I got a parcel from Chainreactioncycles a while ago and with it came a free gift. It's not something small & useful.....like maybe a saddle cover or a trouser clip. Sadly, instead it's some tablets for creating your own Supermegaultrapowerjuice. Or to pen it's real name ' Zero Highs Advanced Fluid Replacement Sports Drink'.
The packet proudly announces that 'test subjects' (does that mean humans?, I'm not sure) burn 41% more fat during excercise. I'm sure that sounds great but I don't want to burn more fat, I do however, I quite fancy a bacon butty. So I'm afraid they haven't won me over on that one. And again the berry caffeine stimulant seems a little unrefined when I have a rather nice bag of Ethiopian roast coffee in the cupboard.
In the interests of public safety I decided to selflessly put my own health on the line and try this 'Low cal electrolyte sports drink with zero sugar' - whatever that means. So with a pint of water at the ready I chucked in the citrus flavour tablet (the berry caffeine stimulant looked a bit hardcore for the first try) and watched it dissolve. The first taste was a little citrusey. The second sip was a bit citrusey with a slight chemically aftertaste. The truth came with the third taste which was somewhere inbetween windolene and what the Swampthing urinates out the morning after a night on the beer.
Conclusion - I'll be sticking to my favourite and thoroughly 'research proven' beverage - a cup of tea.
But on a serious note, A free sample like this is wasted on me and probably the vast majority of customers they've been sent to. Why not add a set of tick boxes to the checkout with a choice of free samples. If a chainreaction cycles saddle cover was there I'd happily tick that and use when it comes = free advertising for them and a dry saddle for me. Anyone going on a big sportive who fancies trying out the chemical powder tablet can tick that box if they like. I shall tweet them the suggestion. Here's a behind the scenes of Chainreactions warehouse, looks like it might be easier to find things in the warehouse than it is on their website ;-)
