Road Cycling - How much water do you carry?

I am just wondering how much water you guys/galls carry on long rides and where you put it? I went on my first 100km ride today and easily drank 4 litres of water. Since I only carry two bottles I had to buy more water at a gas station and refill for the 50km back home. Anyone carry more than 2 bottles and where? I'm trying to figure out how I'd get along doing 200km.

heavyfoot I use a Camel Bak. Mine can hold up to 3 litres of water. But the amount of water I fill it with is determined on the distance of my ride to help save on weight.

For example yesterday I rode 72 miles. Knowing this before hand I had 3 litres of water in it. On Tues I'm only riding 30 miles So I'll only need about 32 oz. of water.

I always keep my Camel Bak with water in it in the fridge. And I clean it at least once a month and replace the bite valve once a year. So they are not that difficult to maintain.

Ditto the above. Today I rode for 4.7 hrs in 107 deg heat, and I emptied my 70oz hydrapack, and a 24oz waterbottle. I ran out of water 45min from home.

During a recent heatwave I was going out with two 24 oz (.75 lt) bottles in the cages and 20 ouncer in the middle jersey pocket. I just bought two Zefal Magnum bottles which are 33 oz (1 lt). Those are the largest could find. They work well size-wise in moderate summer weather for me: They could get me through about 50 miles. But in hot, dry weather, I'd have to refill somewhere.

Rich

Depending on the time of the year but right now at it's hottest (over 100 degrees) I carry a 70oz CamelBack and 3 24oz Polar bottles and can get about 100 miles; but mostly I go about 65-80 miles in this heat so I leave one of the bottles home. I also refrigerate the Camel and the bottles are placed in the freezer and frozen solid. I then place about a 2 dozen ice cubes in the Camel and drink from that first to get the weight off my back sooner, then by the time I get to the bottles they are thawed out and ready to drink. I prefer my drinks cold when it's hot to cool down the inner core of the body.

In September I will be doing my 2nd annual "The Royal Pain in the Rear Ride" (my own creation). Where I will ride 158 miles in one day from Bakersfield California to Santa Barbara California. On that ride I will take the CamelBack, the 3 bottles plus a handlebar bag with 2 smaller bottles in it along with food of course. I do fill up the CamelBack and bottles in Ojai and repack more food.

I carry a total of 1.5 litres - even in our summers (in which dehyration is likely to be fatal). I believe being well hyrated at the start of the ride is more important than what you do during the ride - so as a rule I drink between 5 and 10 litres of water per day (regardless of activity level). The other thing I do is refill the water bottles often, and usually take the opportunity to drink another litre or so at the spot where I refill them.

I always carry 2 water bottles filled with water, or a mix of water and a sports drink. I also always carry a Camelbak with either a 70oz or 100oz bladder. I am a sweating machine, so I need to keep hydrated constantly.

I take atleast four bottles with me on hotter days I take up to 6 I sweat like crazy, I have 4 cages on my bike, if I knew how to attach a pic I would, but I use the Profile Aqua Rack it ads two cages to the back of my seat post, one of the best investments I've made for biking. I also throw another bottle or two in the back pockets of my jersey if I think I'll need it. I should just get a camel pack but I really don't like wearing anything on my back.

My typical daily ride is 25-35 miles so two 24 oz water bottles was always enough. On longer group rides there are rest stops or store stops where I can refill.


Two weeks ago I got bored with my usual daily ride and decided to do something different. I was planning to ride the length of the Silver Comet Trail (~77 miles). I didn't realize there were no watering holes along the way. :eek:
Somewhere around the 20-25 mile marker (I got on the trail at the 4.3 mile point) there is a sign informaing riders that beyond that point the trail heads out into rural areas and to make sure they have food, water, and a cell phone.
I had plenty of food for the ride but was running low on water. Cell phone - what's that. ;)
After I'd gone about 23 miles I decided not to chance running out of water and turned back.
When I got to the first place that had water I drank and refilled both bottles, even though I was less than 10 miles from the car.

The following Saturday I purchased a 70 oz Camelback. I considered a 100 oz model but didn't need or want all the extra pockets and pouches and secret compartments.
I looked at the Profile Aqua Rack but didn't like the way it mounted. You must remove the seat post, slide the Aqua Rack on, then reinsert the seat post. The coast was $30 (doesn't come with water bottles) and the Camelback that I bought (Classic) was $40.

Now I carry 94 oz of water (70 oz in the Camelback and 24 oz in one of my water bottles). The other water bottle contains Gatorade.

