ian0789

So I was just out on the trails and doing my normal loop on my mountain bike. I have my 1st cross bike on its way and of course I have just been day dreaming about it / what trails I am going to hit and what places I wanna ride! Then a random thought came into my head. What do you think the best option to use while training in the off season of cross. Camelbak or some water bottles? At 1st I was thinking water bottles would be the best option but well after thinking about it I only keep one cage on my MTB and honestly never use it. They get so nasty and muddy I just always use my camelbak and thinking of the places I am going to be riding my cross bike I am wondering hmmmm wouldnt it end up the same lol.

So obviously with a race I wouldnt use cages or a camelbak as there probably isnt much need to drink on the fast race and it would just get in the way but just wondering what you all do when your not racing and hitting up some cross bike training.

Kopsis

For CX training I throw a water bottle in the backpack with my turn markers, collapsable barriers, tire pump, and other goodies. I take it off when I get to the park where I'm practicing and hang it on a convenient tree. But I suspect you're really asking about riding singletrack or gravel roads on the CX bike. Though fun, it's not really CX training since that terrain usually makes up a small percentage of the typical CX course. In that case use whatever works for you. I prefer to just stash a bottle in a jersey pocket.

You won't need to carry water during a race. Cages get in the way of shouldering the bike and I can't even imagine how uncomfortable a camelbak would be. Unless you're in the elite cats, you're only doing 30 - 45 minutes per race. If you're getting too dehydrated during the race, get someone to give you a handup (though the CX hydration handup of choice is NOT water ).