One of the nice things about Interbike is the New Products Area which features innovative creations from a number of smaller companies. This year we came across Venture Design Works (VDW) which has come out with the Gel-Bot - an updated design of the traditional cage-bottle that integrates an internal energy-gel reservoir capable of holding two packs worth of gel. Users can select between gel or liquid by positioning the flow-valve in either the open (up) or closed (down) positions. When the flow-valve is closed, squeezing the bottle will force gel up from the flask area. When it’s open, only water will flow through the valve. Positioning the flow-valve somewhere in the middle allows a mixture of gel and water to flow. Several advantages to the system include 1. the ability to consume energy gels more evenly over the course of a workout, 2. reduced mess since gel can’t ooze out of the packs onto fingers, and 3. no wrapper to dispose of during a workout session. The Gel-Bot weighs in at 116g, holds 24oz of water / 3.2 oz of gel, and sells for around $16 on the company’s website – www.gel-bot.com

Posted by David at 4:15 AM | Permalink

Don’t get us wrong, we love energy bars and gels as much as the next person, but truth-be-told, after the fourth or fifth on any given day, they uh…start to loose their charm…at least for us. But what’s the option? With so many studies supporting their benefits, it’s easy to forget that Mother Nature has a few offerings of her own – like say the Banana. In a recent Bicycling article, Joe Lindsey, breaks the Banana down, examining much of the natural goodness it can offer. For example Bananas contain Potassium which Lindsey says regulates blood chemistry, controls carbohydrate metabolism, and can affect the way blood glucose is transported through the cell wall. Further, the yellow fruit contains vitamin B6 which Lindsey points out assists in red blood cell production, as well as the metabolism of more than 60 proteins. He says that bananas can provide up to 17% of ones daily vitamin C requirements, and offers up magnesium which plays a roll in energy transport. His final point – our favorite – is that unlike its processed step-step-step brethren, a banana’s packaging is biodegradable.

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Posted by David at 3:27 PM | Permalink