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Torq Explore Flapjacks (20)

9
£37.00

VERDICT:

9
10
Tasty and effective energy for long rides, if a tiny bit sweet
Nice taste
Decent macros
Good value with bulk discounts
Up to five flavours per box
A little bit sweet
Weight: 
65g

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The TORQ Explore Flapjacks are made with organic plant-based goodness and come in a wide variety of flavours. They taste pretty good, don't fall apart and suit long rides really well, though they're not the best option for racing types.

The Explore Flapjacks are vegan friendly and certified Soil Association Organic, which means the ingredients are of a very high quality, free of pesticides and chemicals. That's reassuring.

Nutritionally, they're pretty competent, with about 40g of carbs in each bar (depending on the flavour you choose), 1093-1108 KJ of energy, 8.1-8.9g fat, 2.9-3.8g fibre, and a useful 3.2-3.7g protein.

Performance

Torq says they're for more relaxed riding, where it's more about the taste and experience than out-and-out performance, but I feel that's underselling them – these taste good and perform well too.

2020 torq Explore Flapjack - Organic Banana Cake 1.jpg

They're not quite as potent as Torq's own Energy Bars (76g of carbs per 100g versus 61-66g), though energy (KJ) is higher at 1681-1704 per 100g, versus 1445. You also get better recovery with the Explore bars, with 4.9-5.7g of protein per 100g versus 3.7g. The Explore bars are a bit fattier at 12-14g per 100g versus the Energy bar's minuscule 1.8g, though.

2020 torq Explore Flapjack - Organic Bakewell Slice 2.jpg

For long rides – be that club rides, sportives, or multi-day bike packing adventures – they certainly do the trick of keeping you energised for an hour or so, as they did when I tested them on a couple of four-hour rides.

The best possible taste?

While for me these don't quite match the Veloforte Plant Powered bars in terms of taste, they're still pretty great. The ingredients are all natural, with some real fruit in there, though overall the bars are probably just a touch too sweet – I found them ever so slightly sickly.

> How to eat right for sportives and long rides

Black Forest is an interesting flavour, with its blend of sour cherries and cocoa powder plus sugar and golden syrup creating a definite sweet/sour flavour. Some will love it, others I suspect less so. The rest are a bit more mainstream – favourites like apple strudel, carrot cake, ginger cake, bakewell slice and banana cake – and decent interpretations of the real thing.

2022 Torq Explore Flapjacks - Organic Black Forest - box of 20.jpg

The bars are square and fit easily into a jersey pocket, plus they're quite solid and won't fall apart in your pocket during a long ride.

Value

While Torq says the box of 20 has an SRP of £37, it also says there's a 10% discount for buying one box. That makes it actually £33.30. To confuse matters further, resellers such as Wiggle do them cheaper – at the time of writing the Apple Strudel box was £24.75 – but one advantage of buying direct is you can spec your own box up to five flavours.

The Build A Box option (the same £33.30) works out at £1.67 per bar. For comparison, the Veloforte Plant Powered bars which are £2.25 per bar in bulk, while the classic Clif Bar is £1.69 (£20.28 for 12).

Overall

The Explore flapjacks are some of the better, more natural tasting bars I've come across, and there's good reason for that – they're made with natural, organic ingredients. The macros are good for keeping you fuelled on your rides, and they travel well too.

Verdict

Tasty and effective energy for long rides, if a tiny bit sweet

road.cc test report

Make and model: Torq Explore Flapjacks (20)

Size tested: 20 x 65g

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Torq says, "Our TORQ Explore Flapjacks are soft, syrupy and deliciously tasty as well as being organic and suitable for vegans or those who prefer a plant-based diet. Our Soil Association Organic certification means that the ingredients used in these flapjacks are from the purest sources, free from the pesticides and chemicals used in modern intensive farming."

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Organic Black Forest

Ingredients: Organic Jumbo Oats, Organic Golden Syrup, Organic Dark Brown Soft Sugar (Organic Sugar, Organic Molasses), Organic Sunflower Oil, Organic Maltodextrin, Organic Sour Cherries (6%), Organic Cocoa Powder (4%), Sea Salt.

Nutrionals per Serve

Energy (kJ) 1093

Energy (Kcal) 260

Fat (g) 8.9

of which saturates (g) 1.1

Carbohydrate (g) 40

of which sugars (g) 21

Fibre (g) 3.8

Protein (g) 3.7

Salt (g) 0.22

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Solid enough to stay together when crammed into a pocket.

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Tasty and decent macros, though there are superior 'performance-enhancing' bars out there.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
7/10

At 65g it's not the lightest of energy bars, but you do get good nutrition for its weight.

Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Well - they're tasty, have good macros and don't fall apart in your pocket.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Comforting cake–like taste and texture.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

May prove a little sweet for some.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

While Torq says the box of 20 has an SRP of £37, it also says there's a 10% discount for buying one box. That makes it actually £33.30. To confuse matters further, resellers such as Wiggle do them cheaper – at the time of writing the Apple Strudel box was £24.75 – but one advantage of buying direct is you can spec your own box up to five flavours.

The Build A Box option (the same £33.30) works out at £1.67 per bar. For comparison, the Veloforte bars which are £2.25 per bar in bulk, while the classic Clif Bar is £1.69 (£20.28 for 12).

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The Torq Explore Bars are good value, taste great (with plenty of decent flavours to choose from), and the macros are very good (if not ideal for racing types). They also hold up well in a back pocket on long rides.

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 39  Height: 6'4  Weight: 175lbs

I usually ride: Condor Italia RC custom build  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: A few times a week  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,

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2 comments

Avatar
Kendalred | 2 years ago
0 likes

I tried the Black Forest flavour on sunday, on a 70 mile ride around the Lakes, and loved it. Might be my new favourite energy bar!

Avatar
Simon E | 2 years ago
0 likes

One of my all time favourites on the bike, though I agree that they are rather sweet. I cut them in half before leaving the house and chew half a bar at a time. I've not yet tried the Black Forest, which sounds intriguing.

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