Torq Energy Gel sachet 45g x 15

You can't beat gels for their convenience, and it's hard to better Torq gels for tastiness, with Cherry Bakewell and Lemon Drizzle a far-cry from the often awful cough syrup taste sensations of so many gel products I've choked on over the years. They're fairly priced and deliver a solid dose of carbohydrate, making them ideal for sportives and racing.

Pros: Tasty, easy to digest, easy on the stomach, litter-free pull tab

Cons: I wish they were cheaper

The nutrition market is awash with gels and knowing which to choose can be tricky. Flavour and taste are a good separator and here there is a lot going for UK company Torq. It has a knack of producing gels that actually taste nice with a range of appealing flavours to choose from, including, as tested here, Cherry Bakewell and Lemon Drizzle.

Find your nearest dealer here

Buy this online here

Though it's not like eating a cherry bakewell tart or lemon drizzle cake, they do taste like those cakes their flavour profiles are modelled on. It's quite uncanny how Torq has managed to distil the taste of a cake into a gloopy gel. If you don't normally like gels, these might well change your mind.

Knowing they're this tasty means you're far more likely to use them rather than put it off until you really, really need one – by which point it's probably too late for it to kick in. I know, I've been there. The gels are very sweet, though – borderline sickly if I'm being critical – but the 45g portion is just small enough that it goes down quickly.

As important as taste is, it's the energy delivery that is really critical. Torq uses a 2:1 mix of maltodextrin to fructose to deliver 28.8g of carbohydrate, along with five key electrolytes. The maximum amount of carbs the body can absorb per hour is about 90g so Torq recommends two to three gels per hour, or combine with its energy drinks and bars to get the required energy into your body.

Each 45g gel also provides 114 calories, 9.6g of sugar and zero fat. They're made with no artificial sweeteners, no colours and only natural flavourings, and are dairy- and wheat-free and suitable for vegans.

The Torq Gels come in a small size sachet with an easy tear-off (or not quite off) tab topper that, rather neatly providing you're not too vigorous, stays attached to prevent littering.

Gels can be expensive, but working out at £1.60 each for the sample pack of 11 or £1.54 if you buy a box of 15, they are in the ballpark for what you can expect to pay, and certainly no more expensive than say SIS or Stealth energy gels, but more expensive then Wiggle’s low cost gels. Torq also offer a few different options if you're buying by the box direct from the Torq website – you can choose to keep it simply by just going for a box of your favourite flavour, or you can by a pre-mixed box, or you can select your own mix of flavours. Torq also do some good offers. That said if you're happy to buy just the one flavour can find these gels for sale at considerably below list price at a number of leading online retailers. 

Gels are ideal for racing or really fast-paced rides and challenging sportives and gran fondos, when you need to take on energy quickly and conveniently. With great tasting flavours and reasonable prices (compared to other gels), these are easy to recommend. I'll be buying some more when my review samples box runs empty.

Verdict

Tasty energy gels with a decent energy boost at a fair price