We wanted to say thanks to everyone who came out for the CLIF BAR 2 Mile Challenge “Fun Ride to the Academy” on Sunday in San Francisco.  Within two hours we had given away all 100 of our free tickets to the California Academy of Sciences to folks who rode their bikes to the museum.  It was especially great seeing so many families out riding on a beautiful Bay Area day.  Keep an eye out for other CLIF BAR events across the country by checking our Events Calendar.

Read More…

Way back in 1990, I went on a 175-mile bike ride with my buddy, Jay. In preparation for the ride, we packed six energy bars for the ride—the only energy bar on the market at the time. At mile-120 we made it to the top of Mt. Hamilton, but we realized that we still had a lot of road ahead of us. Tired and famished, I pulled the last energy bar out of my pack, but as hungry as I was, I just couldn’t bring myself to eat it. In that moment I couldn’t help but ask myself “What if energy bars were delicious?” The minute I asked the question, I realized that I could make something better—an energy bar that tasted great, was made with all-natural ingredients and that could help get me through my long rides. It was an epiphany moment and I decided to follow the inspiration.

To commemorate the 20th anniversary of that epiphany moment I had at the top of Mount Hamilton and to honor the love and support my dad gave me as I started and grew Clif Bar & Company, I designed this limited edition CLIF Cycling Jersey. I wear this jersey on my long rides knowing that my dad is still cheering me on.

Read More…

We’re back in the swing of Clif Bar events, and with one month officially left of summer, it’s time to get out there and make the best of what remains. Here’s what’s going on around the country this week!

Friday, August 27

Wichita Falls, TX - Hotter-n-Hell 100 - Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred and the cycling community of America can look forward to continued innovation in 2010, GPS mapping, and changes to Hell’s Gate. Riders and racers from all over the USA will celebrate the 29th annual Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred on Aug. 28, 2010. Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred will continue to excite record numbers of participants and add to their fitness experience. The Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred is one of the oldest and largest cycling events in the nation. Fitness oriented riders and bicycle racers will come to Wichita Falls, Texas, from virtually every state and several foreign countries.

Read More…

Eating well and being well go hand in hand: put the right nutrients in your body and you’ll be able to reach that euphoric-type-place while you exercise. So often we let ourselves get overwhelmed with numbers like weight, calories, and grams of nutrients. We need to let it go!

Give those numbers a backseat and bring eating with variety, moderation, proportion, and intention to the forefront of your mind. Have confidence that the nutrients will follow and the healthy weight will come almost as an afterthought.

Here are a few nutrition pointers that’ll help you realize healthy lifestyle today:

Eat a variety

• Increase the color quotient on your plate; make it colorful.
• Be adventurous and try new foods.
• Eat foods of various textures and tastes; eat foods raw and cooked.

Eat moderately

• Make no food forbidden.
• If it’s higher in fat or calories eat less of it, less often.
• Choose plant-based fats like avocado, unsalted nuts, olive oil, or ground flaxseed.

Read More…

Last week TEAM CLIF BAR rider Sean Piper sounded off the first three day of RAGBRAI 2010, an annual seven-day ride across Iowa beginning near the western border and ending along the eastern border at the Mississippi River.

As promised, here are the final four days of what proved to be an amazing journey.

Day: 4 – Not all roads are as smooth as the other

On a multi-day ride, you tend to go through a variety of emotions. Today was just one of those days that began on a bumpy road. Sunglasses were misplaced, debit cards disappeared, and saddles unseated themselves during the morning prep. Several cups of coffee later, compliments of our awesome host couple, we had managed to locate most of our AWOL items and some of our sanity, but Aily was still without a place to seat her bike shorts. Luckily, there happened to be a bike shop/farm or a farm/bike shop down the road from our digs. The CLIF Team captain had to peddle standing the entire way, but actually managed to look quite heroic in the process, resembling a cavalry officer of old, leading a final charge on the enemy. The bike shop was small, but well stocked, manned by a bike mechanic nicer than my grandma, and best of all, had the essential part we needed. The bike now repaired, another stop was needed to fix our hunger: Farmboy’s Breakfast Burritos.

Read More…