Hot!
- Great taste without an overpowering flavor
- All-natural ingredients including pure maple syrup from Vermont
- A variety of flavors to suit any palate
- Easily digestible with no stomach issues
- No sugar spikes or crashes
- Ecofriendly packing material for shipping – locally source wood shavings
- Easily fits in jersey pocket
Not!
- Edges are crumbly
Price: $9.95 (4 waffles) to $89.95 (48 waffles/3 cartons) MSRP
Flavors: Maple, Lemon, Raspberry, Coffee and Chai
Net Weight: 30 grams
Calories: 140-160/waffle
All Natural, Flavorful Nutrition
Another great find at CABDA Midwest this past February was Slopeside Syrup Untapped waffles. I had not yet heard of the brand and as one of their reps told me about their products, he kept handing me samples to try. The first flavor he went for was their flagship Maple. Very tasty but not overpowering with sweetness. Then he handed me Chai and I said I hate chai tea, no thanks. But he said just try it. Wow, this one was good, too. Next up was lemon. I told him I like lemon but not in my food. Again, he said just taste it. Wow, this one was amazing with just enough lemon to make it refreshing, but not overpowering or sour. Next up was coffee flavor and you know from past reviews, I’m not a coffee person. OMG, this one was great, too!!! There was not one bad flavor in the bunch, but if I had to pick, I’d say the lemon is my favorite, with raspberry a close second.
UnTapped Maple was established in 2013 by professional cyclist Ted King and the Cochran family of professional alpine skiers. Pure maple syrup is produced by removing water from maple sap with no heavy processing. According to the company the benefits of maple syrup include:
- Low glycemic. Containing all-natural sugars, maple syrup provides prolonged, sustained energy rather than offering a quick burst and subsequent crash like many adulterated sports sweeteners.
- Contains Calcium, Riboflavin, Manganese, Zinc, and Potassium. These inherent components of maple syrup promote energy production, muscle recovery, and helps prevent cramping.
- Features more than fifty antioxidants. This cocktail of polyphenols has powerful free radical fighting properties. Foods with similar qualities include berries, green tea, red wine, and flaxseeds.
- Contains amino acids, which help prevent muscle deterioration.
- Water soluble making it easy to digest, quick to absorb, and no more gut-rot from downing chemical-laden energy gels! Plus, it’s a cinch to clean up; just rinse with water.
I can attest to the low glycemic and easy to digest benefits. Eating a waffle mid-ride gave me energy for the second half but not in a short quick burst. It was a steady energy delivery that also did not upset my stomach.
Depending on the flavor, each waffle contains between 140-160 calories. The Coffee flavor is infused with organic coffee which provides 27mg of naturally occurring caffeine. Enough for a boost but not enough to make you jittery.
Typical nutritional label from Untapped Waffle
The Untapped waffle has its roots in the Dutch stroopwafel, but sweetened and flavored with real maple syrup and maple sugar. The size and packaging make it ideal to store in your jersey pocket. I also stored it in the frame bag on the fat bike. My only complaint, and this applies to all waffle nutrition, is the crumbs. It’s the nature of the product, but you open the package and crumbs come out and there’s crumbs at the bottom of the package. I usually dump the crumbs on the ground for the critters to eat so they don’t end up in my pocket or bag. If I know I’ll need nutrition on the trainer, in advance I break up the waffle into 4-6 bite size piece, place it on a plate next to my trainer. Then I can eat it as needed and without getting crumbs on the carpet.
Pricing for the Untapped waffles is inline with other nutrition waffles and bars. They are a lot more economical when buying in larger quantities. The range is $9.95 for 4 waffles to $89.95 for 48 waffles/3 cartons.
Reusable or biodegradable packing material made of locally sourced wood shavings
Even the packaging used for shipping is all natural. They use locally sourced wood shavings which are both reusable and biodegradable making it eco-friendly. I plan to put it out in the garden as nesting material this Spring for birds and what isn’t used will eventually biodegrade into the soil.
Supporting International Women’s Day
I wanted to share Untapped nutrition with other cyclists and contacted the company to see if they would provide samples for my International Women’s Day event that was held on March 8th. They graciously said “yes” and sent a box of waffles, gels and Mapleaid drink mix. Feedback was very positive from those that tried it on rides and runs. They echoed my comments above, great tasting and easy on the stomach.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for an all-natural fuel for your next bike ride, look at Slopeside Syrup Untapped Waffles. Their mild flavors and natural ingredients make it easily digestible, tasty and no sugar spikes/crashes. There’s a variety of flavors to pick from so you’re sure to find a favorite.
Sheri Rosenbaum regularly contributes articles and reviews products for RBR. She’s an avid recreational roadie who lives in the Chicago area and a major advocate for women's cycling, serving on the board of directors and volunteering with the Dare2tri Paratriathlon Club. Click to read Sheri's full bio or visit her web site sunflowersandpedals.com.
Calories and ingredients are important to me when I choose a prepackaged food product for multi-hour cycling nutrition. A Cliff Bar is roughly $0.40 per 100 calories. A ProBar is roughly $0.60 per 100 calories. This Slopeside Syrup product is roughly $1.70 per 100 calories. This in my opinion should be listed in the “Not!” column in your review summary….I’ll GLADLY choose the ProBar thank you.
Also: “no sugar spikes/crashes” . . . not an issue at all when one is burning through glycogen, as one should be accomplishing while riding a bike.