CLIF BarShot Bloks 60g Caffeine Black Cherry 6 Chews (3 Pack)

I bought these to help with a 350 mile cycle from London to Amsterdam, and had left it a bit late to order from another well known retailer, and I wanted to test them on a training ride before relying on them for the real thing.I'm used to using Clif Bars and High 5 gels, so these were a slight departure from the norm, but I'm really glad I now have them as an extra option and will continue to use them long term. I wouldn't have chosen these particular ones, that contain caffeine, if other flavours had been available, but only because I try to keep my overall daily caffeine intake as low as I can, but I can understand the reasoning behind them containing caffeine - They can provide that extra boost towards the end of a long day in the saddle, for that final climb for example. The labelling/instructions on these has been replaced by a different sticky label, and compared to the website, the recommended maximum 'dose' per day is less, so maybe there have been some concerns as to the overall amount of caffeine. As I use them alongside the other cycling options and the usual bananas and fig rolls etc, I wouldn't expect to get through two complete packs a day anyway.In use, I found them easier to use than a gel say, as once the pack is initially opened (which you can do before you set off on your cycle), they are a bit like Rowntrees jelly squares, except in a line of 6, which makes them easy to push to the top of the pack while cycling and bite off one square at a time while leaving the rest safely inside the pack. At no point did I feel as if they would fall out of the pack, or get left inside my jersey pocket. Similar to a gel, I found they gave an almost instant energy boost and lasted for about 15-20 mins before I felt in need of another boost, but this will depend on how much energy you're expending I guess. They are quite chewy, similar to a jelly square and can stick to your teeth, so slightly difficult to suck while you're trying to breath while cycling along, but I found this almost an advantage as it made them last longer in the mouth before swallowing which would have taken away part of the enjoyment of the flavour.I have since bought the cherry and mountain berry flavours (without caffeine) and all three flavours I find very tasty, it's tempting to have another blok just because they taste so good! I'm really glad I've added these to my cycling routine, I only wish I'd tried them years ago!

Great energy boost just when I needed it. Really great taste and the caffeine hit was helpful to my race.

These shot blocks are great for giving an energy boost. I always take one on a long walk, just one or two squares as you go can help with tiredness. Strawberry flavour is really nice, easy to eat, better than chocolate bar as they will not melt if it’s warm weather. They are a tad on the expensive side but are well worth it, would recommend..

I’ve been using caffeine gels for 3 years - not anymore now I’ve tried these in my Ironman training for the last bit of the bike and the marathon training. They give you the boost instantly, they taste better and have no sticky mess like gels and whilst people have said they are expensive, they come out cheaper per chew than the caffeine gels I’ve used.

I don’t like gels - hard to chew & very stodgy but they do the job in place of gels

These are brilliant. Just the ticket for a quick energy boost on a long bike ride. Easy to eat and taste great.

I have a sensitive gut, especially when running. Easy to chew and swallow while running and gentle on the stomach

Absolutely abhorred the texture. They are like little blocks of jelly. I appreciate many people like this so it is personal preference.The flavour is lovely. Price wise, they're not cheap but I've been trying to find an alternative to gels which just irritate my stomach. These in their defence are not irritant and if you can tolerate a few of them you might reap the benefits. I've tried them over a few runs to try and get used of them but I'm going back to percy pigs.