Hydration

Two 1 litre bidons? Just refill.🙂

EuanB said:

I'm going to be doing longer rides on the road bike and two bidons just isn't enough. I've got three options.

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat bag?) and stopping and refilling.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a hydration pack. They're a lot more convenient to use than bidons, they're comfy and I can't see a reason NOT to use one.

So why aren't more people using them? What am I missing?

I got one after my last MTB enduro and realised why most people there were using one (it seems to be more a mtb thing than a road for some reason) with the convenience of not fumbling with bottles, plus being able to carry more...

The only downside i've noticed is the sweaty-back syndrome, but given that I commute with a backpack anyway I'm kind of used to it... That and you can't exactly empty the bidon over the head, but that's no biggie.

EuanB said:

I'm going to be doing longer rides on the road bike and two bidons just
isn't enough. I've got three options.

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat
bag?) and stopping and refilling.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a hydration pack. They're a lot more
convenient to use than bidons, they're comfy and I can't see a reason
NOT to use one.

So why aren't more people using them? What am I missing?

I've only ever carried more than 2 bidons on one special occasion (AAC)
and even then, I only used 3 (the 4th never got used, so I emptied it
to save weight after Falls Ck)
If I'm going for a 1-3 hour ride, 2 is plenty, and if longer or hotter
and I
think I'll need more, I make up one bidon with a more concentrated
C4P mix (see : http://www.aboc.com.au/perl/tips.pl?p=c4p ) or staminade
and decant it into my other bidon. I get water from servos etc when
necessary.

I hate backpacks on bicycles (gets very hot & sweaty under them, YMMV),
and don't much care for warm drinks either.

eddiec said:

I got one after my last MTB enduro and realised why most people there were using one (it seems to be more a mtb thing than a road for some reason) with the convenience of not fumbling with bottles, plus being able to carry more...

My first `hydration' pack was in `92 on the Nijmegan March. One of the medics on the team `aquired' some IV tubing, we got a two litre bottle of pop, punched a hole in the cap and fed the tubing through. Bit of epoxy on the cap to give a water tight seal and TADA! one `hydration' pack :-) Fit quite nicely in one of the bergan side pockets.

Obviously the pop was replaced with something more suitable.

Quoted post said:

The only downside i've noticed is the sweaty-back syndrome, but given that I commute with a backpack anyway I'm kind of used to it.

I find that's only a problem when you stop and take it off, by which time my ride should be over :-)

Quoted post said:

... That and you can't exactly empty the bidon over the head, but that's no biggie.

That kind of behaviour guranteed a boot up the [censored] in the army, water's too precious to be spilled over the head. Can't quite shake that mentality :-)

EuanB said:

I'm going to be doing longer rides on the road bike and two bidons just
isn't enough. I've got three options.

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat
bag?) and stopping and refilling.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a hydration pack. They're a lot more
convenient to use than bidons, they're comfy and I can't see a reason
NOT to use one.

So why aren't more people using them? What am I missing?

EuanB,

I use a camelbak Blowfish on my motorbike, and it is fantastic. Access
to water is simple and quick, and you dont have to divert
concentration from the road for more than a moment.

However, a camelbak like mine would be getting rather warm on a
pushy, especially given they ride better by being drawn in snug. A 3L
camelbak like the blowfish would add another 4 kg (at least) to the
weight on your back. Mine is really a medium sized backpak with a
bladder in the front pocket. it keeps water cold/cool for about 3.5
hours, but adding ice when filling would extend this a lot longer.

I did look at some camelbaks the other day that were really just the
bladder with a protective cover. These would have to be a lot more
comfortable on a bike, as they let a lot more air circulate around
you. I'd thnk the 2L model of these ones would add 2.5kg of weight at
most. I'm actually thinking about one of these for cycling, myself.

Most of the later ones also have the high-vis strips down the back
which really stand out in any sort of light.

Cheers,

Rod.....Out Back

EuanB said:

I'm going to be doing longer rides on the road bike and two bidons just isn't enough. I've got three options.

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat bag?) and stopping and refilling.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a hydration pack. They're a lot more convenient to use than bidons, they're comfy and I can't see a reason NOT to use one.

So why aren't more people using them? What am I missing?

I got a DEUTER pack

great.

It has airstripes - special webbing to aviod sweaty back syndrome.

It also has an internal insulation lining to keep the water cool for up to three hours (more in you freeze about 1/2 litre overnight).

Avoid camelbak, doesn't have the above and is [censored].

