I'm a candy fiend already, so something like a sport nutrition snack made by Jelly Belly was a no-brainer. These are tart, have great flavor, don't get all melty or warm, don't get all sticky, and come in a resealable bag, that you could even repurpose for a tiny trash pouch for unexpected messes or tissues. The 50mg of caffeine per bag is the perfect amount, and they're easy to eat while on the bike or stopped. My favorite ride fuel snack/chew, by far.
I've used this flask to carry a high-carbohydrate 'sugar-syrup' mixture for long race/ride fueling.
I prefer it to a similar capacity soft flask that I own.
I find the shape of the full soft flask more challenging when loading up my jersey pockets with other fuel at the outset of a long day. This product just works better for me.
Of course, as you consume the contents the soft flask will diminish in size. But, I find it prefer to work around the consistent shape of this hard flask rather than the shifting size variance of a soft one.
Leave the clear/transparent plastic cap that sits atop the 'nozzle'/mouthpiece at home. It is unrealistic to use that cap during a ride when you want to pull the flask from a pocket, sip from it, and return it to its place with one hand.
My staple carb sources in summer can't deliver when it gets cold. Liquids can serve as the main source in summer with organic gummy bears or a gel to supplement. In winter, not enough liquid gets consumed to deliver the 60-90 grams I need per hour on hard days, and both the gummy bears and gels get too firm. These being liquid rather than gel goes down easily in the cold. I love the taste, and also that no highly unwanted artificial stuff has been added. 50 grams at once is no joke so I won't take one unless I've already been doing high intensity and desire to continue to have maximum energy available for sprints until the very end of the ride.
