[QUOTE=DataJunkie]Man! I wanted to carry my big old thermos in my back pack. Or strap it to my bike's frame.
he he
Anyhow, where do you find these bottles? Any online sources? I'd like to check them out. Lately the only free time I have to visit a bike shop is when I ride past the Denver REI flagship store. Don't have a clue if they carry these bottles. Guess I could stop in. [QUOTE]
Don't even bother looking for Vacuum insulated bottles in a bike shop or even a bike shop on line.
Not gonna happen. Your best bet is on line from Thermos or another on line result from google.
I did fit a big old thermos into a stretched plastic Profile water bottle holder. The one with the "O" ring around it.
Don't bother, then your normal bottles won't fit correctly.
For cold drinks the best vacuum bottle is the one from Thermos. It is a tiny bit smaller diameter than the typical bike bottle. They do work even as a loose fit, you can squeeze the cage in, but it's more convenient to put a thin foam "cozy" or something around the bottle and not bother adjusting the cages. If your doing a lot of off roading this is nice and secure.
DON'T PUT HOT COFFEE IN SPORTS BOTTLES FOR COLD DRINKS. The ones that have a drink spout on top. (read the instructions
) The flip top bottle with the orange button is for hot drinks. That opens two holes at once. The spout and a vent.
The heat from the liquid expands the air and gives you a nice pressurized blast of scalding coffee when you open the bottle. The drink foams up and leaves a little coffee even above the air. The bottles that have a straw going to the bottom of the bottle work just like a spray bottle, you get a huge blast of coffee out of it until the pressure is gone. Trust me on this one, I have been experimenting for years. The Thermos brand drink top bottles have a plastic that makes the hot drink taste so bad you won't do this.
One photo shows two Thermos bottles with some cheap foam bottle wraps around them.
If you look close, one photo shows the orange button on the flip top bottle.
http://thedailymug.com/thnibabojm.html
http://www.gourmet.org/brands/nt/sports/FBE700/?id=biz