I'm ready for the long rides now! :beer:

Under 90 min.,i drink as much as i can before i leave and take a big polar bottle.

During hot weather, if I do 25 miles or below, just 2 water bottles. I'll also suck down a bunch of water before I go. Anything I go over that, I carry my Camelbak which I fill with 100 oz (about 3 liters) of water.

Two 21 oz bidons. If I need more water -- and I often do -- I'll just fill up at a public fountain or buy bottled water at a convenience store.

i carry 2-3 24 oz water bottles on rides less than 50mi

if it is not too hot...i may drink only 1

some days i have to refill all 3

i have considered getting one of those hydration-packs but dont like to ride with something on my back

For rides under 50 miles where there are plenty of places to refill along the way I'll take only one 24oz. water bottle filled with water or sometimes (rarely) an energy drink. If the route is still short but I know there aren't many places to refill, I'll take two bottles.

On longer rides with plenty of places along my route to stop and get water, I'll take two bottles and have at least one always filled with water. The other may contain an energy drink or just water. I will refill (or at least start looking for a place to refill) as soon as I'm down to 1/4 of my water stores. If it looks like there won't be many places to stop and refill, I'll take my Camelbak which I would probably also need for carrying extra equipment and clothing anyways.

I rarely use any of my Camelbaks for road rides but I always use it for mountain biking since water is often harder to come by on those excursions and I tend to carry more stuff offroad than I do onroad. I'll also stick a water bottle in my MTB's bottlecage too... unless I'm riding at night since I only have one bottlemount and the battery goes there. If I plan on a road ride far away from civilisation, I'll take along a Camelbak. I think cargo capacity rather than water capacity is more of a deciding factour for me when determining whether or not to take the Camelbak.

You guys dont mind stopping during your ride?I hate to stop.

If my choice is between stopping every couple of hours [or 90 minutes as the case may be] or wearing some stupid-ass camelbak, or carrying a few extra pounds of water in some dorky extra-bottle carrier, i'll stop.

Originally posted by shokhead
You guys dont mind stopping during your ride?I hate to stop.

It depends how long the ride is. I find myself wanting to eat something after 100km or so anyway, so I might as well stop then and put away another couple of litres of water.

I've always been able to find some reason to stop. If all I wanted to do was pedal endlessly for hours until my ass fell off then I'd just sign up for spinning classes. I will often find something interesting to stop and get a better/closer look at and a lot of times there's a place to refill nearby.

Guess we all ride for different reasons.It only needs to take up so much time for me.I've only got so much to give it.Kids,work and home and a business,10 hours a week if i'm lucky so when i ride,i dont stop,i need to get it in.

It depends on the distance I want to ride.
For rides up to 60 km, I carry 2 bottles (0.75 l each) in the holders.
For rides more than 60 or 70 km, I carry 4 bottles (0.75 l each). 2 in the holders and 2 in the back of my jersey.
Did this information help ?

Originally posted by peloton
If my choice is between stopping every couple of hours [or 90 minutes as the case may be] or wearing some stupid-ass camelbak, or carrying a few extra pounds of water in some dorky extra-bottle carrier, i'll stop.
Stupid-ass camelbak,dorky extra-bottle carrier?Guess your to cool for that,wow.

Originally posted by shokhead
Stupid-ass camelbak,dorky extra-bottle carrier?Guess your to cool for that,wow.
I don't have playing cards in my spokes, streamers on my handlebars or training wheels, either. If you ride road, ride road. If you're a dirtbag or a tourist, be a dirtbag or a tourist. Just know the difference.

Originally posted by peloton
I don't have playing cards in my spokes, streamers on my handlebars or training wheels, either. If you ride road, ride road. If you're a dirtbag or a tourist, be a dirtbag or a tourist. Just know the difference.

Proof that; indeed, road bike snobs are alive and well. :rolleyes:

Originally posted by bac
Proof that; indeed, road bike snobs are alive and well. :rolleyes:
My mistake... I though this was the road cycling forum. Mea culpa!

WOW!You sure put us in our place.

Easy there tigers. I know there is a lot of snobbery from some roadies about camelbaks. Each to their own. I have a camelbak, and I have bottlecages, I sometimes refill. Sometimes I can't refill so I'm getting an aquarack for extra bottle carrying. Generally I find it too hot to wear a camelbak in summer, but in the winter, it stop the water from freezing.

