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Revvies Starter Pack

8
£9.50

VERDICT:

8
10
Simple and effective way to get a quick shot of caffeine, on or off the bike
Simple to use
Take up very little space
Enough caffeine to make a noticeable difference
Not that easy to open on the bike
Weight: 
10g

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The Revvies Starter Pack contains a selection of caffeine energy strips which are easy to take and give a big enough jolt to prepare you for exercise – or keep you going while you're training or competing.

I've used caffeine on the bike for many years, whether that be before my fasted commute to work every morning for years, using caffeine tablets before races when I was time-trialling, or grabbing a can of emergency Red Bull from a petrol station if I get in trouble on a big ride. My body seems to respond well to it, and I use it as my main source of energy.

By that I mean I rarely drink on the bike, even on four-to-five-hour rides (unless it's peak summer heat) and I never rely on energy drinks or gels for carbs. With this in mind, the Revvies actually really suit my cycling lifestyle.

> Buy this online here

In the Starter Pack you get four cardboard pouches, which each contain five strips. Each strip is contained in a foil sachet which you pull apart to open.

Each strip is tiny – about 40mm x 25mm, and around half the thickness of a piece of chewing gum. You pop the strip on your tongue and let it dissolve, which takes a matter of seconds.

2021 Revvies Starter Pack 3.jpg

The only active ingredient is caffeine. At around 40mg per strip, it's equivalent to about half a cup of coffee, while an espresso contains around 60mg and a 250ml Red Bull has about 80g.

I found the hit of caffeine arrives quickly, and they can be taken prior to exercise or during to keep yourself topped up.

Bike friendly?

The only thing I will say is that the packaging isn't that easy to open with one hand, so they aren't as easy to use whilst competing as, say, an energy gel.

Revvies come in three flavours: Cola Lemon Sparks (my favourite), Arctic Charge (mint) and Tropical Hit which you no doubt can guess is tropical fruit flavoured. In the Starter Pack you get two packs of the Cola Lemon and one each of the others.

2021 Revvies Starter Pack 2.jpg

Revvies are vegan/vegetarian friendly, gluten free and have been accredited through the Informed Sport quality assurance program.

Value

Given the £9.50 price, per strip you're looking at 47.5p, which is a cost-effective way of getting your caffeine hit (though admittedly without the pleasure of a freshly brewed coffee).

> Eat yourself fit: the best cycling nutrition for weight loss

We haven't really reviewed anything like the Revvies before, and the various products out there vary massively in terms of caffeine content, which makes comparisons tricky.

Overall, I think they are a worthwhile investment though, and the fact they take up so little room means you can stash a pack in the saddle bag just in case. The fact they aren't as heavily caffeinated as a lot of sports products gives you useful extra control over your intake, too.

Verdict

Simple and effective way to get a quick shot of caffeine, on or off the bike

If you're thinking of buying this product using a cashback deal why not use the road.cc Top Cashback page and get some top cashback while helping to support your favourite independent cycling website

road.cc test report

Make and model: Revvies Starter Pack

Size tested: 20 packets

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?

Revvies say, "Revvies Energy Strips have been designed to provide a faster, more convenient, sugar-free boost that can be taken anywhere, anytime and without water."

They are simple to use and effective.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Ingredient list – Cola Lemon Spark:

Starch, Thickener (Hydroxypropyl cellulose), Caffeine, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Sweetener (Glycerol), Flavouring (Cola-lemon), Maltodextrin, Anticaking Agent (Cellulose microcrystalline), Thickener (Xanthan gum), Colour (Brown iron oxide), Sweetener (Sucralose), Emulsifier (Sucrose esters of fatty acids).

Ingredient list – Arctic Charge:

Starch, Thickener (Hydroxypropyl cellulose), Caffeine, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (may contain soybean oil), Sweetener (Glycerol), Maltodextrin, Anticaking Agent (Cellulose microcrystalline), Flavouring (Peppermint), Thickener (Xanthan gum), Flavouring (Menthol, liquid), Sweetener (Sucralose), Emulsifier (Sucrose esters of fatty acids), Colouring (Billiant blue FCF).

Ingredient list – Tropical Hit:

Starch, Thickener (Hydroxypropyl cellulose), Caffeine, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil (may contain soybean oil), Sweetener (Glycerol), Maltodextrin, Anticaking Agent (Cellulose microcrystalline), Flavouring (Fruit Punch), Thickener (Xanthan gum), Sweetener (Sucralose), Emulsifier (Sucrose esters of fatty acids), Colouring (Allura red AC).

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
9/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

They deliver a shot of caffeine quickly.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Taste great and easy to use.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Difficult to open while in the saddle, which restricts their use in races.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

There aren't many products like the Revvies, where a lot of caffeine is delivered in tablet form or in gels. But a pack of 48 Pro Plus will set you back about £4, for example (50mg each).

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The flavours are good, they are really simple to carry and use, and it's a cheap way to get your caffeine hit. Bike-friendly packaging would make them better for competing cyclists and raise the score, but they're still very good.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 42  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the Tech Hub here at F-At Digital, our senior product reviewer Stu uses the knowledge gained from putting well over a 1,000 products through their paces (including hundreds of bikes) to write in-depth reviews of a huge range of kit. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 160,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. Although, as he spends a fair bit of his time reviewing ebikes these days he's becoming an expert in letting the motor take the strain. He's also waiting for 23mm race tyres to make a comeback!

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