Road Cycling - Why are you wearing that Camelback??

This was asked in a real condescending manner at this road race I just did by another roadie...and all I could say to myself was what a frickin' dork...easily assimilated into the negative roadie cliches of what distinguishes a cool roadie to the dork roadie.

I mean, its not like I was riding some pos road machine...it's a Litespeed...'nough said.

I mean, I used to be hard core MTB...until I found road biking...and MTBers tend to not give a damn about how anybody looks on the trails...hell, they don't even care about the bikes or the clothes.

I mean, I am a hard core roadie now and to prove it...I usually joke and demean MTBers in general behind their backs :D...people just plain need to loosen up on the status quo.

Roadies = uptight, slave to fashions

Mtn. Bikers = laid back, whatever works!

Nuff Said!

BTW, I'm a mtn. biker that also rides a road bike. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!

L8R

Interesting, I fell inlove with the CamelBak products about 5 years ago, with the purchase of a 100oz Hawg for mtn biking. I now use a 70oz Classic on my road bike, i love it, and dont dare ride without it! :)

I use the camelback m.u.l.e 100oz with plenty of room for my wallet, keys cable and lock, map, light jacket and a few other things. I do a lot of touring and hate to run out of water.
or not have something I need..

The UCI prohibits the use of water packs in sanctioned races. Consequently, they never really caught on in roadie culture. Besides, one of the principal benefits of water packs is that they don't get all mucky and grimy like bottles do when you ride off-road.

I have a Camelback Rogue that I use with my cyclocross bike. I do shoulder the bike a bit, so bottle cages are a pain, and I find that bottles do get pretty gross off-road.

On the other hand, I do find riding without a pack more comfortable than with one, particularly in hot weather, and I really don't enjoy cleaning the bladder.

So I use bottles exclusively on the road, and that amounts to about 90% of my riding.

i'm a dirt bag at heart...but i have to say i must be turning into a roadie snob...why *would* anyone do a road race with a camelbak???

as it has been pointed out, they are not UCI legal and most road races have feed zones...so why carry all that extra weight on your back?

actually you don't even see camelbaks in expert/pro mtb races. in my mind they are best used for hiking and epic, self-supported rides.

not popular i know, but my opinion.

Originally posted by eschelon
This was asked in a real condescending manner at this road race I just did by another roadie...
And why does he give a rats@ss. Poseur!

I don't own a CamelBack but I'm thinking about getting one. I don't care what it looks like.

Yeah, I think it was just the context of the race. I know some of the serious roadies around here use camelbaks on longer training rides when they don't want to stop to refill bottles. The jerk could certainly have been nicer about perhaps explaining to an obvious newbie that the camelbak was not necessary and perhaps not allowed in a race.

For those of us who don't race but who do long rides far away from any place to get water, a hydration pack is a godsend. I always wear mine.

On the other hand, I didn't know that they weren't allowed in a race. If I raced I might have shown up wearing one. It's too bad the guy making the comment couldn't have picked a kinder way to get the point across.

I've observed a few things about camelbacks and road bikes in my local club. When the weather is nice and cool, sometimes 3 or 4 riders come on our 35-40 mile evening rides. Those same riders always leave the camelbacks behind when it starts getting hot in summer. This doesn't make sense.

Just do whats best for you. People have different tastes, but there will always be some jerk who asks a daft question.

Try answering back next time. Like "Why are you still breathing"? or even better, "I used to have one of those helmets when I was ten". ;)

Originally posted by a2psyklnut
Roadies = uptight, slave to fashions



Mtn. Bikers = laid back, whatever works!



Nuff Said!



BTW, I'm a mtn. biker that also rides a road bike. NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!



L8R

No, goes like this:

People who buy $$$$+ bikes to impress people: Uptight, slave to fashion.

People who really couldn't care less what their bike costs, as long as it's fun to ride: Laid back, whatever works.

I'm a roadie; wouldn't mind MTBing, but I don't really have the time. I always wave to other cyclists, though, and I love my Camelbak.

