Okay, I’m sold. Jeff and Chris have been using those Clif Shot Blok gelatinous carb chunks for a while now. I remained on the fence and stuck with gels for a quick boost and bars for sustained energy. The blocks were just an intermediate substance in a somewhat inconvenient package. Clif recently introduced a high-salt “Margarita” flavor intended to aid in replacing lost electrolytes – ideal for the hot, humid riding conditions we have to deal with here. For around $2 USD, you get a heat-sealed plastic bag containing 6 blocks. The serving suggestion is half the package, yielding 90 calories and 210mg of sodium per serving. The sealed edges of the package are serrated-cut, so it is pretty easy to tear into. The plastic also rips fairly straight, so it is possible to tear along one edge without too much difficulty, leaving enough material to fold over after half the contents are eaten. The flavor is good. It sort-of reminds me of the flavor of a margarita, but really, if I’m sitting sweating out on the trail in the middle of nowhere popping one of these warm blocks in my mouth, I’m not fooled one bit.
If you’re the anti-social type, Throw a rubber band in your feed bag so if you follow the instructions and consume the package in halves, you can fold the bag over and hold it shut with the band. This will keep the unused portion inside the bag and will keep trail grit out of the food. Generally on rides, we tend to take turns opening a package and passing it around, so the complete bag gets depleted in one sitting.
I like the margarita formulation. There are a few “regular” Shot Blok flavors, and a couple with caffeine (as a sidenote, all of those have 100 calories and 70mg of sodium per half-bag serving). I’ll pass on those in deference to bars and gels with caffeine respectively. The sodium content is what I’m after in this product. It doesn’t make you feel like a superhero, but it does make a difference on those super-sweaty days.
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