Camelbacks or Water bottle

[tintin40]

Alas good people. I've gone back to a water bottle. I like the freedom it feels not having a 'bag' on my back. Plus its excuse to have a anther nice peace of carbon on the bike. A nice carbon bottle holder. And a colour matched bottle with the rest of the bike.
I like the idea of the 'backs' but just don't like the feeling of cycling with a rucksack. I didn't get that feeling with the older 'backs' BITD but they were a lot smaller then.

 

[neilll]

Camelbak for me too
If you do any long-ish trips up in the Peaks/Wales etc you need to carry a bit of extra tat anyway so they're handy.....much easier than reaching down to grab a bottle any day of the week and cleaner too (less sheep kak at shoulder level....in theory :roll

Still fit nice shiny bottle cages to my bikes but only for looks....

 

[Geoff]

I must admit I've never tried a 'bak. Don't necessarily think they'd be bad, although I do prefer not to have a pack on my back in the heat, it's just that bottles are cheap and like Isaac said, if I spend a bundle on a Camelbak and don't like it I'd be quite annoyed with myself.

Dunno about adding a bottle cage purely for aesthetics though...even an H20!

 

[tintin40]

I must admit I've never tried a 'bak. Don't necessarily think they'd be bad, although I do prefer not to have a pack on my back in the heat, it's just that bottles are cheap and like Isaac said, if I spend a bundle on a Camelbak and don't like it I'd be quite annoyed with myself.

Dunno about adding a bottle cage purely for aesthetics though...even an H20!

Plus try selling them if you don't like it. I can't sell mine and i used it 6 six times. Its clean. I've got nothing that any body can catch. nobody A tenner :roll:

 

[jonnyboy666]

road bike, bottles.
short mtb rides, bottles.
commuting, need to carry stuff so older karrimor with bladder if needed.
dayrides, mule or cross 20 from camalback depending on whether i have the helmetcam or weather looks dodgy for carrying jackets etc.
never really bothered me wearing it on my back but i guess i'm used to it.
in the alps, on my yearly pilgrimage, it has to be camalback, coz bottles would be littering the trails!

think that about covers it!

 

[jonnyboy666]

p.s you should beable to get something similar to the older stuff, they still do camalbacks from about 20 quid, 1 to 2 litre with only a key pocket so they're not heavy or uncomfortable.

also try the outdoor shops, camelback themselves have several different importers depending on the product so some stuff might still be available just not through the normal bike channels, in america camelback do stuff for the army and also specific ones for road construction in hot areas that are also hi-viz! loads of products available, just finding them!

think my local army suplus do some that i can't get. oh and try the ski shops, they do winter specific ones that are insulated.

 

[terryhfs]

The "weight on the bike" versus "weight on the body" argument is about sprung versus unsprung weight.

If the weight's on you then technically it's a sprung weight, if it's on the bike it's unsprung, unless your bike is a full-sus.

Effective suspension design says that you should minimise unsprung weight as it puts more static load on tyres and steering and you'll reach the limits of adhesion and control sooner than if that weight was sprung.

I never used a bak until someone bought me one for Christmas last year and I actually really like it, but only for off-road. For longer rides I used to carry a small rucksack anyway with tools, spare cable, tubes, phone, map etc.. so it's not really an inconvenience. The only thing I've lost is that I'd always have two bottles, one with just water in to clean a wound if I fell off badly. In 20-odd years though I only needed it three times so I decided to live dangerously.

Someone makes a bak now that sits round your hips which should feel a bit more natural and lowers the CoG a bit too.

 

[Pickle]

Does any one still have the 1st generation 'backs'?

I had a first generation 'back until about 6 months ago where the screw opening is in the bladder ripped
Got a new one and always use it. Their better now for storage of bits n bobs. The old ones were just a bladder.

When my original back split I did a ride on just a bottle.......and suffered badly with dehydration cus I didnt take enough fluid on.

NEVER AGAIN!

SPESHMIKE my riding bud takes the pi*s that I am always stopping to pee cus I drink too much, but after dehydrating once, I'll never let myself get that bad again.

 

[REKIBorter]

I use a Camelbak for MTB & Road rides. I suppose it shows my MTB roots when riding my road bike, plus I wear muddy off-road SPD shoes to confirm it to any roadies I may come across. BTW just aquired some Specialized Defroster boots TOASTY TOES at last

 

[tintin40]

Well i'll try a bottle when i race and see. And maybe use a bac for racing. But i haven't noticed any pro's using bac's
The score should be 21 to 6 as i'm now in bottle camp