Eschelon.
Just a thought. Every area of human life has its snobs. Why is cycling any different.? Status and all that crap. I suggest we just find our own niche, with our type cyclists and not expect nirvana anywhere. Maybe suggestion that Cycling Federation does not allow camelbaks has a point.? Maybe the person who said this was referring to this custom?
I have a Camelbak, but since water fountains are not uncommon, seldom use it. But for rides in islolated areas, I am glad I have it. Generally, I prefer not have my back covered and loose the wicking effect for all the sweat that accumulates as a result.

I am getting rear racks for our bikes before we move to the hot country. Originally for "just in case", but lately I have been thinking about strapping a Camelbak onto the rack, then using a long drinking tube. That should solve the weight and heat issues.

Anyone know if they make a long drinking tube? It would have to reach from just below the saddle to where my mouth happens to be - I guess that is probably one to one and a half meters long.

Thanks...Gary

Reading this thread was somewhat disappointing. As a new road rider I am looking to experienced riders to inform & share knowledge. To know there are those out there using the sport to alienate others is disgusting. Thanks to all those with the maturity and understanding to recognize the learning curve. Everyone starts at the bottom. I know I will be one of those showing up for a century ready to ride and have fun but wearing the wrong gear and some pretentious roadie will snub me...just remember negativity brings on negativity!

I'm not sure that would work, actually. The pack has to be sort-of upright for the pressure of water on the bladder to pump water through the tube. I'm not sure that there would be enough pressure to pump water through a long tube and whether it would work at all if the pack wasn't sitting upright.

Originally posted by gmason
I am getting rear racks for our bikes before we move to the hot country. Originally for "just in case", but lately I have been thinking about strapping a Camelbak onto the rack, then using a long drinking tube. Thanks...Gary

I've been wondering what I would put on my rack. Put it on just because I thought it might be handy at some point. That's a good idea.
:beer:

The point, Betta, is that water packs simply aren't allowed in sanctioned [and in many unsanctioned] road races. It's not a question of snobbishness, it's a question of rules. I know of a lot of senior and vet racers who prefer to train in race-like conditions, so they use bottles, just like they would in a race. Moreover, roadie culture is very much influenced by racing culture. You don't see the races [pro or amateur] using water packs, so they look foreign. A lot of roadies avoid them for that reason.

This isn't to say that roadies won't use water packs; Camelback, for example, sponsors some roadie racers and provides packs for training.

I'm mostly a roadie and I do have a Camelback for cyclocross. The advantage is that it doesn't get all grimy and dirty like bottles do offroad and I can get away without bottle cages on the frame for shouldering clearance.

On the other hand, those advantages don't matter on a road ride, where I find that the pack has some disadvantages. 1. It gets sweaty and uncomfortable on a 100 km ride; 2. Extra weight on my back means extra weight on my body when I climb or sprint out of the saddle; 3. It's a pain to clean after a ride. So I personally prefer bottles for the road, and I suspect most roadies follow that line of reasoning.

Hydrations packs were banned for a couple reasons. Packs gave an advantage to riders using them because A) Riders using them could stay hydrated without having to get bottles from the team car. Plus have the tube right by their mouth eliminated grabbing a bottle out of the cage, which can slow a rider down. Then B) because the pack actually gives the rider better aerodynamics. Remember Hinault era riders who had aero sponges for cooling and aero effect? I'm sure there are more reasons for hydration packs being banned but these are the two I am aware of.

It's also worth noting that, before the UCI banned water packs, some riders were doing wind-tunnel tests to gauge their aerodynamic efficiency in time trials. By that time, even though they were still legal, the pro peloton had pretty much rejected them for road races [where aerodynamic are considerably less crucial] and wer still doubtful for time trials [where aerodymanic would be a consideration and where you don't have a domestique to go back to the team car]. Results were ambiguous and no one really seemed to care one way or another.

One big disadvantage to the pros was on climbs, where they'll often ditch bottles to keep the weight down and just grap-drink-ditch from passing team cars and support bikes. It's pretty hard to ditch 70 oz. of water strapped to your back when you're climbing the Gavia...

