Great for saving costs on single-serve gel packets and also dialing in the amount I need for a ride. Hard to get all of the gel and residue with a hand wash but it cleans up well in the dishwasher. The nozzle keeps my hands and jersey cleaner than the single-use packets. The volume markings are OK but a kitchen scale is a bit easier.
Negatives: the nozzle and top of tube is bulky so squeezing and sucking out the last 1/2 serving is tough. Thinning with a tiny bit of water (about 4:1 or even 10:1 gel:water) makes a big difference. Holding and squeezing still almost requires two hands so I would probably skip this for a stopless fast group ride.
I use Hammer gel but dont like sitting on the side of the road tonguing the last few drops of gel from the hard plastic dispensor Hammer sells. This one is soft and you can squeeze the gel out, even when cool out. I can get a serving with one hand while riding, the twist top is no big deal to open or close. Takes a little work to clean, but again, not a big deal.
Difficult to fill with two hands because you can't set it down. Can't set it on a flat bottom because you need two hands to squeeze the very thick GU gel. So then you screw it on to attach and seal. To open, you turn it both ways to open and remove cap. Not a good idea. I do like the soft silicone, but not enough to make it a winner.
Other than the hard-to-loosen nozzle, the other serious downside is if you don't work thru the batch in your flask relatively fast, then the gel hardens in the flask corners and along the bottom edge. Short window to work through 5 packs' worth. So back to the individual eco-insensitive packs I go ,)
cycling
I use this every ride, no matter hard or easy.
I use this on long runs. I usually only put two GUs in it. Unless I thin it a bit with water I have a hard time getting it out. Even then, its still hard to squeeze all the air out from the bottom to get all the GU, while running. I also dont care for the hard plastic nozzle. I feel like Im going to break my teeth when running and jamming it in my mouth. I wanted to love it since there arent many alternatives, but I just dont. At least it wasnt very expensive.
This beats the GU flask in every imaginable way. First, it has a bigger mouth, so it's easier to load, 2nd, it's soft. Really, really soft, and pliable. Not only will it not leave you with a spinal injury if you take a fall, but you can twist & wring it to get ALL of the ride fuel out of it. It's also very easy to clean, in part because of the pliable (silicone?) flask material, but also because of it's pliability, and large mouth.
Best of all though is the valve can be twisted open & closed by holding it between your teeth while squeezing, so on timed events you don't have to stop to feed. With Powerbars no longer in production, a reusable system is more important than ever. This makes the gel system workable enough you won't mind leaving bars behind.
A nice option to other flasks, well made and easy to squeeze everything out. Only complaint is the cap screws off to open valve, so you gotta pay attention. I have another with a bite valve that solves this issue, still a good product.
Purchased for gravel riding (to minimize waste and optimize gel use) but nozzle flow required concentrated pressure which distracted from riding and did not provide adequate quantity. Flow was negligible when temps were 45 deg or lower using GU roctane.
I love this dispenser, it is a little hard to clean out but it the best way to dispense your Gel. Buying the Gel by the larger container vs. the packets is really good way to save packaging, pay less for the gel and not cut your mouth on those metallic packets. Plus you can swallow a little or swallow alot and no messy packet to deal with later.
Have used several times on my training rides. I make my own GU. Issue for me is that it is not easy to use one-handed. Taking two hands presents some additional risks while cycling. Furthermore a few times the entire top rotated, vs just the spout. Thus I will continue to use on training rides but in other rides will likely continue to use the packets that I can open with my teeth.
Bought 2 of these to use for easier nutrition consumption. A great decision with no mess or trash to worry about during extending rides.
Be careful and don't over tighten! Extremely hard to get open to fill if cap is too tight. Otherwise a very good product. Very pliable and easy to squeeze. Has doseage marks. I like it better than the Hammer flask.