All these things are tools, methods to keep us from thirst. There is no need to write them off because it is not the accepted thing to do. If you have reasons, then fair enough. I know hardcore roadies who wear the really slim camelbak's under their jerseys because they are more aerodynamic than taking bottles. Being a roadie isn't defined as whether you wear a camelbak or not, wear the right lycra or have the right bike. Being a roadie is about going fast and kicking some ass. You're not a roadie just cause you have the latest trek. You're only a roadie if you're riding that trek at chronic speeds. It's to ride as fast as you can. It's to love flying at speed. It's to overtake cars on the uphills as well as the downhills. Most of all it's about having fun.

Peace.

Since buying my hydratrion unit, I find that I like to use it when doing business around town. Mine is the backpack combo unit, with a nice backpack area. I carry mail in it, and I have took video tapes back to Blockbuster with it on several occasions. When I just want to go light, I don't carry it. I noticed that my favorite LBS does not sell them. I got mine from another LBS, a little further down the trail.

Originally posted by streners
Being a roadie isn't defined as whether you wear a camelbak or not, wear the right lycra or have the right bike. Being a roadie is about going fast and kicking some ass. You're not a roadie just cause you have the latest trek. You're only a roadie if you're riding that trek at chronic speeds. It's to ride as fast as you can. It's to love flying at speed. It's to overtake cars on the uphills as well as the downhills.

I thought it was about riding your bike on the road.



Originally posted by streners

Most of all it's about having fun.


That I can agree with.

I saw a guy last year on a 50 mile charity ride blow by me like I was sitting still while wearing a Camelbak and had 2 water bottles in the cages. I guess too much water is better than not enough:D

If you wear a Camelbak, you don't race. If you don't race, you're just a guy on a bike.

If you don't race and riding on the road, you're road cycling. This is the road cycling forum, not the road bike racing forum. ;)

Originally posted by peloton
If you wear a Camelbak, you don't race. If you don't race, you're just a guy on a bike.

There is no such thing as "just a" anything...

People have different purposes for riding a bike. I would distinguish someone riding around the block with their kids from someone commuting to and from work for instance. Neither is more legitimate than the other as neither is racing a more legitimate use of a bicycle than anything else that people use bikes for. One could argue that someone racing is just a person on a bike who wants to go faster than <insert opponent here>.

A race doesn't have to be "official" to be considered a race. If I were to go out with a friend and we agreed to see who can get from point A to point B the fastest, Camelbak or not, it's a race. I suggest you be careful lest you drown when it rains.

Originally posted by RonH
Two weeks ago I got bored with my usual daily ride and decided to do something different. I was planning to ride the length of the Silver Comet Trail (~77 miles). I didn't realize there were no watering holes along the way. :eek:


Ron, what do you mean? It is hard to go 10 miles on the trail without finding water. I ride it from one end to the other, constantly! It is my home away from home! I love it. The next time you are at the SC Depot, on Floyd road, go in and spend 5 bucks on a very detailed guide to the trail, not the 99 cent maps. There is water and restrooms all over the place. On some you have to pull into a trail head, on others it is a water foundtain standing on side of the trail and a jiffy john up the path a ways.

I acknowledge that it is a long stretch for water from mile marker 14 1/2 at the Hiram trail head to marker number 32 1/2, at Coots Lake, but if you are full at Hiram, you can easily get to Coots Lake, there is a very prominent convenience store there, without dehydrating. If you are familier with the area, you can get off at marker number 21, and go up the path a short ways and there is another store right there. You just have to know where the watering holes are pal! Best -

I use two of the larger size bottles on my 100 k rides. This is usually enough for me as I make sure that I am well hydrated before heading out.

Originally posted by peloton
If you wear a Camelbak, you don't race. If you don't race, you're just a guy on a bike.
And thats ok just let me know when your passing.If you race,your just a fast guy on a bike.

Here is the secret! I freeze a water bottle and put it in one cage. Gatorade makes a sports bottle that also fits in a cage. Freeze that too! One water, one sport drink, both cold. For you anti-sport drink people, pour the water and the Gatorade in your mouth at the same time, there is your 50-50 mix!

two bottles is usually enough. If I go somewhere remote, river water tastes good.

I live in Scotland, so most of my water comes straight out of the sky;)

oh.........

I'm a tourist/roadie/mountain biker/racer/commuter/fixie-classic freak

and I don't own a camelback.

Can anyone help?

a) what is the difference?

b) what am I doing wrong?

-artificial distinctions are the bane of our sport/pastime/obsession.......