I used to wear my CamelBak on road rides, and I really didn't like it. I ditched it not because it's uncool, but because I hated it. I can't stand the feeling of the straps on a climb. It feels like they are restricting my breathing and adding tons of weight and.....AGH!!! Give me two cages and water bottles thank you.

camelbaks or hydration packs, are useful in almost any type of cycling, but for a race I would think you want to get as light as possible, I don't think you would need 100 oz of water in a race, unless it was really long... but then again I've never raced before ;) but do what you want to, it really doesn't matter what other people think of you right? :)

To me the Camelback/hydration backs were one of the single greatest inventions for ANY outdoor activity. I first started using the old MULE camelback 5 years ago, it was the only one that came in camalflouage and we were allowed to wear them in the field and on humps ( I am a corpsman in the Navy who spent three years as a field medic with the first marine division) Any ways no one really cares about the extra weight or sweat especially if its 120-130 degrees f. we already wear enough gear. I honestly think the camelbacks have inadvertently saved some lives in the field. But for cycling I purchased a Vaude splash backpack its narrow with an integrated frame that keeps the bag completely off your back except at top and bottom, It provides tons of ventilation/circulation It has a place for a bladder, my 100 oz bladder fits well, plus I have plenty of room for any thing I need to take to work when i ride my bike. Or even on a recreational ride. There has been a lot of rambling in this post but to me the bottom line is safety. I feel safe with extra h2o. I am NOT racing so rules are not an issue. I do'nt care if I do'nt project a certain image to other cyclists and non-cyclists alike. I ride for pleasure, for training and for myself. I will always wave to another person on a bike. Have a good time and dont let any "cycling snobs " bother you. Most of us just want to have fun.

I'm with you, Sterling. On long, hot, and possibly isolated rides, I just feel safer with plenty of water. I try to gauge how much I think I'll need, then add some more. The water pack lets me do that--I use a Platypus--seems to fit me better than the Camelbacks.

Also, I guess we all need about the same amount of water, but I seem to drink more than any three people I know. Maybe it's because I try to keep drinking, and not wait until I'm thirsty. In survival training, they teach you to drink before you're thirsty, if you can, and I want to always make sure I can.

Eat before you're hungry,
Drink before you're thirsty,
And shift before you have to.
--JJ

I love my camelbak. I'm a new rider, (last year 3,000 miles), this year only 400 so far. I used to have trouble finding a time to drink from the bottles. When I'm riding with the bike club, I'm busy looking at the bike in front, or climbing hills, dodging potholes--Michigan is the worst state, or trying not to get side-swiped from cars. I was hit last year. Anyways, I drink 3-4 times more water now and get less tired because I'm not dehydrated. My daughter had a fall in CA last year reaching for her waterbottle and chipped her front tooth. After 21 years of no cavities---still dentist bills. Who cares how it looks?? I use the waist type, only 40 oz and use the bottles for sports drinks. I use bleach & then rinse the bladder & tubes.

Originally posted by Betta
As a new road rider I am looking to experienced riders to inform & share knowledge. To know there are those out there using the sport to alienate others is disgusting
By and large (there's an English idiom that should give internationals a fit), I think you'll find that experienced riders are very willing to inform and share knowledge. If you encounter trouble during a ride, they will go out of their way to assist, and usually attempt to educate you in a non-offensive way (if necessary) in the process. There are few enough of us, with a common enemy (the lousy driver), that there is usually some sense of comradeship whenever you encounter another cyclist. The occasionally bozo stands out, but don't let it tarnish your perception of all of us!

I must say that CamelBak's are incredible little pieces of gear. I use mine for a variety of different activities - biking, hiking, stair running, rowing, etc...I really believe that once you become comfortable w/ the feel of a CamelBak it starts to become less noticeable. With the CB, I drink substantially more water. Little sips here and there start to add up and help keep me focused on riding in a pace line not on fumbling for my water bottle.

I ride road and I have a Mule and a Classic. Started out with the Classic, then wanted something to carry stuff in for a longer ride. It's SO nice to be able to carry snacks, your tools, pump, keys, cellphone and have that drinking tube right there. I can go all day and enjoy myself. I use the Classic for quick training rides where I just want to get from A to Z for a workout. I also use cages and bottles sometimes.

I learned about Camelbaks from watching the local roadies going down the road wearing them. Just a super invention.

Ignore the snobs, they're everywhere. Do what you wanna do!

