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review
Enervit Competition Bar£1.65
VERDICT:
Does the job but at an above average price
Weight:
30g
Contact:
At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.
What the road.cc scores meanGood scores are more common than bad, because fortunately good products are more common than bad.
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The Enervit Competition Bar is a gluten-free cereal-based energy bar to be eaten during a ride. It's a nice, light texture but the orange in particular has a slight aftertaste and at £1.65 for 30g, it isn't amazing value.
- Pros: Light, crunchy, does the job
- Cons: Fairly small for the price, slight aftertaste
I tried two flavours for this review – orange and apricot. The ingredients list states that both flavours are almost 40% glucose and fructose. These syrups are combined with rice flakes, oat flakes and a little fruit. The word 'orange' is, however, conspicuous by its absence from the ingredients list of that particular flavour. They're promoted as being low fat and gluten free.
> Find your nearest dealer here
The Competition Bar is quite a nice texture – light and crunchy with a bit of chew. The two flavours tested are on the sweet side of unremarkable while you're in the process of eating them, but the orange in particular has a bit of an aftertaste that tended to have me reaching for my water bottle.
I ran the apricot past the tastebuds of a couple of other cyclists and they were neither enthused nor offended by the product. The Enervit Competition Bar is, in short, a fairly generic bar.
> How to eat right for sportives and long rides
Each bar is 30g in size with 27g in carbohydrates. That's pretty much what you're looking for, energy-wise, but it's not a lot of bar. Too small is less of an issue than too large (you can always eat two, can't you?), but it does also put the price in a slightly different light.
At £1.65 a pop it seems fairly typical, but a lot of rivals will give you a bit more bar for your money – and (subjectively) a tastier bar too.
Clif Bars are £1.99 but twice the size, while Powerbar Energize bars are not much more than £1 and also larger. The likes of High5 and Science in Sport do larger bars for less than a quid.
Set against that, there are plenty of more expensive options too. Torq Chew bars are £1.85 and only very slightly larger in size, while Skratch Labs energy bars are £2.50 and around 50g. All the same, it's hard to argue that it's worth paying any kind of premium for what seems a fairly run-of-the-mill product.
Verdict
Does the job but at an above average price
road.cc test report
Make and model: Enervit Competition Bar
Size tested: 30g
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
An energy bar for use during a ride.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Enervit:
Each 30g bar contains 23g of carbohydrate.
Vegan and gluten-free
INGREDIENTS (Orange)
Glucose and fructose syrup (38,6%) - Rice flakes (rice flour, corn semolina, sugar, salt) (21,3%) - Oat flakes (gluten-free) (15,8%) – Raisins (9,6%) - Maltodextrin - Isomaltulose* (5,6%) - Cocoa butter - Flavouring - Emulsifier: sunflower lecithin - Colour: plain caramel - Acid: citric acid. *Isomaltulose is a source of glucose and fructose. May contain milk, nuts, peanuts, soybeans, sesame seeds.
Average nutritional values (per 100 mg)
Calories/energy in kcal: 1499
Calories in kJ: 354
Fat: 3 g
Of which saturates: 1.2 g
Carbohydrates: 77 g
Sugars: 47 g
Salt: 0.1 g
Rate the product for quality of construction:
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
Rate the product for value:
4/10
Similar price to others, but smaller size...
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Does the job. Nice, light texture but the taste(s) won't appeal to all.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
A nice, light, crunchy texture.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The orange bar had a noticeable and fairly long-lasting aftertaste.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
At £1.65 Enervit Competition Bars are pretty affordable, but they're only 30g each. Clif Bars are £1.99 but twice the size. Powerbar Energize bars are not much more than £1 and also larger. Torq Chew bars are £1.85 and a similar size. Skratch Labs energy bars are £2.50, but again they're a bit larger.
Did you enjoy using the product? I enjoyed the apricot.
Would you consider buying the product? I'd buy the apricot.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Maybe...
Use this box to explain your overall score
A light, crunchy energy bar that does the job, but a little overpriced given their size. They have a bit of an aftertaste, too, which might reduce their appeal.
About the tester
Age: 41
I usually ride: Scott S40 My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 5-10 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding
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