Scotty

In article <[email hidden]>,

EuanB said:

What am I missing?

Taps? They're all over the place...

--
Shane Stanley

So far the only con I'm hearing re: hydration pack is sweaty back syndorme which I can definately deal with (MMDV ;-) )

Any other cons?

EuanB said:

So far the only con I'm hearing re: hydration pack is sweaty back syndorme which I can definately deal with (MMDV ;-) )

Any other cons?

A sore back if you do lots of hard climbing. I do a lot of training rides with a backpack as I go to work afterwards, but I'd much rather ditch it, like I do if I train out at the crit track. Also if you want to practice sprints they are a major pain in the ass.

On my long rides there is always somewhere to stop to refill waterbottles. My butt needs a break by then anyway. I've done a couple of longer road races where I got my partner to man the feed zone. Very pro... 🙂

Adam

EuanB said:

I'm going to be doing longer rides on the road bike and two bidons just
isn't enough. I've got three options.

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat
bag?) and stopping and refilling.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a hydration pack. They're a lot more
convenient to use than bidons, they're comfy and I can't see a reason
NOT to use one.

So why aren't more people using them? What am I missing?

--
EuanB

I use the additional bidon cages... when I get an empty at the front, I
switch one of the back ones as I find the front easier to reach (the
rear ones are low because of the under seat bag, but both fit, even
though I am small).

Hydration packs are good, but they get hot, like wearing a backpack
compared to not wearing a backpack. I use one when MTBing, because then
you only need a second to shove the tube in your mouth and it's both
hands back on the bars, but I prefor bidons for road.

Tam

Bleve said:

EuanB said:

I'm going to be doing longer rides on the road bike and two bidons just
isn't enough. I've got three options.

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat
bag?) and stopping and refilling.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a hydration pack. They're a lot more
convenient to use than bidons, they're comfy and I can't see a reason
NOT to use one.

So why aren't more people using them? What am I missing?

I've only ever carried more than 2 bidons on one special occasion (AAC)
and even then, I only used 3 (the 4th never got used, so I emptied it
to save weight after Falls Ck)
If I'm going for a 1-3 hour ride, 2 is plenty, and if longer or hotter
and I
think I'll need more, I make up one bidon with a more concentrated
C4P mix (see : http://www.aboc.com.au/perl/tips.pl?p=c4p ) or staminade
and decant it into my other bidon. I get water from servos etc when
necessary.

I hate backpacks on bicycles (gets very hot & sweaty under them, YMMV),
and don't much care for warm drinks either.

Carrying more water has the advantage of encouraging you to drink more
water, especially on hilly rides. "Fsck, I'm carrying it up this fscking
hill, I might as well fscking drink it!"

Tam

EuanB said:

So far the only con I'm hearing re: hydration pack is sweaty back syndorme which I can definately deal with (MMDV ;-) )

Any other cons?

The only other con (which isn't a huge one) is that they can tend to get a bit manky inside if you don't keep them clean, and it's not like you can toss them in the dishwasher like a bidon. I have a basic Camelback (which despite other opinions here 🙂 I've found to be very good) and it has an anti-bacterial bladder which works well, but you still have to try and keep it clean/dry when not in use... And even without significant insulation I've never had a problem with water getting warm, even in the warmest weather....

scotty72 said:

EuanB said:

I'm going to be doing longer rides on the road bike and two bidons just
isn't enough. I've got three options.

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat
bag?) and stopping and refilling.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a hydration pack. They're a lot more
convenient to use than bidons, they're comfy and I can't see a reason
NOT to use one.

So why aren't more people using them? What am I missing?

I got a DEUTER pack

great.

It has airstripes - special webbing to aviod sweaty back syndrome.

It also has an internal insulation lining to keep the water cool for up
to three hours (more in you freeze about 1/2 litre overnight).

Avoid camelbak, doesn't have the above and is [censored].

Aside from the fact that you can get a variety of packs with these
features, including Vaude, which are similar in construction but about
half the price of Deuter, if you intend your hydration pack to be used
for anything other than cycling, you will find Camelbaks are far more
versatile, and about six times as comfortable for running/hiking, with
significantly less bounce than other models.

Tam

And most importantly Euan, don't forget to wear lycra booties over your
road shoes. The more aero flow over the shoe will compensate for the
extra drag across the hydrapack...

*giggles*

Abby

EuanB said:

So far the only con I'm hearing re: hydration pack is sweaty back
syndorme which I can definately deal with (MMDV ;-) )

Any other cons?

