I personally use Clif Bar Shots and Gu Gel combined with water and an electrolyte drink during my Half-Ironman or Ironman distance races. For shorter races...olympics or sprints, I simply stay with water and electrolyte drink.

For the distance races, I definately consider them a good return for the investment. Then again, I try to only use them in training when I'm going distances where I actually need soemthing more than just liquid, when I am trying to approximate race type conditions, or when I'm working on figuring out what type of food my system can deal with in race conditions.

I use Clif Bars and Gu. I think Gu recommends taking a packet about 15 minutes before and then one every 45 minutes of activity, so that is what I do with my tris and half marathons. I am not an early morning eater and I go pretty hard during my races, so I need a little more than just energy drinks. I'll follow the same for longer workouts. The Clif bars I use for marathons and long runs.

I like Clifbars and Clifshots- not so much the recovery drinks- its chocolate milk for me.
Like others have said, use em for longer distances. Theyre life savers on long rides and as after work pre-workout pick me ups.

I prefer the Powergels over Clifshots, but I think that is just personal taste preference.
It’s cheaper to buy them by the case, Performance Bike has them on sale quite often.
I really like the new Clifbar Z-Bars, they are made for kids so you know they taste good.
They are 95% organic, no high-fructose corn syrup, trans-fat or preservatives.
They are smaller so I can eat one quicker and not get that bloated power-bar feeling.
The best part is that they are only 59 cents at Trader Joes.
Another inexpensive fuel for triathletes is Fig-Newtons. Buy a package and then put 6 or so in a zip-loc baggie for your long bike rides.
- T

For post workout recovery I've read tons of great stuff on Chocolate Milk, I'd try it myself if I weren't LI.