Cyclosaurus

As others have said, first priority is having enough water. Having cold water is nice and I fill my bottle with ice cubes then water and it stays cold for a while. By the time all the ice is melted and the water warms up I'm just happy to still have some.

scott967

I just throw an 8-pack of 20oz gatoraides in the freezer. let em get rock-hard. Grab one and go. By the time I'm ready to start drinking enough is thawed. Once it's done I refill from water fountains and the water isn't cold to begin with, so nothing really to "keep cold". I don't find unscrewing the cap any issue, but I'm a solo rider so don't have to be super-careful about holding my line.

scott s.
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Nikon shooter

+1 on the Camelbak Podium Chill insulated bottles. I just got back from a two hour ride in 95+ heat and still had ice in both bottles. $12.95 at Dick's. No you don't need cold water, but I sure like it.

Hambonio

"BITD you hung a Bag on the front of the car . it leaked a little but the evaporation cooled the rest of the contents ..

A wet cotton sock over your water bottle can do similar, but you have to Re Wet it."


Putting a wet sock over your bottle works really well. Rewet the sock when you refill the bottle. It doesn't make the water cold, but keeps it from getting too warm. I used to keep a sock on my bottle all the time. Now I ride from home in the morning, I just use a few cubes.


I don't mind water lukewarm, but not when it starts to get hot.

Also, love the Camelbak bottle, gives a GOOD stream of water.

2manybikes

There's nothing wrong with drinking 90F - 100F water when it is 100F out either. I do it twice a week.

Over the last two decades I have bought three or four plastic types of insulated bottles, and seven or eight , maybe more, stainless vacumm insulated bottles. I do a century every week in the 90-100 temps. The plain bottles hold more and the temp means nothing to my comfort. really cold drinks use calories to warm the water a little. I leave the house with four full big bottles, at about 50 miles I stop and buy four more bottles worth. That works for a century.
Last friday 107 miles, temps, on the road 90-100 untill almost sunset. 7.5 bottles. It was perfect, just like every other weekend. The volume is what I need not the temperature of the drinks. You can get used to it.

The only thing I use the insulated bottles for is on a long ride below freezing to keep the drinks from freezing, when it's in the 20F temps.

Wanderer

I learned back in Vietnam, that water doesn't have to be cold......

That being said, I use Polar, because it keeps it cool longer.

bmthom.gis

Warm water makes a post ride cold beer just that much better

tarwheel 

I use CamelBak and Polar insulated bottles. Fill them about half to nearly full with ice cubes and then top off with cold water. The water stays cold for at least an hour, even longer in cooler temperatures. You can also fill the bottles about 1/3 full with water and put in the freezer until it becomes ice, then top off with cold water, but that is a lot more trouble than just using ice cubes.

Personally, I don't like to drink warm-hot water, and it doesn't provide the cooling benefits of cold water. However, if my water gets warm, I'm still going to drink it to stay hydrated.