Originally Posted by
Takara
Cyccocommute: If you hold your shoulders perfectly still relative to your bicycle as you ride, then I will concede that all you are losing is the advantage of a much lower center of gravity for what is probably the heaviest single thing you're carrying on a tour.
But I bet you don't! Ride alongside another rider whose style and fluidity you admire and watch their upper body. Motionlessness you will not see.
You won't see them bob and weaving either...not if they know what the are doing. Believe me, I've watched many, many riders. The smoothest and best of them hardly move their upper body while seated (standing is a different matter all together). Their upper bodies are relaxed, arms bent slightly at the elbow and the weight of their upper body is responding to surface irregularities but they certainly don't move up and down and sideways at 60 hertz. Most of them - myself included - look like ducks while they ride. Calm and serene above the waist, paddling like crazy below.
For example
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHi1WFgjodc or
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCNtPRKTKic (the sound is bad on this one) show what I would call good form. Their shoulders and upper bodies hardly move at all. Granted this is racing but good form nevertheless...bad manners but good form. They certainly aren't moving around enough for a Camelbak to cause fatigue.
On the other hand, the people who bob and weave aren't the best cyclists I've seen. Those are usually the ones who are new to the sport and haven't learn how to conserve their energy yet.
My own experience with Camelbaks in touring, mountain biking and commuting is that the pack doesn't move around too much. It doesn't make my back overly sore from use (no worse than a long day of riding would normally do). It doesn't make my shoulders hurt more then usual. And the benefits far outweigh any of those slight problems. I find that I drink more water with the Camelbak than with bottles alone (I do ride without it occasionally). Having it cold is just an added...and very nice...benefit. Remember, I've used both methods. Camelbaks are just better for me. If you've tried it and don't like it, that's fine. If you haven't tried one well...as a very wise man said to me once...you can always talk yourself out of an experiment.