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review
2024 Styrkr BAR+ Mixed Flavour Recovery Bars 12 box.jpg£32.99
VERDICT:
Natural and vegan friendly, but very sweet, with a premium price tag
Natural ingredients
Vegan friendly
Very sweet
Expensive
Weight:
75g
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.
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Styrkr Bar+ Protein Rice Bars are designed to optimise recovery with a 3:1 carbohydrate-to-protein ratio, using natural and vegan-friendly ingredients. However, I found them a bit too sweet, and they're also more expensive than most.
> Buy now: Styrkr Bar+ Mixed Flavour Recovery Bars for £32.99 from Styrkr
Ear bar provides 45g of carbohydrates and 15g of protein, delivering a whopping 288 calories.
As well as containing all-natural ingredients, the bars are gluten free and vegan friendly. This is great for me – many recovery bars or drinks contain milk-based whey protein and that can upset my stomach, but I had no issues with these.
The texture is like a dense version of a Rice Krispie Square, and they come in three flavours; you get four of each in the mixed box of 12: lemon drizzle, raspberry & white chocolate, and sea salt caramel. Raspberry & white chocolate was by far my favourite, but overall the taste is too sweet for my liking. My partner also felt a few bites were enough.
I would only really eat these after a pretty big ride, but I would likely have had a carb drink or gels during the ride, and after consuming sugary nutrition I'm unlikely to want something this sweet.
However, I did find the taste more palatable after a gym session, without other sugary products.
> How to eat right for sportives and long rides
They're more expensive than most, too. At £32.99 for 12 that works out at £2.75 per bar. The Tribe Protein Flapjacks received a good review a few years ago and they are now £24 for 12, and David really liked OTE's protein bars, still £2 a go.
They are cheaper than some, though: Veloforte has a similar natural and vegan-friendly recovery product for £2.93 per bar (£35.19 for a box of 12) – but you can subscribe for a slightly cheaper price.
Overall, these provide a good amount of carbs and protein for recovery after a tough ride, and that's what I'd save these for. But while the natural and vegan-friendly ingredients were kind on my stomach, the bars were far too sweet for my liking; if you have a sweet tooth you might really like them, but they are also pretty expensive at £2.75 a go.
> Buy now: Styrkr Bar+ Mixed Flavour Recovery Bars for £32.99 12 from Styrkr
Verdict
Natural and vegan friendly, but very sweet, with a premium price tag
road.cc test report
Make and model: Styrkr BAR+ Mixed Flavour Recovery Bars 12 box
Size tested: 45g carbohydrates, 15g protein
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?
Styrkr says: "The Bar+ is the perfect blend of carbs and protein that is formulated to contribute to normal muscle recovery after a workout. Tasty and refreshing, BAR+ provides carbohydrates and protein in a scientifically backed ratio of 3:1."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product
Styrkr lists these details:
Scientifically formulated to assist with recovery
45g of carbohydrates and 15g of protein
Fast to digest and easy on the gut
Developed by professional sports nutritionists and tested by athletes
100% Vegan, handmade in the UK
Gluten-free
Rate the product for quality:
7/10
Rate the product for performance:
7/10
Rate the product for value:
4/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Good way to get recovery nutrition in post-training, but the taste is a bit sweet for me.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
I liked the vegan-friendly ingredients as they were kind on my stomach.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
The taste is too sweet for me, especially after consuming sports nutrition during a hard training session.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
At £2.75 a bar these are some of the most expensive out there. The Tribe Protein Flapjacks received a good review a few years ago and they are now £24 for 12.
That said, premium nutrition brand Veloforte's cost more; we've not reviewed its recovery bars, but they're a bit pricier at £35.19 for 12 (£2.93 a bar).
Did you enjoy using the product? Not really.
Would you consider buying the product? No
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Probably not.
Use this box to explain your overall score
If you don't mind the sweet taste, they're pretty good: they provide a good amount of carbs and protein for recovery after a tough ride. However, they are also rather expensive at £2.75 a bar.
About the tester
Age: 35
I usually ride: Specialized Roubaix My best bike is: Cervelo S3
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Most days I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, touring, club rides, general fitness riding, Indoor
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