Anyone use a backpack when riding?

AC said:

Hi,

I used to do a lot of hillwalking & found a camelbak type
system very useful ie allowed me to drink 'little & often'
as opposed to waiting until feeling thirsty

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen a
couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too
hot etc?

Use them often and there are a wide range of cycling
specific Camelbacks and equivalents from the minimalist
bladder holder to full rucksacks. Look on www.wiggle.co.uk
under "hydration systems" for a selection.

Tony

"AC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s).

No reason why you have to though. I use a small Camelbak
(Rogue) if going for a very long road ride on a hot day, it
also provides a stash for moby, spare clothng etc. The
downside is that it does make my back sweatier and I'm
considering getting a seat-post mounting bottle carrier so I
can carry 3 bottles.
--
Regards, Pete

On Sun, 25 Apr 2004 07:45:34 +0100, "AC" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I used to do a lot of hillwalking & found a camelbak type
system very useful ie allowed me to drink 'little & often'
as opposed to waiting until feeling thirsty

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen a
couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too hot etc?

For touring I rig up a 3L Camelbak on my rear pannier and
attach a 3m extension tube which I secure to the crossbar
with plant ties. The mouth piece feeds through my handlebars
and double backs to a clip. I always have a ready supply of
water inches from my face. However, as the reservoir is so
low down you do need to have good suction power!

AC said:

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen a
couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too
hot etc?

Tchibo did quite a nice cycling rucsac last year. I
still have it.

Me, I usually have a rack and a pannier. Today I'm helping
with the Greenwich Mayor's Charity Ride (11am Cutty Sark if
you want to go on a ride today) So pannier has spare tubes
and tools.

"AC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I used to do a lot of hillwalking & found a camelbak type
system very useful ie allowed me to drink 'little & often'
as opposed to waiting until feeling thirsty

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen a
couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too
hot etc?

Hi AC,

You don't say what kind of road riding you'd be doing, but I
use a Camelbak and find it great for fast touring, but I
avoid putting anything much else in there as I find anything
on my back can begin to get to me on a climb.

Best regards, John

"AC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I used to do a lot of hillwalking & found a camelbak type
system very useful ie allowed me to drink 'little & often'
as opposed to waiting until feeling thirsty

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen a
couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too
hot etc?

Silly, unnecessary, just one more thing for the industry to
fob off on a public always eager for some useless novelty.

Then I tried one. For those of us who are constantly
promising ourselves to take a drink "at the top of the
hill", well "at the bottom of the hill", well "at the end
of this straightaway", the little-but-often aspect really
does work.

Mine is surprisingly comfortable (err, not-uncomfortable).
Look for some sort of frame or stiff support panel to keep
it from sagging downwards, as well as a profile that keeps
the bladder upright and close to your back.

Peter Storey

in message <[email hidden]>, AC

(') said:

Hi,

I used to do a lot of hillwalking & found a camelbak type
system very useful ie allowed me to drink 'little & often'
as opposed to waiting until feeling thirsty

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen a
couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too
hot etc?

Many, perhaps most, mountain bikers use camelbacks or
the like. The reasons people give for preferring them is
that bottles get covered in cack (true) and that bottles
don't hold enough water (which may be true in very hot
weather on very long rides but up in the hills in
Scotland you're never that far from a spring or burn
where you can refll and frankly if I'm going to get
liver fluke I've already got it).

Personally I don't like riding with something on my back
except for very short utility rides - I find it upsets my
balance and causes back pain
- so I stick to bottles.

--
[email hidden] (Simon Brooke)
jasmine.org.uk~simonOpen ↗

A message from our sponsor: This site is now in free
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"Simon Brooke" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

in message
<[email hidden]>, AC

(') said:

Hi,

I used to do a lot of hillwalking & found a camelbak
type system very useful ie allowed me to drink 'little &
often' as opposed to waiting until feeling thirsty

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen
a couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too
hot etc?

