drjay9051

Been mountain biking . Time to add road to the mix.

When mountain biking I use a Camelback which holds 100 ounces. Being in the medical field and having personally experienced heat exhaustion I know the importance of proper hydration. Want to know what a bad headache and nausea feel like together, get dehydrated in july in south Florida.

Help me out here:

I have been told by my road riding buddies that Camelbacks are just "not cool" for road riders. They keep a couple of small bottles in their jersey pockets.

So if you ride for a couple of hours in extreme heat and humidity how does one prevent dehydration? Personally i don't like the cycling jerseys and prefer to wear polypro top without all the logos and pockets.

Why is it not O.K. to use a Camelback? One thing for sure: with 100 ounces on board I will stay hydrated.

Besides I would think that a Camelback would be more balanced than a couple of liter bottles jiggling in pockets.

help me out here. BTW: I am not concerned about looks or aerodynamics! I will be road riding, mostly solo, for fitness.

pdlamb

Enjoy your Camelback. Or get used to stopping at small convenience stores in the country to refill.

(I find hydration packs aren't cool because they keep me warm in the summer, since they reduce air flow evaporating sweat on my back. But YMMV.)

Looigi

Yep. Two 24 oz bottles on the bike. Stop and refill when empty. I'll sometimes put a third disposable bottle in the center pocket of my jersey, drink that first, then dispose of it. I always use a camelbak on the mtb, though.

atallen223

I was using my camelback for long group rides (4-5 hours, 65+ miles) in Albuquerque New Mexico (about 85-90 degrees but dry) and I ended up switching to bottles in bottle cages because my back would hurt from the weight after that long. In mountain biking you are (at least I do) sitting up a little more so the pressure isn't as bad on your back and hands. We would stop at convience stores enough to refill when we needed to.

ks1g

Don't let "looks" get in the way of YOUR hydration needs and preferences. Do what you prefer and works for you (let your legs do the talking).

We roadies all want to look as if we are Tour-level Pros with our team car & domestiques on call for fresh bottles. Reality is we must fend for ourselves. I prefer two 24oz bottles in the frame cages (you can go larger if your frame accomodates them). Most rides are in areas where I can refill easily enough (public fountains or convenience stores). For longer rides, really hot & humid days, or I want the option for riding longer without a refill, I use a behind-the-seat (triathelete/time trial) holder and another bottle or two for the balanced, extended range look. I've also tried stuffing a bottle in a jersey pocket with mixed results (warms the water even faster). My personal experience with camelbacks is quick sips are easier, but I better gauge how much I am drinking looking at a bottle; as I only use water to make cleaning the bladder easier, I have to do something else for electrolyte replacement. As I dislike the ubiquitous Gatoraide, I use small zip lock baggies to carry bottle-size portions of drink mix for refills.

I think the logical arguments against camelbacks on the road are: less comfortable & prone to shifting around when in a more aerodynamic posture on a road bike vs. more upright on an MTB, sweaty back syndrome, roadies didn't really need it (roads = civilization = water) while trail riders do (50 miles of desert trail to get to water). Most road bikes have a sizeable frame triangle to hold bottles. A full suspension MTB has less space for bottles, and bottles may eject from the cages while a camelback will stay put on the rider.

BikerBBC

In the heat of a Michigan summer, two 24oz bottles will get me about 30-35 miles. I purchased an attachment that goes on the seat stem that allows two more bottles under the saddle. That'll get me about 50 miles or so in the 90/95 degree heat without having to stop to refill.

Carbonfiberboy 

You can also get liter bottles. I use them in the summer. Zefal Magnum. For rides when I know it will be a long time between refills, I supplement with a 70 oz. Camelbak, only filled when it needs to be.

I used just a Camelbak for years on my road rides, but finally gave it up. More efficient to have the weight on the bike than on your back. A very good thing about bottles is that you can put stuff in them that isn't water, even different stuff in the two bottles. For long rides, I normally have one that's pure water, one that's liquid food.

hamster

What they said.

Also, I think it's pretty uncommon to carry bottles in your jersey pockets. That's what bottle cages on the frame are for. In the last 3000 miles I only lost a bottle from a cage once, going over a manhole cover at 30 mph. (General advice: don't.)

Also, 100 ounces of water (that's 6 lbs) is a bit overkill unless you're going on a 3+ hour ride in extreme conditions, without the ability to refill along the way. Roadies tend to try to minimize weight. Though maybe not in Florida.

Finally, you can get a jersey without logos, and pockets on the back are great.