- Joined
- Nov 12, 2015
- Posts
- 1,195
The efficiency of flats vs clips has left me thinking...
Since whenever there are two or more options, there needs to be a 'best', so what is the best way to hydrate while riding- bottle, pack or sipping from a trailside puddle?
- Bottles can be inconvenient and not all bikes play well with them. There are work arounds available, like Specialized's SWAT, so you can always have a bottle on hand. "Science" (looking at what people better than us do) says racers choose a bottle, so it is BEST.
- Hydropacks can be heavy and hot, they move around and can make people feel unbalanced. It was good enough in the 90's, what's the freakin' problem now?
- Puddles can be full of new and interesting micro organisms, but my dogs seem to do just fine. Go paleo you sallys.
This has nothing to do with preference, it's not a choice, it's science god damn it! Defend your reasons!
Bottles:
Pro- cheap, light gets the weight off your back. Better airflow on the back = cooler. No weight shift on descents or when braking hard, no more getting hit in the back of the helmet by a sack of water!
Con- taking the weight off the back puts it on the bike, now your expensive lightweight bike is 2.2lbs heavier per liter of H2O. You also need somewhere to stash tools and snacks... also bottles hold less than most packs.
Hydration Pack:
Pro- self contained system of transporting water, tools, food, extra layer/ med supplies/ camera/ phone... they work great. They take weight off the bike, making that 'value' bike choice as light as your endur-bro riding buddies uber-bike with the tool wrap/ water bottle and snacks taped all over it + you know he is going to need to borrow your pump eventually...
Con- Can be hot. Can shift around a bit "no more dancing monkey" is a marketing slogan for a reason. Easy to 'over load' by adding more stuff. The cool kids will laugh at you (you haven't noticed, but they do).
Puddle 'o Mud:
Pro- simple. Really old school. It's always been good enough for my dog.
Con- everything not 'simple'. My dog died.
Since whenever there are two or more options, there needs to be a 'best', so what is the best way to hydrate while riding- bottle, pack or sipping from a trailside puddle?
- Bottles can be inconvenient and not all bikes play well with them. There are work arounds available, like Specialized's SWAT, so you can always have a bottle on hand. "Science" (looking at what people better than us do) says racers choose a bottle, so it is BEST.
- Hydropacks can be heavy and hot, they move around and can make people feel unbalanced. It was good enough in the 90's, what's the freakin' problem now?
- Puddles can be full of new and interesting micro organisms, but my dogs seem to do just fine. Go paleo you sallys.
This has nothing to do with preference, it's not a choice, it's science god damn it! Defend your reasons!
Bottles:
Pro- cheap, light gets the weight off your back. Better airflow on the back = cooler. No weight shift on descents or when braking hard, no more getting hit in the back of the helmet by a sack of water!
Con- taking the weight off the back puts it on the bike, now your expensive lightweight bike is 2.2lbs heavier per liter of H2O. You also need somewhere to stash tools and snacks... also bottles hold less than most packs.
Hydration Pack:
Pro- self contained system of transporting water, tools, food, extra layer/ med supplies/ camera/ phone... they work great. They take weight off the bike, making that 'value' bike choice as light as your endur-bro riding buddies uber-bike with the tool wrap/ water bottle and snacks taped all over it + you know he is going to need to borrow your pump eventually...
Con- Can be hot. Can shift around a bit "no more dancing monkey" is a marketing slogan for a reason. Easy to 'over load' by adding more stuff. The cool kids will laugh at you (you haven't noticed, but they do).
Puddle 'o Mud:
Pro- simple. Really old school. It's always been good enough for my dog.
Con- everything not 'simple'. My dog died.
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