The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/09 14:09After taking up mt. biking several ago, one of things I still look back on as on of the most major boosts to my riding was switching from water bottles to a Camelbak. It was a water epiphany you might say. Not being a road biker I am perplexed by why virtually no road riders seem to use hydration packs. In fact I can't say that I've ever seen a rider with a Camelbak on that didn't have knoby tires. Why is this? I guess the only possible arguments against it that I can think of might be that is is less aerodynamic. But, I would have to think that with some of the slim packs they have out, three bottles and cages would be far less aerodynamic than the pack. So to all you roadies out there... what gives?
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/09 16:50Just used one last week on a 180 mile 2 day trip. Not bad, but on day 1 about 4 hours into the ride my left arm started to hurt, then get numb. Seems the strap was cutting off circulation somehow. Better than other reasons you get pain in the left arm...
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/09 18:18I saw a biker with one of these. It makes you look like a camel from the back too, if you get my drift ;-3)
But I had to wonder, under the seat is were most cyclists carry their tools/spare tube. Whith this space taken by water...?
May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/09 21:38The most compelling reason for me to use a Camelbak on MTB rides is that bottles get splashed with mud and river water, which probably contain at least some of the myriad bacilli on the short list of human pathogens, not to mention the yucky taste.
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/10 18:44That's just a matter of time. So far they have only figured out how to reload the packs of the domestiques. That's easy enough since they just slip back down to the cars anyway. Once there they just connect a hose and fill 'er up. Now the problem comes with getting this up to Lance and the others. I suppose the Domestique could have a superbig 'bak on him. Like 16 litres would give his teammates 2 liters apiece. The question is whether to use lung pressure to move the water to the next biker or maybe he could carry a small electric pump. Of course on climbs he'd just need to get in front for a few minutes while the water moved down to the next rider.
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/10 22:50I tried using a CamelBak Blowfish thinking it would be a nifty way to carry a rain jacket, house keys & cell phone on my road bike AND have easy access to water on longish rides. However, after a couple of rides I decided I didn't like it. The sweat that builds up between me and the pack is way uncomfortable and IMO justification enough not to use one. Also, it's pretty inconvenient to use with layers of clothing for rain and/or cold. I suppose if I lived in Minnesota and liked winter riding that might solve the sweat problem and, as a bonus, keep my water from freezing.
But if you like yours, by all means use it and dang the torpedoes!
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/11 01:50<many good points deleted before and after the quote above>
However, I would argue this point. There's something to be said for better control of the bike via removing weight from the bike (at the expense of hanging it on the rider). This is certainly true in mountain biking -- try putting a liter of water and all the tools required 10 miles into the woods on the bike and getting over a log or drop-off, then try it without the weight on the bike -- you can throw the bike around easier when it's lighter.
That all said, I have not enough road experience to say that the above issue is more important than the other issues mentioned (like covering up your back when you're sweating your balls off). I'd have to agree you're better off putting the stuff on the bike if you can. Too bad I've become addicted to my backpacks and wouldn't pedal anything without them...
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/11 03:12I believe CamalBack, as well as a few others, make Fanny Pack versions that you wear around yopur waist. I'm cionsidering one of these myself If I ever decide to do any long off roading.
May you have the wind at your back. And a really low gear for the hills!
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/11 12:17I recently was at my LBS and saw the proprieter installing an odd water container onto a road bike. It was mounted behind the seat, had the shape of a football (american), and had a tube mounted along the top tube going to the handlebars. It looked like a rather neat way to have the weight on the bike, but also have the water easily accessible. It also looked like it would hold as much as a large camelbak.
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/11 14:02I use a basic 50oz Camelbak for most of my road rides, along with a single bottle used for an energy drink. I'm sure that weight and aerodynamics will be mentioned as reasons that a hydration pack isn't used by roadies. Very few of us, however, are really going to be seriously affected by either (despite daydreams of Merckx and/or Armstrong when we're riding). To be honest, I think "road snobbery" (of which I'm also guilty on more than one occasion) prevents more road riders from using them. On short rides when I don't need that much water, I'll use bottles, but have found that I don't drink as much as I should. It's just more convenient to drink from a Camelbak than it is from a bottle.
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/11 18:00Yeah. When *I* rode all the hills were steeper, and the Injuns would scalp your tires AND your head. (I assume all the other great old fart jokes have been repeated here ad nauseam.)
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/12 02:29I believe Dylan Casey wore an ice-filled pack a few years ago when he won the US National time trial championsip. It was in the midwest and the air temperature was hot. He may have worn it under his jersey, I didn't see any pictures.
re:The Road Biker vs. Hydration Pack - 1999/11/13 01:04Aerodynamics has nothing to do with it. These packs are fairly thin and they're mostly protected from the wind by your head and torso. I'd guess their increase of drag is negligible.
I hate riding with any backback. I sweat heavily from my back when I ride and that makes backbacks very uncomfortable. I don't like extra weight on my body when I ride anyway. It's a comfort issue.
I would only consider using one of these for a very long ride (greater than 60 miles) where I couldn't get water on the way and even then, I'd still have my bottles. When I ride that far around here, depending upon my route, I can usually get water on the way (parks and schools and other institutions have publicly accessible drinking fountains) so it's not much of a problem.
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