Easier said than done, depending on the model. e.g. much easier with the Platypus bladder than with the Rogue (which has one of these big screw on lids on the side).

Can you freeze the camelbak to keep it from overheating your back? Has anyone replaced the water bag with a de-boxed box o' wine?

In the past I have used them when riding centuries because I am paranoid about running out of water, but the truth is, they are a real pain in the butt. I hate carrying it on my back and the last time I used it I attempted to freeze the bladder. It never defrosted and I ended up schlepping it for 100 miles! I have sworn off them--before my next century I am just going to add a double bottle cage to the back of my seat.

My 70 oz (2 liter) Camelbak says it's good to hold 2 hours worth of water. 1 liter an hour....what do you guys usually drink?

I love my Camelbak. I haven't used a wter bottle in years. Never have had problems with sloshing or overheating. I have noticed though that I used to see more Camelbaks a few years ago than I do now, like they are becoming less popular. As for me, I don't get it. If they ever quit making them I'm going to buy enough to hold me til I can't ride any more.

krispistoferson: The wine idea doesn't sound too bad. A nice White Zinfandel, some cheese and a shady tree would be a great mid-ride break.

SS

These guys thought so too...

...and this guy...

When i went on my trip in Europe, we cycled 60 - 100 miles a day on average. It didnt help i was there during that huge heatwave they had a year or two ago, but i found that during the course of a day i would go through 2 waterbottles and all of my camelback (forget what size it was) and would still end up going through another 2 waterbottles (and a bottle of gatorade when we stopped for lunch). Could also have been because of the pace we went - had to wait for the slower riders and all, combined with being out in the sun all day. Had a great bikers tan by the time i got back

That's exactly right. It's the image thing. If Lance Armstrong started to use one, then they would spread like wildfire.


Al

camelbacks became popular with mtn bikers due to the kind if riding involved....where you're throwing the bike around over jaring (spl?) conditions that makes it very difficult to reach down and use a water bottle. Also a problem with the rough trails causing the water bottles to jump out of the cage. The camelback removed the dead weight from the bike making it easier to throw around, bunny hop, etc. Road biking doesn't require that type of riding so camelbacks just aren't seen as that necessary.

Also, the "sloshing" problem can be reduced by making sure all the air is out of the camelback bladder when you fill up and close it.


tomcat

one thing about the hydration packs is that they take the water weight off the bike and the bike is easier to control. this is more pertinent to mtb'ing however. i use my hydrapak on road rides also and none of the roadies seem to care. then again, i'm riding an mtb with them so the hydrapak is probably the least of my transgressions!

Yup, night before a ride in Summer I'd fill the bladder quarter full, lay it flat in the freezer, next morning top it up and have ice cold water for the next couple of hours.

I don't really care for wearing a full camelback when on the road bike. I think maybe when I'm on the drops, the entire pack is resting flat on the back and tends to sway a bit when cornering. I also do not feel the need to carry too much stuff, just a spare tube, C02 and microtool, with some cash (coins for payphone) just in case.

When mountain biking I have a 100oz Mule and enough junk to fix any mechanicals and a comprehensive first-aid kit. I've also lost water bottles mid-ride and no way I could grab a bottle on the move like I do on the road. I'm more upright on the mountain bike so most of the weight is bearing on the shoulders and waist.

Like some people said, it's just not necessary. My $2 water bottles work just fine.

Besides, who wants to look like a buffalo in spandex (as JoeOxfordCT so elegantly described it)

That's awesome! The buffalo needs a Colorado jersey.

No way in Hell any discerning rider would be caught dead drinking swill like a White Zin.

That's the one I have too. I resisted getting one because of bulkiness, but my brother got me the Rogue for Christmas and now I use it for just about every ride. I also carry one bottle with Gatorade, and I don't even do seriously long rides. My rides are 20-40 miles, but I like the security of having plenty of water just in case. Way back when I used to ride much longer distances, there were some times when I got lost and didn't have any extra water. Now I probably carry too much, but the extra weight just means extra exercise. That will help me lose this gut quicker, so the weight isn't an issue at all.

I also carry an under-saddle bag with a tube and CO2 cartridges, but I think I'll transfer that stuff to the Camelbak and lose the bag. There's just enough room for those things, plus a little money and a cell phone. Then I keep a Hammer Gel in a jersey pocket.

The only real problem I have with it is that now I drink too much water. I end up having to look for a place to take a leak after the first 15 miles or so.

Ive started using the camelbak on my road rides. Its still considered a fashion faux pau by roadies but that doesn't stop me.

In the summer - I can carry more fluids than my two bottles. In the winter, I can carry an extra jacket, tights, etc.

In the same fashion--I rode with downtube shifters for the longest time. STI/Ergo levers were a revelation when I finally tried them and my long trusted downtube shifters became a burden. Same thing with the bottles. It's become a burden to reach down and pick up a bottle. I can't drink when both hands are necessary, and my frame has to be polished off of whatever I've been drinking on my last ride. Not so with a hydration system and I also find that I drink much more often when I've got a hydration system readily available. That's good.

Should you -- or anyone -- want a flavored drink in bottles, I recommend putting water in one bottle in the downtube cage and the flavored drink in the seat tube cage.

Kind of a tangent, but the "flavored drink" thing got me thinking. If you're using a Camelback and getting funk in it, it could be from flavored drinks - the only time I've ever gotten anything nasty in mine was after putting Cytomax in it. The nasties seem to like that sugar. No problems ever just using regular, (chlorinated around here) water, even if I don't air it out or even drain it every time.

I'm not discerning. I'm happy, content, laid back and I like White Zin.

SS

I don't think CamelBak's (and the like) are allowed in road racing and tri's.. Although it is known to happen (from time to time) that I'm wrong...

Thanks for posting that, mirona. Definitely the funniest thing I've seen so far today!

Not speaking about you in particular, but there seems to be a whole generation of riders who are unable to take their hands off the bars or else see it as some huge dangerous inconvenience. Bike handling skills suffer because of this. I blame things like STI and camelback. It's only a matter of time before someone demands a device that shoves food into your mouth so you don't have to let go of the precious bars.

I need one of those for my LaZBoy chair.

1. 4 water bottles and a seat bag... vs. one camelbak? i'd rather have the camelbak. and it looks better.

2. like others have said, you often run through BOTH a camelbak AND 2 water bottles.

3. self-sufficiency isn't just "cool" or "neat". it's a way of biking. and for me it's the whole point of it.

sd