Water bottle reccomendations?

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DeLuz
Posts: 405
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:30 am

by DeLuz

I have used Camelback but don't like them because they grow black mold very easily and leak.
Specialized Purist is the best, no mold, no leak.
I just got an insulated version and really like it, I find it keeps the ice from melting much longer than the non insulated.

MikeD
Posts: 1000
Joined: Thu Dec 11, 2014 9:55 pm

by MikeD

mpulsiv wrote:Insulated bottles are utterly pointless with unnecessary weight penalty in this sport. Average rider will consume a full bottle within 60-120 minutes. Its irrelevant whether you sweat or not. If you don't finish a bottle water in that timeframe, you are doing yourself a disservice and taking a toll on your well-being. This timeframe is not long enough to justify for its insulation. The delta is ~ 2 degrees in water temperature, even with ice cubes. Insulated water bottles are great if you don't plan on drinking for at least 4 hours.


I agree with this. Insulated bottles don't keep it cool long enough to be worth it and cut the amount of water you can carry. I'd rather have more water to drink than have it marginally cooler.

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DeLuz
Posts: 405
Joined: Fri Dec 04, 2009 2:30 am

by DeLuz

MikeD wrote:
mpulsiv wrote:Insulated bottles are utterly pointless with unnecessary weight penalty in this sport. Average rider will consume a full bottle within 60-120 minutes. Its irrelevant whether you sweat or not. If you don't finish a bottle water in that timeframe, you are doing yourself a disservice and taking a toll on your well-being. This timeframe is not long enough to justify for its insulation. The delta is ~ 2 degrees in water temperature, even with ice cubes. Insulated water bottles are great if you don't plan on drinking for at least 4 hours.


I agree with this. Insulated bottles don't keep it cool long enough to be worth it and cut the amount of water you can carry. I'd rather have more water to drink than have it marginally cooler.


My experience is different. I find on hot days if I fill the insulated bottle with ice it says colder much longer.

PrimO
Posts: 144
Joined: Thu Nov 20, 2014 8:49 pm

by PrimO

I have tried several different brand bottles like camelback, SIS and Zefal but found fault with them all. The only bottle I'll buy now is the Elite SuperCorsa. I generally buy two new 750cl bottles every year and a tube of Steradent denture cleaner tabs and drop one into the bottles (filled with warm water) every month or so to properly clean away any residue from the bottle/cap.

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reknop
Posts: 313
Joined: Wed Feb 25, 2015 10:15 am

by reknop

I use a mix of Elite Corsa and Elite Fly water bottles on my Tune Wassertrager 2.0 cages:

https://www.remo-knops.com/6357/elite-f ... le-review/
https://www.remo-knops.com/6060/tune-wa ... ge-review/

Is super fot weather I use the Zefal Arctica bottles, but those are harder to squeeze.
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Kaboom
Posts: 118
Joined: Wed Mar 22, 2017 3:53 pm

by Kaboom

I'd used several kinds of bottles from Tacx, specialized, cheapos... They all sucked.

Then I got myself a pair of 750cc Camelbak podiums and I'm in love with them. The JetValve thingy is a godsend, not having to tear at the nozzle with your teeth during a hard climb is just amazing. Also, they look cool.

I put them in the dishwasher at least a couple of times a week, completely disassembled, and so far so good. No mold, no funky tastes or odors (well perhaps a bit of dishwasher detergent, but that's unavoidable really since I wont be caught dead washing ANYTHING by hand except my bike) and for the moment, 0 leaks. I never lock them except when they are in a sports bag or on the cages while the bike's riding inside the car, and so far I haven't seen a single drop leaking from them.

You guys are scaring me with the stories of black mold and gross nozzles and leaky Camelbaks. After how long do these issues appear? I've had mine for about 4 months now, and although they aren't cheap i'd be alright with buying a new pair per season. It's not like much cycling gear makes it past a full season (i'm thinking bibs, gloves, chains...) so what's another 20 bucks in bottles anyway?

calleking
Posts: 386
Joined: Sun Sep 13, 2015 3:20 pm

by calleking

I like the Camelbak Podiums too but have not used them long enough to find any black mold. I wash them often and hopefully that makes them last longer.

The only drawback with them, and that's a minor issue, is that they tend to sit really tight on my Elite Custom Race Plus cages. Maybe a positive thing if you're into riding cobbles every day.
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Asteroid
Posts: 222
Joined: Tue Jul 26, 2016 8:43 pm
Location: Los Angeles, California

by Asteroid

Kaboom wrote:You guys are scaring me with the stories of black mold and gross nozzles and leaky Camelbaks. After how long do these issues appear? I've had mine for about 4 months now, and although they aren't cheap i'd be alright with buying a new pair per season. It's not like much cycling gear makes it past a full season (i'm thinking bibs, gloves, chains...) so what's another 20 bucks in bottles anyway?


Long time Camelback Podium user here. My 1st gen bottles leaked after running thru the complete dishwasher cycle. It caused the bottle lip and lid to distort slightly. Now my son uses those old ones for the end of his high school cross-country runs. (He always loses good bottles, but cannot seem to lose these leaky ones!)

Camelback improved the current 2nd generation bottle: better flow rate, easier to disassemble and clean, easier to twist valve, etc. Only wash by hand nowadays. Probably four years going with no issues. Although, yeah, forgot to wash for several weeks once and it got some black crusty junk going. This becomes less prevalent if one uses water only and gets in the habit of squirting rather than sucking. :lol:
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froze
Posts: 430
Joined: Thu Aug 05, 2010 3:47 am

by froze

I never liked the Camelbak bottles either, didn't have much issues with leaking but once a bottle fell to the ground while riding and it broke so that it leaked from the crack in the bottle; they're just too flimsy for my likes.

The best plastic bottles I've found are the Polar bottles, these have been my favorites for many years, they clean easily, never leak as long as you don't wash them in the dishwasher which would be true for any bottle. And the Polar bottles do a better job of insulating then the Camelbaks, so that's a big plus; and they impart no taste.

However if you want a very strong bottle, that will insulate the longest, the look for Klean Kanteen, or Thermos Stainless Steel Hydration bottle; either of those would be good. Stainless is very durable, both can keep liquid cool for up to 12 hours; just don't use the in a, aluminum, stainless, or titanium cage because they will rattle around in those making quite a bit ruckus.

evan326
Posts: 480
Joined: Wed Sep 14, 2016 8:51 pm
Location: RVA,USA

by evan326

I use the camelbak podium big chill. I soak the caps in denture cleaner to clean them, works great. Fill it about 1" deep with ice and it stays cold for almost 2hrs in 85F 67% humidity.

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