Clif Bar

Clif Bar's original energy bar product packs a tasty and filling energy punch, in a large variety of flavours.

Not content with the usual simple flavours we see so often with energy bar products – chocolate, strawberry, lemon, banana, and the like – Clif Bar has always impressed with its variations. Alongside a new coconut chocolate chip flavour, you can also have chocolate chip, crunchy peanut butter, oatmeal raisin walnut, blueberry crisp, chocolate almond fudge and white chocolate macadamia.

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All are super-tasty – I would happily eat all of them – and yet not too sweet or sickly as the names sometimes suggest. In particular I like the new coconut chocolate chip flavour, though it doesn't seem readily available in the UK yet.

Each flavour has a slightly different nutritional profile, which will have a marginally different effect on the body. While some might like to delve into these margins, personally I don't think they have a noticeable effect on performance. I'd go with your favourite flavour, unless you have a particular favourite ingredient you want to take advantage of (like the Omega oils in the oatmeal raisin walnut flavour, for example).

So, from each (coconut chocolate chip) bar you get 256 calories of energy, derived primarily from oats. That means there are 6g of fat per bar alongside 38g of carbohydrate (21g of which are sugars). That's quite a hit of energy from a bar that weighs in at 68g – portable enough to be able to carry three in a normal sized jersey pocket.

The high glycaemic index (GI) sugars pick you up from your energy slumps very well indeed, while the low GI carbohydrate helps prolong the energy release. That means you feel satiated for longer. The size of the bar is almost perfect if you wanted to use one as a healthier option in place of your usual flapjack or cake at your coffee stop.

Impressively, each bar contains 10g of protein too (markedly more than most energy bars on the market). Proteins take longer to break down and digest than simple sugars, which means this also assists with staving off hunger. Additionally, feeding your system with a small amount of protein on your ride provides the amino acids to support recovery and maintain lean muscle in what, after all, is a very catabolic (breaking down muscle) and draining activity. I wouldn't sacrifice my post-training recovery shake for these, but using them during my rides can only be helping matters.

Another thing I particularly like about these bars (for the record, they're not your usual rectangular bar; closer in shape to a rounded cookie) is the micro-nutrient content. Supporting energy release and general healthy wellbeing are vitamins B6 and B12 (especially key in supporting energy release), A, C, D and E. You'll also spot helpings of niacin, thiamin, riboflavin, calcium and magnesium thrown in too, which makes this the most rounded energy bar I can remember coming across.

As a result, taxing effort in the saddle is supplemented by a top vitamin profile, which in turn helps boost immunity as well as improve energy release and recovery. While it's always difficult to quantify this, I can report that my performance on the bike was consistent and strong while using these bars, and I never found myself suffering from 'test fatigue', thanks to the flavour options I had.

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Packaging is of a good quality and easy to open, and the bars sit well in your pockets as you ride along, dealing with repeated heat changes. Texture is also very good regardless of the flavour you choose – I didn't notice any excess grease or oil, yet the bars aren't too dry. I liked to take a swig of water whenever I had one, but there's nothing uncommon in that with whatever bar I eat.

As with most sports energy bars, they aren't cheap: they retail at an RRP of £19.08, but at the time of writing you can buy 12 bars for £13.99. That works out at £1.16 per bar – which for the energy and rounded profile they provide is remarkably good value.

At the end of the day, these bars contain lots of energy, a more comprehensive nutritional profile than I've seen in any energy bar, they taste very good, and are relatively good value if you scout around online. Therefore, I highly recommend them.

Verdict

You won't fall off the cliff in a hurry with these bars