They involve more cleaning. Often you find it's the wrong size for your
purpose - you have to carry the entire bag regardless of how much you
carry - especially if you get a backpack style and not just straight
hydration pack.

I think that's it.

Tam

Tamyka Bell said:

Aside from the fact that you can get a variety of packs with these
features, including Vaude, which are similar in construction but about
half the price of Deuter, if you intend your hydration pack to be used
for anything other than cycling, you will find Camelbaks are far more
versatile, and about six times as comfortable for running/hiking, with
significantly less bounce than other models.

Maybe I should have mentioned that I've got a 17L Vaude hydration pack :-) I use it MTBing (pump, other stuff) and used it on ATBIAD. I'd like to get a more compact (bladder only, small valuables pocket) one for roadie use, just curious why I don't see many of them out there as I find much easier to use than bidons.

EuanB said:

Tamyka Bell said:

Aside from the fact that you can get a variety of packs with these
features, including Vaude, which are similar in construction but about
half the price of Deuter, if you intend your hydration pack to be used
for anything other than cycling, you will find Camelbaks are far more
versatile, and about six times as comfortable for running/hiking, with
significantly less bounce than other models.

Maybe I should have mentioned that I've got a 17L Vaude hydration pack
:-) I use it MTBing (pump, other stuff) and used it on ATBIAD. I'd
like to get a more compact (bladder only, small valuables pocket) one
for roadie use, just curious why I don't see many of them out there as
I find much easier to use than bidons.

--
EuanB

If you want a bladder only, small valuables pocket hydration pack... go
the Camelbak Classic. I've had mine for 5 years of running, mtbing, and
of course military. It's the no-frills version and it rocks.

Tam

EuanB said:

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat
bag?) and stopping and refilling.

Shouldn't have read this, you've got me thinking silly thoughts now, i.e.
what's the volume of a bike frame and would it be possible to internally
waterproof it (long thin plastic bags or something similar) so you could
fill that with water or whatever. A straw from the top of your head-set
with a one way valve would be the ideal outlet. 🙂

Graeme

EuanB said:

I'm going to be doing longer rides on the road bike and two bidons just isn't enough. I've got three options.

Hydration pack, behind seat carrier (possible problems with under seat bag?) and stopping and refilling.

I'm leaning very heavily towards a hydration pack. They're a lot more convenient to use than bidons, they're comfy and I can't see a reason NOT to use one.

So why aren't more people using them? What am I missing?

Euan

1 Litre biddons are available from Toys R Us for $ 10, make sure that the O ring is in the lid otherwise it will leak.

In the Townsville region there are lots of long lonely rides (Keelbottom, Calcium, Aust Inst Marine Science) and no water so carrying it is a must.
Also many of the small settlements/ servos are on Bore Water and it is Yuk. I buy a big bottle of water at the servos and full up - dont expect a smile from the staff corse u wont get one.

On longer rides I carry a third 1 litre biddon under the down tube. My bike came with the fittings in place - many dont. I had fittings for a 3rd bidon holder put on the XC/MTB. Many motor mechanics have a system called "RivNuts" and its a large pop rivet with an internal thread. Take a bottle and cage with you to get the clearances right for the front wheel. Need to drill 2 holes in the frame so be prepared to have the BB overhauled if its not sealed. The swarf from the drilling and the tails from the rivnuts stay inside and must go somewhere. More care is required in cross winds as I seem to get blown around a bit more with three 1lt compared to just 1 600ml biddon.

Just recently purchased from Torpedo7 in NZ - Hydration Back Pack - G36 1 $36.91 AUD
Hydration System Bladder - 3L 1 $17.10 AUD
torpedo7.comtorpedo7.comOpen ↗

Seems to be good quality. Pack has 2 separate shoulder straps - not joined which gives neck probs and has a girth strap so it doesnt flap around or bounce. Got a couple of extra compartments for a bit of extra food etc. Have only used it twice and first impression are that there is a little skill required to sort out the bite valve, in learning this skill there is the potential to get a sore mouth and you have no idea how much you have drunk or how much is left. Further use might fix all those.

As far as a sweaty back goes, well, when you are sweat all over and your socks are sodden from the run off a bit of sweat on the back is very minor. Had no problem with the weight. Putting ice in the water is fine but in high humidity you get condensation running down your back and it eventually soaks the chamois in the nicks so wont do that again - cool water.

Cheers

Hugh