Erg! Raw Energy Bars

Most urban cyclists don’t use energy bars in the same way that endurance athletes do, but it’s not to say they aren’t useful. I even know of people who don’t exercise at all but still use energy bars as a healthy snack. Anyhow, no matter what your purpose for eating them may be, there’s a good chance you’ll appreciate Erg! raw energy bars.

Why? Because they’re food, not a food-like-product. The ingredients of the Cashew Raisin bar are: almonds, raisins, honey, cashews, rolled oats and salt. That’s it. They don’t have the consistency of taffy or a candy bar. They’re not overly processed—in fact they’re hardly processed at all. And the little processing that goes on is done in a small kitchen by people who genuinely care about the product they’re making.

All three of the Erg! bar flavors are delicious, and none are either too sweet nor too bland for my tastes. As far as the performance benefits go, I can only really make a subjective statement that I think they work. The Erg! website does cite several scientific facts to substantiate their product’s claims. For example, they state that raisins are, “High in dietary carbohydrates with a low glycemic index, researchers say raisins may produce lower lactate levels at the end of submaximal exercise.”

Erg! bars retail for $2.25 each. Check out
www.erg-bar.com

La Colombe
Pure Black Bottled Coffee

Cycling and coffee just somehow go together, so it was no surprise that when the Rapha crew rolled through town that they had coffee in hand. I wasn’t expecting bottled coffee however, and was admittedly skeptical of it when I first spied the label. After sampling a bottle however, I’d say I’m a fan of the La Colombe Pure Black bottled cold press coffee, and wish it was available more widely. While it doesn’t appear to be particularly new to the market, I’ve never seen it before but perhaps I wasn’t exactly looking for a bottle of coffee either. Now, at least at certain times, I will be.

Check out www.lacolombe.com

Nutcase