Zipvit ZV7 Energy gel

This 60ml gel contains a whopping 51g of carbs – which is twice as much as some others out there, which in terms of energy makes them pretty good value. That energy comes mostly in the form of malodextrin with sucrose (table sugar) and glucose syrup and provides you with 154 calories of energy. That’s enough to keep you going for maybe 30-40mins on the bike – depending on how hard you’re riding, your size and so on.

ZV7 is isotonic too, which means it’ll deliver that energy where it’s needed without you needing to drink extra water to absorb it. You don’t get any electrolytes to replace those you’re losing in sweat, though, so if you want those on a longer rider you’ll need to get them in a drink – Zipvit’s ZV1 Energy Drink Elite, for example, contains the electrolytes you need during exercise.

You can fit several ZV7s into a jersey pocket easily and biting the top off the sachet and getting the gel down without any mess is simple – it’s a user-friendly design in that respect. On training rides I take one about one every half hour or 45mins - less if I've got an energy drink on the go too or I'm having a bar. I try to mix it up - bit of bar, drink and gel because like many other riders I find it's easy to go off some energy products although that hasn't been a problem with these.

The ZV7 gels are quite a thick consistency and both the orange and blackcurrant flavours are sweet but they were a hit in these parts we really like the taste. I found myself looking forward to the next one well before it was due, which makes a change. As mentioned above I  get sick of some gels, particularly on longer rides, and forcing them down can become a chore. Not these, though – they were equally popular with the other members of the team that tried 'em too. If you do want a bit of variety, you can always use them in conjunction with an energy drink and/or bars.

Verdict

Energy-packed gel that's tasty and simple to swallow