing sequins through the drive thru or the first on a Segway to go through the window, and others… Yes, they’ll even serve non-bikers.
PRESS RELEASE:GU Energy Labs today announced the introduction of a new citrus flavor to their range of products.
The summer season will see the addition of a tasty addition to GU’s traditional line-up, Mandarin Orange. The new flavor will be available late July and will replace the current Orange Burst flavor. Mandarin Orange will retail for MSRP $1.35 per packet, or $32.40 per 24-pack.
“The flavor profile of the new gel is going to surprise a lot of consumers,” said GU’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, Christian Johnson, “to play wine snob for a minute, it has a brighter note than what people are used to. The all-natural Clementine flavoring gives it a delicious bright, citrus flavor.”
Mandarin Orange contains GU’s optimal mix of caffeine (20 mg), complex carbohydrates / simple carbs, branched amino acids and antioxidants that are essential for sustained energy and enhanced recovery.
What's left of the bag I brought home from Sea Otter. The delicious beans within are long gone.
SEA OTTER CLASSIC 2010 - I met Evan from 53×11 Coffee at Sea Otter where he enlightened me on some of the coffee trade practices of the big companies. Without pointing fingers or naming names, I’m all the more convinced that small batch roasters like 53×11, Kinetic Koffee and the myriad others that have intertwined their love of the bean with love of the bike are the way to go when you need a fix.
Evan also hooked me up with a bag of their new Brazil Ipanema Dulce roast to try out, which benefits Bike MS. Here’s how they describe it:
Brazil Ipanema Dulce is a rain forest alliance certified coffee. Your purchase benefits the National MS Society through their Bike MS program. We are giving $3 from every bag purchased to the National MS Society. A wonderful natural bourbon with tastes of CHOCOLATE, HONEY, DRIED CHERRY, CITRUS AND ORANGE. Medium roasted for tons of flavor.
I can’t say that I tasted all of those fruity notes, but I can say that it had a slightly sweet flavor and was exceptionally smooth…no bitterness or harsh roast aftertaste, and pretty darn close to what I imagine the ideal cup of coffee should be.
PowerBar has joined the ranks of energy bar companies offering “natural” energy from real food.
Their new Pure & Simple line claims* to use no high fructose corn syrup, trans fat or artificial ingredients, instead using things like oats, fruit, soy and skim milk.
They didn’t go all the way to whole food ingredients though; the bars use refined sweeteners like evaporated cane juice syrup and high maltose brown rice syrup, and sugar’s in the list, too. So, for a mega brand owned by a mega company like Nestle, it’s not half bad. With 5g of protein, 8g of whole grains, 2g fiber and just 130-140 calories at least it’s way better for you than one of their candy bars. It’s actually pretty low in sodium, too.
Flavors include Cranberry Oatmeal Cookie and Roasted Peanut Butter.
* We say “claims” because the Roasted Peanut Butter flavor lists 1g of trans fat on the Nutrition Facts Panel. Really guys?
posted by Tyler (Editor) - April 29, 2010 - 2pm EDT
SEA OTTER CLASSIC 2010 - Go Bars are about $3 each, and they’ll be available in about a week via his website. For dealers, they’re waiting on point of sale materials, but it’ll happen probably sometime around Interbike. Shelf life is about six months, but judging by the brisk sales at Sea Otter (they sold out in two days, leaving only nibble sized samples for us starving journos to eat).
In what Kinetic Koffee founder Mark Ritz jokingly refers to as his free time, he’s been putting together wall art by stretching the bulk coffee bean bags over hardwood frames.
“They’re so beautiful, I just couldn’t stand to keep throwing them away,” Ritz said.
They’ll be offered for $20 to $40 depending on size, and they’re available now. If you’re interested, contact Mark via their website and he’ll send some pics of the current bags in stock and get you what you want. For now.
More pics and ingredients list on the bars after the break…
posted by Tyler (Editor) - April 28, 2010 - 3pm EDT
Lance Armstrong takes ownership in Honey Stinger, a company that makes honey-based gels, bars and chews. So now, will Lance chew FRS or Stinger chews? That’s what I call a sticky situation!
PRESS RELEASE:Honey Stinger, the manufacturer of honey-based nutritional foods, announces a partnership with professional cyclist Lance Armstrong. In addition to future product development and endorsement of Honey Stinger energy gels, bars and organic chews, Armstrong becomes part of the ownership team in the Steamboat Springs-based company.
“I first tried Honey Stinger products during a mountain bike race in Colorado,” says Armstrong. “I was impressed with the great taste and energy they provided. Honey Stinger works for me in training and racing because you want to eat them and they work. I like the whole team – they understand what athletes need and they’re great to work with. I’m excited to be part of the Stinger team and work with them on expanding the products and business.
Armstrong first met Len Zanni, Honey Stinger’s marketing director, when they teamed up to race the 12 Hours of Snowmass mountain bike race outside Aspen in 2008. The foundation for a new business partnership was hatched over the course of long bike rides and get-togethers with company leaders.
