I’ve seen runners running with a water bottle belt thingy around their waste. The bottles go at the back. Is there any reason why this wouldn’t work on the bike?
Pros/cons? I’m trying to avoid using the behind the seat launcher system this year. I think that is just dumb technology.
Thoughts please.
Buy a Camelbak. No adverse aero effect, in fact there reportedly might be some benefit, and you have a comfortable, hands free, drink system.
I echo the Camelback option, especially on longer rides. In fact, I believe that a couple of years ago there was an article on Slowtwitch regarding Camelbacks that extolled their virtues. If I remember correctly, one of the compelling reasons to use one was that it could be used to aid in cooling the torso using an ice pack. Maybe someone could help to jog my memory.
Bernie
The belt thing makes me nervous. If you’re breathing properly your stomach should be expanding, and I’m afraid a belt might inhibit this and encourage “shallow” breathing.
I ditched the behind the seat thing this year too. Right now I’ve got one on the frame and a front mounted bottle. I’m still unsure about refilling the front bottle on the go though.
The Camelback might be a viable option.
If you have the mesh thingy, it hsuld refil pretty well, BUT why not a neverreach. I haven’t used one yet, but Dr 'Dre’s wife has one, and, last I heard, she loved it.
yeah, I’ve got a Camelback and I tried it once or twice, but I found having the mouthpiece hanging in front of my face really f**** annoying.
Perhaps I should give it another shot…
I took out the mesh thing and use a sponge instead. How does the mesh thing work? (I didn’t see how it could work and never tried it).
I changed my mesh out for a small scrubber mesh on a string (From Che Target–It looks really ‘cute’ according to my wife–ha!ha!). I put the string around the mouthpiece. Water will go through the mesh, but I never tried it on the road.
Used to use a sponge, tried the mesh, actually from another aero drink sysytem, and will never go back. Whilst sponge does ensure no spillage, it does absorb and you cannot refill through it, so it must be removed to refill which makes a mess. The mesh is much easier, once in it stops spills and you can refill through it, emptying a bottle in with only 3 squeezes. Easy.
To Kiwipat; clip the mouthpiece to the strap and then it is away, out of sight, under your arm until you need it. Even if you don’t, as it comes over your shoulder and dangles above the top tube, I don’t know how you can see it, if you’re looking up that is.
I use as Camelbak for rides over 4 hours but HATE the sweaty back syndrome, the top of the pak hitting the back of the helmet and the sloshing noise is distracting on climbs. Other than that it’s great!
I’ve found that if I’m careful to get all the air pockets/bubbles out of the reservoir/tube before sealing it up that I have no sloshing sound. I learned this with my camelback I use for running, because the sloshing would drive me crazy on my otherwise very quiet, early morning runs.
Unfortunately, I can’t help with the other problems.
If I put the 3 litres required for a 4 hour ride in my Classic I have to be very careful screwing the lid in so I don’t end up wasting sticky fluid over everything! Not sure I could expel all the air pockets to do this. I can with my jersey pocket sized Platypus system. The sound also get s worse as it empties.
If I put the 3 litres required for a 4 hour ride in my Classic I have to be very careful screwing the lid in so I don’t end up wasting sticky fluid over everything! Not sure I could expel all the air pockets to do this. I can with my jersey pocket sized Platypus system. The sound also get s worse as it empties.
The secret on expelling air from a Camelback is to fill it, install the hose, and gently squeeze it with the hose/bladder corner up and the bite valve sueezed open. You can get every bit of air out very easily and there will be zero sloshing. This is a very simple procedure and only takes a very few seconds with no mess what so ever. Just watch the fluid appoach the bite vale and stop just as it gets there.
SciGuy- Long time CamelBack user
I used a behind-the-set wywtem years ago (the first one – Trimble), and yes, it launched a bottle or two. I rememdied that by putting old toe straps around the tops of the bottles. Worked just fine. Took a LITTLE more fiddling to get bottle out and back in, but with practice I was smooth with it. I also had a Minoura behind-the-seat carrier (single bottle) that didn’t launch bottles. Just had to get some pretty sturdy cages as the weight of the bottle was “backwards” to normal.
I also use a CamelBack on longer rides on my TT rig. I have the 1.5 liter bag, and weight wise it’s not even noticeable. I tuck the hose under the bottom of the strap, so it’s out of the way until I want it. But if I could go with another behind-the-seat system, I’d do it in a heartbeat – my Softride beam does prevent this.
Four easy steps:
1-Fill the camel back
2-Turn it upside down
3-Suck the air out
4-Ride that Kalibur like Normann
.
wear a jersey with 3 separate pockets across the back and you can carry 3 times the bottles with no strap across your belly.