I do not think anyone is attacking Camelbacks. I own one too. Use it on long rides where there are no water sources. Just where I know there are parks and water fountains- I see no inconvenience in picking up additional water for my water bottle.
I prefer it over have an object on my back, underneath of which is pools of sweat. Go light, I think.
I have always carried lots of tools, stuff. Trying to cut back. All the tools I need fits in my mini-tool kit in my wedgie.Unless it is a long tour, I am trying to go light. Especially would not like the hot object on my back, If it were hot and muggy.
Some say if you put ice in the bladder, the camelback stays cool on your back? Still no air and persperation is uncomfortable- to me.

i just got rid of my camelback. it has caused a lot of pain in my shoulders

I use my camel back when I ride Roadie or Mt. bike. I’m enjoying both disciplines and I consume the H2o. My road only has one water bottle mount so the Camel back is good

Yesterday, it was 65 degrees, cloudy, and still. Why did so many poseurs have camelbacks on for weather like that? It just made them look like dorks.

Originally posted by D*Alex
Yesterday, it was 65 degrees, cloudy, and still. Why did so many poseurs have camelbacks on for weather like that? It just made them look like dorks.

What is up with that? Man it can be 25 degrees and you still need to drink lots of H2o. And looks like a dork. What is this a fashion show? Oh ya that’s right I am in a road bike section of this forum. You see I get the best of both worlds Mt & Road. So I don’t play the fashion game like MOST roadies do. Sorry I’m not a traveling Billboard with all the rainbow colors:rolleyes:

I would die if I lost my camelbak. Like I mentioned earlier, I own two bak's, a 100oz HAWG for mtn biking, and a smaller 70oz classic for road cycling. The hawg has much better ventilation then the classic, but I honestly have never had a real "sweat" problem with my classic. On my daily 22mile ride, I fill it with ice; this keeps me cool the whole ride, and then some.

I personally, will never go back to water bottles, unless i start to race.

I'm with you Joe. I'd be lost without my Camelbak. I have 3 sizes. Got them all on sale on the web. Anyhow, I'm a big guy 6'3", 225 and have a tough time keeping up with the 150lb guys I ride with. I find that if I even reach down for a quick drink from a bottle I'm dropped. I also drink 3 times as much with the CB on than with bottles. With temps in summer 95+ and Humidity 95-100%, I don't care what they look like. I know on the Metric and Century rides I've done so far this year, that I see a lot of people with little water really falling off at the 40-50 mile marks.

For the people who shun their looks, they do have colors. Geez. hahah

Just my .02

Mike
Trek Yfoil

I agree completely with you BikerBoy. I think they help to stay hydrated. Maybe the old schoolers who've grown up with bottles stay on them easier, just from habit.

Dave

Originally posted by D*Alex
I've observed a few things about camelbacks and road bikes in my local club. When the weather is nice and cool, sometimes 3 or 4 riders come on our 35-40 mile evening rides. Those same riders always leave the camelbacks behind when it starts getting hot in summer. This doesn't make sense.

I understand this. On a hot day when I commute, I use water bottles. Reasoning is on hot day, that camel back will soak up heat, and also create a really good spot for you to heat up your back!!

I fill up my 3L Camelbak with ice, then the rest with water. While the cool feeling to my back from the icey pack is minimal, I think it prevents the whole thing from being a hot sweaty mess on me, but hey, its cycling. You have to plan to get sweaty, especially on hot days.
The ice keeps the water cold pretty much to the last drop.

Dave

Originally posted by Dwagenheim

Dave

Dave, when do you leave on your cycle america trip? It says June 2002, are you ready? What are the plans?

I'm doing a little scrambling around right now for odds and ends. Physically I believe I am prepared. If I can get all the stuff I need together, I think it will help my mental game for my departure which is in less than a week!

Dave

June 18th to Prudhoe for start.

Originally posted by Dwagenheim
I'm doing a little scrambling around right now for odds and ends. Physically I believe I am prepared. If I can get all the stuff I need together, I think it will help my mental game for my departure which is in less than a week!

Dave

June 18th to Prudhoe for start.

I'm eager to follow your progress, and if I can get some notice, I'll ride a bit of southern california with you if you like.

I've followed another ride on the net - it was a motorcycle ride, but still pretty cool. www.strikingviking.net. Neat guy to meet.

Anyway, if your down in my area let me know!!