I do it on rides and races. fill it with Ice and my choice of sports drink. no slowing up for aid stations, no hot bottles of gatoraid or water. always cold and always my choice of drink and flavor.

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"on your Left"

I do this in training all the time, and think it's the best solution for events up to Olympic distance, and am considering it for 1/2 IM. I would even consider it for full IM if I thought it was worth it to switch to a new pack at the half way point. It would also depend on how hot the weather is because you might not be able to carry all the fluid needed for a long course event even with the midway switch.

I also like to use one of the Camelback positioner tubes that you can bend to stay right by your mouth, so that you don't have to reach for anything while riding. The only negative I see is it could feel a little hotter on your back.

Richard

Why doesn't this make sense?!?!

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KEEP ON TRI-NG

I have to admit to being relatively new to triathlon, but I used a Camelback in my first race, a half-Ironman in FL this May. I'll do it again in my next long race, esp if it's hot. I go through a LOT of water, and I didn't want to go into the run dehydrated. I find that I drink a lot more when I have the camelback, because I don't have to remember to reach down for the waterbottle every so often. Get a little thirsty, drink a little water -- it's right there. I bought a relatively sleek camelback for the race, so it didn't catch any wind, but with 2 liters of water I finished it by mile 40.

I also use a larger pack with a 3 liter bladder and more of a "backpack" feel to it on training rides, which lets me carry walking shoes, warm clothes, etc. Makes me less aero and a little heavier -- to my thinking, it gives me a better workout!

I don't think you could make it work for a full ironman, but for a half-IM or shorter I think it works very well.

Lee

I wear a Camel Back under my skinsuit for TT's and it works great. I have not tried it in a multisport race, but I may for kicks at my next one.

This is something I have been wondering about for a while. I use a Camelbak Mule (100 oz) pack when I ride mountain or road, and I can empty it in about 2-3 hours of riding. So why don't people use them for triathlons? It only takes 5 seconds to throw it on your back, can hold all the tools and spare tubes you could ever want, and saves you from dealing with 5 water bottles.

So are they really that non-aerodynamic? I'd like to see data on this from people who are competitive. I average 18-20 mph with the pack, and spend no time playing with bottles. When I ride with bottles, especially in my Profile Design seatback bottle holder, I'm all over the place, have to stop pedaling, etc, when I need a drink, it's a pain. I haven't really noticed any speed difference, but as I said, I usually use the camelbak, and don't do many time trials.

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Off the top of my head I seem to recall an article somewhere ( J Cobb ? ) saying that the camelback was the best from an aero perspective, something about smoothing out the airflow off the helmet and over the back ?

The additional argument in favour would be the improved hydration

I am also a camelback fan...

The only big disadvantage is weight... you can ditch the water in a bottle at the bottom of a climb knowing that there is going to be an exchange at the top of it...

I have asked this question on this site and have even heard back from people who wear it under their jersey through the swim as well... i don't think they use it on the swim though...

Two hands on the bike, 100 oz of the drink of your choice, tools and tube storage, etc. I have been racing with one for the last five years and don't understand why more people are not using them. Great in races with hills like the Wildflower. You can descend at 50 mph and still drink.

I've thought about using my Camelbak for races, but I don't like the feel of all that weight on my back, and it wouldn't hold enough for an IM (not that I've done one yet, but I'm doing my first in August). Mostly it's the feel of it I don't like. I've been using a NeverReach for a few months, and in my mind it offers all the benefits of the Camelbak (and more) with none of the drawbacks. 1) You can drink without reaching for a bottle, 2) You don't have to take time to put it on in T1, 3) you can refill it on the fly, 4) you don't have the weight on your back, 5) it's more aero than bottles. I raced with it at Wildflower for the first time, and absolutely love it.

the never reach sounds nice, but the camelback hits my pricepoint a bit better.... for $30 you get 50 oz. which is plenty for an oly.

Ok, you hit on the one hiccup in the equation. $100 was a little steep for a plastic bottle and a blue tube. I had to think about it for a while, but in hindsight I think it was a worthwhile investment. I just tell myself that the $$ went toward the engineering that went into the system.

OK, long time reader, first time poster...

I tried to use a camelback for long rides a while ago and didn't really take to it (didn't like the feel in aero), but since this thread came out I've given it a second attempt and now like it (adjusted it lower on my back). So I intend to stick with it and use it for a 1/2 IM bike leg next month.

Do you guys use any tricks to keep the mouthpiece close (so you don't have to reach for it)? Do you carry water or sports drink (with an old school bottle with the other maybe)? Just curious to see how people are using these things. I am now a fan.

JayR

Well, what I usually do when mountain biking is carry a regular bottle of Accelerade and a few Gu packs/powerbars in my CamelBak MULE. After thinking it over, and realizing that I shouldn't make any major changes before a big race, I did the same thing at an Int'l distance race this past weekend, and it worked very well. The only difference is that I got a bento box to put the gu in for easy access. I found that reaching for the cage mounted bottle while rolling at 19 mph was difficult, as the pavement was terrible and the road was open to traffic, and consequently I didn't drink much of the accelerade. So I'm definitely keeping the camelbak.

My plan for Tupper Lake next week is to fill the Camelbak with ice water(100 oz), have a full bottle of Accelerade (2 scoops for 28 oz ~ 220 cal) 6 gu's & 2 powerbars in the bento box, and maybe I'll pick up some water or powerade(Which I have to be careful with, because it is sugary and upsets my stomach) at the water bottle exchange(I also have the profile seat-mounted double cage). That should last me the 2.5-3 hours on the bike, then I'll go to the fuel belt with 3 accelerade bottles and 3 water bottles for the run. I don't expect to win, but that will keep me hydrated while I try to maintain 20 mph on the bike and a good pace on the run.

Have I mentioned that I LOVE ALL THESE HYDRATION UNITS?

As for the mouthpiece, I don't really have any trouble with it, but you can try running it through the little plastic loop on the shoulder strap or cutting it to a length you like better.

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