Many, perhaps most, mountain bikers use camelbacks or the
like. The reasons people give for preferring them is that
bottles get covered in cack (true) and that bottles don't
hold enough water (which may be true in very hot weather
on very long rides but up in the hills in Scotland you're
never that far from a spring or burn where you can refll
and frankly if I'm going to get liver fluke I've already
got it).

Personally I don't like riding with something on my back
except for very short utility rides - I find it upsets my
balance and causes back pain
- so I stick to bottles.

I find that a bum bag type camelback is a great compromise
if you don't want a full 3 litres and/or a sweaty back. I
have two different ones - one does
1.2 litres and the other a bit over 2

like this camelback.comcb prod.cfmOpen ↗
product_id=209

Russ

John L said:

"AC" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Hi,

I used to do a lot of hillwalking & found a camelbak type
system very useful ie allowed me to drink 'little &
often' as opposed to waiting until feeling thirsty

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen
a couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too
hot etc?

Hi AC,

You don't say what kind of road riding you'd be doing, but
I use a Camelbak and find it great for fast touring, but I
avoid putting anything much else in there as I find
anything on my back can begin to get to me on a climb.

Best regards, John

Things I've transported by bike on my back:-

Satellite Dish 10kg rice 3 Man tent

On 25/4/04 10:12 pm, in article [email hidden],
"Stephen (aka steford)" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Satellite Dish 10kg rice 3 Man tent

Alto saxophone weeks worth of washing. (going home to my
parents up test hill (clockwise from robin hood) on a single
speed sit up and beg. Full winter
hillwalking/camping/iceclimbing gear whilst cycling in
plastic mountaineering boots.

3 ft high stainless steel laundry basket (I took a couple of
bits of cord to make shoulder straps.)

And on a bike but not on my back.

Childs plastic garden table and four chairs.

..d

AC said:

Appears most road riders stick with bottle(s). I've seen a
couple of light weight rucksacks (maybe designed for
running) - could take a bladder, waterproof, spare tube,
snacks etc

Quoted message said:

Anyone tried these out - are they restrictive, too
hot etc?

A drink bladder can be quite handy on the MTB on more
committing stuff where I don't want to have my hands off the
bars for the sort of duration required to get a drink from a
bottle, and the bite valve is somewhat more out of the line
of fire for trail cack too. Off road a pack can also be good
as it instantly becomes sprung weight, better for
technically naughty bits. On the road that's all basically a
non-issue, so why have something on my back when there's no
need? For any sort of distance on the road having anything
on one's back when there's a perfectly good bike frame to
hang it off is a bit daft IMHO.

I sometimes use a platypus on the recumbent where it can sit
on the rack and just have the feed tube over my shoulder.
Only problem is you have to unpin the valve from your shirt
every time you get off the bike, which isn't that big as
problems go, but I still find bottles more convenient on the
road overall, especially when riding with friends where they
tend to get passed around. Since bottles are easily
accessible road riding the bladders are really solving
something of a non-problem.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Since bottles are easily accessible road riding the bladders are really solving

something of a non-problem.

Agreed. I have a 2L Camelbak and I'm not all that keen on it - I find that I have no trouble remembering to take a drink from a bottle, and I don't like having it on my back, both for comfort reasons and for the fact that it makes my back sweaty/even sweatier.

My only problem is that I have fittings for just one bottle, so on a long ride the Camelbak can be useful - it also gives me somewhere secure to carry my waterproof (slightly too big to go in a pocket) if I'm not sure what the weather is going to be like.

d.

davek said:

My only problem is that I have fittings for just one
bottle, so on a long ride the Camelbak can be useful - it
also gives me somewhere secure to carry my waterproof
(slightly too big to go in a pocket) if I'm not sure what
the weather is going to be like.

SQR pack, barbag or saddlebag, with your jacket and a spare
bottle (or indeed bladder to refill the bottle should fit
more easily, and you can roll it up when it's done with).

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

SQR pack

SQR pack? Is that one of those bottle holders that mount behind the saddle like triathletes use? I haven't got enough room for one of those with my saddle pack as well.

