Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 10:32How do people feel about this as far as endurance events or everyday riding? If you go with bottles how to you cope with storage needs ( tube, patch kit, co2, zip ties, etc. )? Also has anyone made the switch one way or the other recently and what was the benefits/problems that arose? I ask because I am considering switching to bottles to get the weight and heat off of my back for the 101 but I am concerned about the logistics of water and supplies because I have never really been without my camelbak.
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 11:16it would just be a matter of being able to make it from aid station to aid station for water/gatoraid with the bottles. off the top of my head i would say they are 15 miles or so apart, so if you could make it that far on bottles, not a biggie. you could use a saddle bag for tube/CO2/tools and or a frame mounted mini pump. Its putting a little more faith in your equipment than you are used to but plenty of racers do it at thing like the 50 and the 101, heck for that matter regular rides.
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 11:37The disadvantages are: running out of fluids, needing food between aid stations (or food that the aid station does not provide), and having a mechanical.
I'm thinking of ditching the camelbak this year but I drink tons, carry extra food, and am prone to mechanicals so its a worry for me.
HO
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 12:13Just recently purchased a Camelbak MULE. I'm going to try this for a while and see how I like it.
If distance is roughly 15 miles between Aid stations on the W101.....at 10 MPH average, that's about 1.5 hours of water needed. Assuming you need about 24 oz. (1 bottle) of water per hour, I think you could do it with two bottles on the bike, eh?Chuck Norris once broke the land speed record on a bicycle that was missing its chain and the back tire.
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 13:10i would double check on all the distances, its not a constant. and it can get alot slower near the end, say after 60 miles. you could always stick a third bottle in a jersey pocket, ive done that on road rides, not sure how well it would work off road though. the other issue, like HO mentioned would be food that you wanted that wasn't at aid stations. if you plan to use a lot of gel packs or anything like that, you need to have them with you from the start or refill at your drop bags. I think with enough planning you could get away with it as long as you didn't have a mechanical that you normally would have parts in your camelbak to fix. Also keep in mind, bottles have a way of falling out of your cage, i found 6 on the first half of the stoopid while sweeping. sometimes they have spares at the aid stations but if you lost one early in a section, you could be in deep doo doo
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 14:47I do share the concern of bottles ejecting during the ride. However, korte assures me that with the proper cage this should not happen. Of course I would train for awhile with the bottles to see where the problems are or if I need better cages. Food I probably will not carry only some gel and shot blocks between stations. HO do you actually eat real food between stations? As far as the distance between stations if my memory serves it was some like 25, 20, 15, 15, 12.
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 14:54one thing that i do for a bottle if i actually carry one is to use a piece of velcro to strap it into the cage. its not a very useful idea if your using the bottle as your primary source of hydration and need to get to it frequently but you might want to do something like that for the bottle you are not using to make sure it doesn't prematurely jettison. I would also recommend like you say, do some training with just bottles since you'll need to train yourself to actually use them, i have heard that people tend to not drink as much when they don't have the bite valve right there. and you dont want to get behind in your hydration on the 101
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 16:27Last year I ate a clifbar, a snickers, and beef jerky, some cookies, and carried drink powder to mix in the camelbak. I probably could make do with less. But I did go through over 6 liters of water on a less than average temp day. I used a water bottle just to spray on myself during the heat of the afternoon also. If I went to bottles I would carry 3 - only 1 on bike. So I would need to get used to carrying them in my pockets.
HO
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 17:46I electrical tape my gels to the top tube so I can just rip them off and the tops will be left under the tape and the gels will be ready to consume.
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 18:42I ride with and without a Camelbak all the time. I find it nice to not have to ride with a camelbak. I started doing it in the winter on rides a little over an hour. Now I can do 3 hour rides (ride time)with two or three bottles. The last three races I’ve done I didn’t use a camelbak 25 milers. For longer group rides a camel back is nice and it adds a little weight to make you stronger. Plus you usually don’t have aid stations on group rides. Last year on the 101 I used a water bottle and a Dakine bag with a 70 ounce bladder. I only filled the bladder at one aid station. On the flip side four bottles of Gatorade made my guts flip. Beef jerky is the better then anything. I try to eat real food it’s not as hard on the guts. Gel I used a little over half a flask and a cliff bar. I think I’m ditching the camelbak this year. You get two big drop bags also. Tube, patch kit, co2’s, tool, quick link and derailleur hanger in a bag, pockets and taped to the bike. Sorry for being so long winded.
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/16 22:05For the 101 try using a 70 oz camelbak (rogue is very light) or dakine pack for water or whatever you like to drink. Put one bottle on the bike for the opposite of what's in the camelbak. One tube, speed patches and tools (don't forget a derailleur hanger & tyvek for tire boots) in a saddle bag to keep weight off your back, with a mini pump on the frame. Put your favorite foods in your jersey pockets and pack goodies in the two drop bags.
The aid stations are very well stocked and close enough that you shouldn't run out of anything in between.
HO, there is no way you'll survive the 101 without a big camelbak.
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Re:Camelbak vs Bottles - 2009/06/17 16:14not that im gonna be around, but for the sake of all others, im going to ask that chris post a rule requiring jerseys to be present on all riders at all times
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