GamJams.net: Where Mid-Atlantic bike racers roll: GamJams Tech: Premes, Picks, Promos p/b November Bicycles

As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal.

If you've spent any time reading VeloNews (or is it Velo?) or Cyclingnews.com or any of the other big-name cycling sites over the past couple of years, you've seen how rapidly technology is advancing. Three seasons ago we had no electronic groups — now we have three. We'll allegedly have more power-measuring instruments in the spring, when (if?) the Garmin and Polar pedals hit the market.

The march forward extends to nutrition, too, where great taste is actually being considered. The runaway popularity of the Honey Stinger Waffle is a testament to athletes' desires to get something that provides both good fuel and good taste. In their first six months on the market, having Stinger Waffles in the store was like printing money. They were — and still are — very popular.

But man, they're expensive. At $1.50 a pop, they're on par with a Clif Bar or a gel packet and they supply the same amount of calories. If you've decided to go with the Stinger Waffle as your nutrition of choice — and I don't blame you — that adds up.

Even at shop-guy prices it adds up. I don't even want to know how many of those things I bought last year. Dozens, at least. Maybe hundreds. But they taste so good ... .

In any case, having several dozen Stinger Waffles on my customer history won't happen in 2012. Behold:

Thanks, Costco.

No, I didn't kick the waffle jones — I just changed the target a little bit. As you can see on the lower-left corner of the box, this is 3.3 pounds of waffle. Sure, the box says "wafers," but when you open it up you'll recognize it instantly: those are Stinger Waffles.

Well, not really, but the size is nearly identical, as is the waffle flavor itself. These have caramel in them, which is an upgrade for me, since caramel is awesome. They are just slightly thicker than Stinger Waffles, probably because of the caramel, but every bit as good. And they're spot-on in terms of calories and all of that stuff.

But you're wondering about the price, aren't you? Like everything at Costco, these come in packaging you won't see elsewhere, so you have to break it down by unit price. There are 48 waffles in the box.

Forty-eight Stinger Waffles ($1.50 each) will run you $72. Forty-eight caramel wafers from Costco will run you $9.79. They're 20 cents apiece. Jackpot.

Costco memberships are $50 per year. If you're a regular Honey Stinger buyer, a membership and a box of caramel wafers will still be less your likely purchases of a few handfuls of waffles every time you're in the store.

Plus, you'll then have access to giant tubs of hummus, really long loaves of bread and those tasty little Belgian waffles I wrote about last spring. (That said, your local Honey Stinger outlet is probably more convenient than a trip to Costco. Gotta plan ahead for stuff like that.)

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In addition to being GamJams Tech Editor, Bryan Redemske has managed the Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha, is a professional writer and a Cat 3 racer. He drinks a lot of coffee.

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Sheesh, some of that stuff is expensive. Good thing you get your frames and wheels at Pro Deal pricing. Wait — you don't? You might want to look at November Bicycles. They've got a new racer-specific model designed to strip unnecessary pricing out of the cost of your new bike. It's like a Pro Deal for everyone.