nun

In the Tour de France Saxo-Tinkoff are using a mesh vest to carry extra water up to team mates. It is lightweight an can fit 7 bottles. It might be useful for lightweight tourers for those sections where you want to carry some extra fluid. Unfortunately you can't buy it yet.

Sportful Stories | Drinks all round ? the Sportful ?bottle vest?

staehpj1

I saw that on the tdf coverage and didn't realize what it was. You could use bottled water bottles or recycled sport drink bottles for the sections where you needed them that way the rest of the time you would only have the weight of the vest. You could carry food, extra clothing. or whatever in the vest as well.

I have taken to using a little backpack the last few minimalist tours, but wonder how the vest compares for weight and comfort. They could make it high visibility which might be a plus.

fietsbob

You gonna do Domestique duty for the rest of the team?

linnefaulk

I would never be able to get the bottle back in the vest. AT least without crashing.

staehpj1

I don't think it would be that hard, but why would you need to? The way I would see this used for touring you would be using your regular bottles in the cages to drink from. I'd swap out bottles from the vest to the cages at stops. I'd only use something like the vest to schlep extra food and water for those relatively rare sections where resupply might not be possible for a longer than usual section like at least all day and more likely overnight or more.

jabantik00

1. Buy 3l or 5l box of wine (usually the cheap stuff)
2. Drink 3l or 5l of wine
3. Recycle/throw away cardboard box, rinse out the plastic bag (you can pull the tap out and press it back,) and use as lightweight, collapsible fluid container.

wtf image too large? this forum sux. pic of wine bladder with wine

nun

Nice idea. I like the vest as a good solution for carrying extra fluids if you don't have a lot of spare room in your bags. Up to now I'd strap a 2L bottle of something under the
long flap of my saddlebag, put a couple of cans of something in my handlebar bag or just break out a lightweight nylon backpack I carry. The vest just looks a bit more comfortable.

Machka 

I tried a much smaller version of that once. It was a "fanny pack" type of thing with a spot for a bottle ... designed for runners. I thought it would be perfect for a rather remote 600K randonnee. I could carry a couple bottles on the bicycle and a third in that thing.

Partway through the ride, I was in incredible pain throughout my torso, abdomen, etc., I felt nauseated, and really struggling ... I removed that thing, and instantly felt so much better.

I had a similar reaction to riding with a camelbak over a long distance.

Since those two experiences, I've decided that water is meant to be carried on the bicycle, not on me. I carry two bottles in cages on the bicycle, and I always leave room in a bag for an extra bottle of water or iced tea or something.


I can see why the domestiques have started to use them ... before, it was kind of awkward carrying stuff up to their leaders, now it looks more convenient. But the vest is only full of bottles etc. for a very short time.

imi

Uh, I'm schtuck at nubmer 2... Wots nuhmber three? Werds all fuzzy

Nick The Beard

Fixed it for ya.

Bacciagalupe

It's a neat invention, but as noted it really is not designed for the convenience of a normal person riding on a bike. The DS will hand a loaded vest to the rider, who then uses it to carry the bottles to the rest of the team. The team-mates, not the guy wearing the vest, pull out the bottles.

Obviously, a Camelbak is more efficient for tourers who want to carry water on their backs. I've done it, it's OK. I'd do it again if touring in a hot area, not sure about otherwise.

Bacciagalupe

I'd probably stick to a Dromedary bag. I wouldn't trust the wine bags enough to reuse them.

Walter S

I find it better to carry a collapsible water container on my rack. I'd rather avoid strapping water bottles to my body (wear a vest).

LuckySailor

Nicely done!

BigAura

Carrying a large amount of weight on your body, while touring, makes no sense to me, when you are already pedaling a bike that can easily off-load that weight.

staehpj1

For the most part I agree, but there are situations where have I done it and would do it again. For example on the ST I went really light (10 pound base) and rack and bag space were maxed out. When there was one day the whole trip where I needed to carry food and water for 24+ hours between restock, carrying it on my back made more sense to me than having more rack and pannier just for that one day on a long tour. After all the water gets used up as you go, so it isn't like you carry the full weight all that long.

nun

+1, the vest would be most useful for folks who travel lightly and don't have racks or much space to carry a lot of extra water. I suppose people who wear cycling jerseys can carry 3 bottles in the back pockets, but the vest looks like a way to carry more liquid for those rare occasions when it's needed. It looks light and that it would distribute the weight nicely and not dig into the shoulders. Right now I have a nylon backpack for carrying extra stuff, but it moves around if I put water bottles in it. The vest keeps the bottles stable. while riding I'd drink from the water bottles in the cages and then stop to fill up with water from the vest.

cyccommute 

All the inconvenience of water bottles in a hard to use package. What will they think of next?

I'll stick with a Camelbak.

fietsbob

Suit Yourself ..

Where are you going where there is no water . any house you pass you can ask for some..
its a tour, not a race .

3 Lg bottles is fine .I can stop and refill them ..

bring a water filter if you suck it from streams.. somebody is upstream of you..

staehpj1

It doesn't happen that often but I have had a few days where there was no water for a full day. No streams, no houses anywhere near the road to ask at. There are places in the US where it looks like this for pretty long distances:

Lots of this in West Texas.

nun

Camelbak is good for drinking while riding, but they are bulky when not in use. The vest would take up very little room when not in use and would only be used for the times when you have a long ride between supply and need more than a couple of litres of water.

Walter S

I still prefer not to carry water on my body. Aside from not feeling comfortable and free moving, I'm lugging that around (or fooling around with getting it off) when I stop. I have five water bottle cages mounted on the bike - so limiting yourself to two is not a given.

wahoonc

I use MSR Dromedary bags for extra water when needed. The less added weight I carry on my body the better...

Aaron

nun

I tend to agree with you. I am limited to 2 cages and use one litre bottles which is good for 99% of my riding. I can't install more cages on my CF bike so if I need extra water right now I put a 2L bottle of something in my saddlebag and a few cans in my handlebar bag. The vest just looks like a better option for me than the nylon back pack I currently have if I need to carry even more stuff. It looks like it would move around less than the backpack.

cyccommute 

The vest would be no less bulky than a Camelbak considering that you have to find somewhere to carry the extra 5 bottles when not in use. The best way of carrying them would be to wear the vest but that's also the best way to use a Camelbak...especially if it's full of water. If you need to carry more water than a single Camelbak, you can carry a Camelbak Unbottle or a Dromedary bag in your panniers and take up less room than 5 round bottles.

That's your choice, of course, but I've never found a Camelbak to be restricting. Packed with ice, I've also found it to provide cold refreshing water for 3 to 5 hours as well as provide cooling to my body. It's like wearing a personal air conditioner.

Additional, the water in a Camelbak doesn't get nearly as hot, even without ice, as water in a water bottle will.

I don't get this comment at all. If you already wear a backpack, adding a Camelbak bladder or using a Camelbak is a small addition to what you already do. This vest would allow you to carry extra water bottle but that's about it. You couldn't use it in conjunction with a backpack nor would it give you any extra space over a backpack. I suppose you could stuff things into the pockets but each pocket that is filled with other stuff is one less pocket you can use for water and one more water bottle that you need to find a home for while you ride.

There are ways of adding bottles to a carbon fiber bike. Minoura and many other companies make a number of clamps that could be added to frame in various locations. Unibottle clips are amazingly effective without adding weight nor marring the frame. They might be long enough to fit on a fork blade.