I did try fastening a second bottle to my saddle loops using velcro tape (from the garden, used to tie tall plants to stakes) as 'straps', using my saddle pack for extra support. I won't be recommending that method, nor trying it again myself - remarkably, the velcro didn't come undone but the tape snapped. Could have been nasty for the person behind me...

Maybe I should just get a bigger saddle pack.

d.

Thanks for all the responses

Using a drinking tube clipped on your shoulder is probably
safer than having to retrieve/replace a bottle from a fixed
cage. And as its less effort, 'you' are more likely to do it
& so minimise the risk of dehydration

However, it seems riding with ANY kind of rucksack is less
comfortable

Still not sure!!!

AC said:

Using a drinking tube clipped on your shoulder is probably
safer than having to retrieve/replace a bottle from a
fixed cage. And as its less effort, 'you' are more likely
to do it & so minimise the risk of dehydration

Safer is an issue for me on a rough trail, but it isn't on
the road. It's technically going to be safer to keep both
hands on the bars rather than scratch an itchy nose, but
I'll risk taking one hand off to scratch! Or in other words,
safety isn't really an issue if you're well withing your
comfort zone anyway, which you should be grabbing a drinks
bottle on the road. Anywhere I don't want to grab a bottle,
at least on a road, isn't anywhere I want to distract myself
with drinking anything anyway so it's a bit moot.

Quoted message said:

However, it seems riding with ANY kind of rucksack is less
comfortable

That's right. Again an important distinction between the MTB
and tourer for me. I don't go MTBing if comfort is my
primary concern, so wearing something on my back is
secondary to all the things that make an MTB a Jolly Good
Wheeze, but those comfort issues manifest themselves a lot
more over 100 km of road.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

Using a drinking tube clipped on your shoulder is probably safer than having to retrieve/replace a bottle from a fixed

cage.

You still need to free up a hand to retrieve/put away the feeding tube

Quoted message said:

And as its less effort, 'you' are more likely to do it

Personally, I don't find this to be the case, but YMMV.

Quoted message said:

However, it seems riding with ANY kind of rucksack is less comfortable

If you have a small backpack at home, why not just put it on and go out for a ride to see how you feel? Put something fairly heavy in it to mimic the weight of 2 litres of water (and make sure you pad it out to mimic the padding of a Camelbak).

d.

I use a CamelBak "Mule" that holds up to 3L of fluids and I find it very useful when road cycling. I find that I drink quite a lot (did 70 miles on Sunday and went through the whole 3 litres over the course of the day) and so the ability to carry a lot of drink in one location is good.

I also like the fact that I can stash about 4 or 5 spare inner tubes, lots of tools, energy bars / dextrose tablets, mobile phone and waterproof in the bag as well. This keeps my bike as unencumbered as possible.

Yes, they do make your back get a lot warmer than it would unencumbered, it's not uncommon for me to get a few heat lumps after wearing it for a few hours. However, it is not so uncomfortable as to prevent me continuing to use it.

Some of the replies here have said that it causes them back pain. I'd suggest that these people should adjust the straps so that it sits more comfortably. If you have weak core muscalture anyway, then this kind of back-pack isn't for you anway, as it will only exacerbate this weakness.

When cornering I found I needed to get used to the slightly higher centre of gravity wearing one of these things causes, and you must make sure that the chest straps are done tightly. The last thing you need it your back pack shifting unexpectedly when whizzing around a bend.

For touring I say that they are great. For racing, probably not.

McBain_v1 said:

I also like the fact that I can stash about 4 or 5 spare
inner tubes, lots of tools, energy bars / dextrose
tablets, mobile phone and waterproof in the bag as well.
This keeps my bike as unencumbered as possible.

You've bought a strong metal frame designed to support
weight. The whole point of the bike is to encumber *it*,
rather than you! Stuff like energy bars/bananas are better
in a pocket anyway, so you can get at them on the move.

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext.
33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital Fax 44 1382 640177
Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email hidden]
dundee.ac.uk~pjclinchOpen ↗