Lightest Weight + Most Energy Dense Bar

[dvq]

Alright everyone, we know our bikes are light without being loaded up, but the weight really starts to climb once you factor in bottles of water and tools and especially food. Post up your favorite light weight energy bars, I'll go first:

Bonkbreaker PBNJ: 260kcal @ 62g

[TobinHatesYou]

Banana Bread Larabar: 230kcal/51g
Snickers: 250kcal/52g (but melts)

[TobinHatesYou]

Pure ethanol: 554.5kcal/50g

[prendrefeu]

ThinkThin High Protein: 59g (measured/verified)
230 kcal, 20g protein

[Marin]

If you want the most calories/weight, nothing beats pute fat.

If you want the most quickly available calories/weight, nothing beats pure sugar.

Avoid anything that contains water, dead weight

[waltthizzney]

dates

[prendrefeu]

1 date is approx 7.1g, with .2g protein in 20kcal

The equivalent of the average bars so far, 60g would mean:

8.5 dates to get 1.71g protein in 171kcal for the weight of 60g

That isn't very dense for energy nor nutritional value. That compares poorly to the produced energy bars so far (although it definitely is more natural). It is low on kcal, low on protein, and comparatively cumbersome.

[RyanH]

For simplicity, can we just normalize everything to kcal/g?

[elSid]

Fat: 9kcal/g
PRO: ~4.2kcal/g
CHO: 4kcal/g

Sugar is the most useful energy substrate to consume during exercise, but it needs to be consumed with water, or otherwise diluted — extent varies depending on hydration, stomach contents, heat adaptation, etc., otherwise you’ll draw water into your gut from blood plasma. Protein consumed during exercise is not converted to enegy stores quickly enough to be useful during exercise (some evidence that small amounts of PRO with majority CHO has synergistic effect on recovery when consumed post exercise).

[KCookie]

I always buy the Cliff bars, they are 260kcal and weigh between 71-74g, the packet says 68g which I haven't found one at that weight yet.

[Delorre]

Grany biscuits from LU, 4kcal/g. My good to go food while riding.

[KH]

My trick for long rides in the mountains (where availability of food is scarce or nonexistent) is as follows:

Take 8 brioche rolls. Slice each in half. Butter. Add filling of your choice (my favourite is grated gruyere with parma ham).

Take 2 filled rolls and place on tin foil. Compress the rolls forcefully while wrapping. You will end up with four neatly packaged and calorie dense silver foil parcels which can be easily stored in jersey pockets. I've never weighed them but each package has approx 750 calories. More palatable than endless sugary bars especially on a week long mountain trip or training camp. Not sure whether than high fat content is nutritionally ideal (probably not) but it seems to do the trick for steady 7 - 8 hr mountain rides. Clearly not appropriate for high intensity efforts or racing. If you run out of jersey pocket space you could try taping energy bars to the top tube!

[Leviathan]

Fat: 9kcal/g
PRO: ~4.2kcal/g
CHO: 4kcal/g

Sugar is the most useful energy substrate to consume during exercise, but it needs to be consumed with water, or otherwise diluted — extent varies depending on hydration, stomach contents, heat adaptation, etc., otherwise you’ll draw water into your gut from blood plasma. Protein consumed during exercise is not converted to enegy stores quickly enough to be useful during exercise (some evidence that small amounts of PRO with majority CHO has synergistic effect on recovery when consumed post exercise).

Following those guidelines Ive decided to replace energy bars with a block of lard out on every ride with me, its widely available here as "manteca de cerdo". Very dense and filling, and has the advantage will work in a pinch as a chain lubricant.