CanadianBiker32

doing another 100 miler mt bike race in a few weeks. last few years i used a Camelbak . although handy, find it restrictive, i like having my body free of straps etc.

Now its a 100 miler - so over 6 hours of riding. How do you all hydrate for those who don't use a camelbak, as in how you carry your bottles?

i am thinking 2 large bottles on my bike, with maybe small reserve in backpocket, that i might dump later on.

And just stop to refill at stations.

Does this work for you all as well. I find refilling the camelbak is awkward and takes time to take off vs a bottle.

So open to suggestions from all of you. hw you managed to stay hydrate on a 100 mile mt bike race such as Lutsen 99er. thanks

1242Vintage

Interested in this topic also.

Just finished a 60 miler in 4 and a half hours with lots of climbing in the heat. Used a camelback and a large bottle on the frame. Refilled the bottle twice and the camelback once. Wasn't enough. There was a climb at the end and was completely out of water. I was dying. After finishing I went through a couple quarts of water at the venue and then a few more on the two hour drive home.

I was thinking that I would drink more often with the camelback since I could drink and still keep both hands on the bars and the large bottle as the backup but that setup didn't work for me.

Reckoneer

This requires a bit of planning, but water drops are a great solution if you cannot find stations. I had my wife meet us at certain rendezvous points with a cooler full of water and replacement bottles.

While I'm Adventure Racing, or doing Endurance races (Shenandoah 100) like yours, I always use a 100 oz (3 L) . bladder (I like Osprey's packs over Camelbak, but that's a color and fit issue since they both get the job done). It takes some getting use to, but you can police up the strap ends with electrical tape, and remove all the extra stuff to keep it lite. At 100 oz. (3 L) the pack is a bit stiff at first, but after a few hours, you won't even notice it. Plus, the more you drink, the lighter is gets.

I freeze the bladder with about 3/4 full of water the night before, then fill it completely the next morning is normal water. The ice/water mix slowly melts over a 4-6 hour period keeping the water always cold. Having additional frozen bladders at your water drops could be effective too. Then you can just switch them out and go.

I normally race distances of 30-miles or less with a single bottle cage on my frame. But in longer events, I use this more for electrolyte fluids then water (since electrolyte powder in my bladder never goes away). Most bikes can fit two (2) bottle cages, and having the bottle in a cage is much better than in your back pocket. If you're not going very fast, two bottles is manageable, but my full-suspension Trek Superfly will only fit one cage due to the suspension piston.

Pro tip -- on longer rides, a bungee cord on your bottle is good too. Not easy to grab while you're riding, but it really sucks when you loose your bottle on mile 35, dropped off your bike at the corner of nowhere and gone!

If you want to go completely bag-less (bottle only) you need to time how long it takes you to drink one (or two) bottles. Heat and exertion will test your hydration limits and running out miles before you next refill can hurt you mentally. If you can ride 20-miles on one bottle, then plan your refills accordingly. But keep in mind, a bladder can extend you out to twice that distance, and carry your keys, phone, knife, whistle, and space blanket in case you crash, get chased by a bear, or find someone else hurt. Long rides are full of that stuff!

Hope that helps!

corrado33

I use 2.5 L on a 35 mile ride mountain bike ride.

You're going to average 16.5 MPH over a hundred miles?

I'd bring a 3 L camelback with 2 water bottles on the frame. You don't want to run out of water.