Hammer Perpetuem

Price Paid:  $0.00

Favorite Ride:
Audax Alpine Classic

Bike Setup:
Touring, long distance. One bottle Perpetuem, one or two of water

Summary:
I ride mainly 100km rides up to 400km and the Hammer Perptuem is the answer if you like to make good pace and not be stopping for foodstuffs. I find the orange/vanilla flavour ok to drink/sip over the hours and never feel hungry and energy levels stable throughout the ride.

Strengths:
I works! Flavour is ok over many hours. Easy to mix and you can even freeze a bottle for those hot summers. Complex sugars and electrolytes based on sound researc e.g. DON'T try to put back in what comes out!

Weaknesses:
If you're doing lots of long rides you churn thru this stuff pretty quick and its not cheap

Similar Products Used:
Lots of those commercial drinks like Powerade etc etc...rubbish and too high in simple sugars

Price Paid:  $30.00 at LBS

Bike Setup:
C'dale System Six
DA

Summary:
I swear by this product. I have used it for many century rides, and have never bonked or cramped. It doesn't taste that great, but the positive is that it is easy on the stomach. For my first couple of centuries none of my riding buddies would try Perpetuem. Finally one buddy tried it for a century ride. He was amazed that after 60+ miles into the ride that he was not hungry, and still going strong.

For any endurance event that lasts more than 3 hours, I recommend using this product.

Strengths:
Prevents bonking and cramps
Easy on the GI system

Weaknesses:
Taste (I describe it as liquid oatmeal)

Similar Products Used:
Heed

Price Paid:  $42.00 at Hammer Nutrition

Favorite Ride:
Long

Bike Setup:
Roadie.

Summary:
I've been riding for 20+ years. Done centuries, some racing, every year I work up to 6+ hour rides. And until last year, fueling has always been a challenge for those longer rides. I'd gone through pretty much all the viable choices in the endurance nutrition market, and, yes, also tried the "let's just eat real food" option several times. After having gastric distress in a century late in 2007, I (yet again) started looking for something better for 2008. When ordering Hammer's really good Voler-made bib shorts, I saw their perpetuem, heed, and recoverite claims. But did not order them. And suprise, suprise! Hammer included an individual packet of each as FREE samples! That got my attention. So, I tried them all, and they seemed to work well. But, of course I needed more than one serving, so I bought my first can of Perpetuem. I used for my longer training rides, and eventually during my one century last year. With TWO bottles filled with just enough calories to get me through the century, I had NOTHING else (aside from lots and lots of water spiked with electrolyte tabs). Stopped at the rest stops with my buddies. No bananas. No cookies. No pop tarts. I drank almost 2000 calories of Perpetuem in 6 hours. The end result? Finished stronger than I EVER HAVE at a century. NO gastric stress. And I wasn't even particularly starved after (well, maybe a little bit). Their claims for this product are true. Do you do rides of over two hours?Try it. Buy it.

Strengths:
Complete endurance ride food. Keeps you going better than anything. Very palatable. Stays down. Mild, easy to stand (orange-vanilla) flavor. Mix to concentration needed for particular length/intensity rides. Hammer has reams of information on how to use their products.

Weaknesses:
I can't get for free.

Similar Products Used:
Pretty much everything any other cyclist would use.