Water Bottles
 

How often do you replace them? What's your favorite this summer?

I've been using a couple of Specialized for six years so far. Always rinse thoroughly and let them dry, no issues. I've recently tried two 24 oz. Camelbaks for the extra capacity. They are minimally insulated, but it works, keeps fluids a bit cooler. They're now my go to bottles for summer anyway. My advice is get as light a color as possible for summer.

Was this something I was supposed to do on a scheduled interval?

I have used mine for several years. I only put ice and water in mine and clean the nozzle several times a year or when they look dirty.

Be mindful of what you put into it and your water bottle could last you a lifetime. Vanity usually gets the better of me and I’ll find a reason to buy new ones. I mean, who wants to put a scratched up used water bottle on a fresh new build?


-Kedosto

I'm still using the ones I got ages ago. I rarely put anything besides water or ice in them, they should last for ages.

Water bottle for morning commute? Naw. Indestructible Stanley stainless one hand coffee mug for me.

Most of my water bottles are basic bottles that were free from various events that some bike shop or manufacturer sponsored. My newest water bottle is about 5 years old and all of look like they just survived a decade floating out in the great Pacific garbage patch.
For commuting I have a water bottle on my bike that only ever has water in it and gets washed maybe 2 or 3 times a year.

I have been using mine for years. I just rinse them regularly. I avoid the cheap bottles which often add a nasty plastic smell and I never use anything but water in my bottles or my camel bags to avoid any kind of mold buildup.

I get a handful of bottles from my team each year. We use Specialized Purist bottles. They hold water, they don't leak, they don't break or dent if you drop them.

My favorite is the 24 oz Polar insulated bottle.

I use them until they wear out, or start growing mold or mildew, or lose one. Some of the older Specialized bottles would crack in the middle after 5-10 years and leak. Wash them shortly after use and dry them out thoroughly and they won't grow stuff or taste like plastic.

Buy stainless, once..

Camelbak Podium. I replace when the dog eats them.

This...

I use two 27oz Klean Kanteen stainless water bottles.
For years....both of mine are more than 5 years old.
I cover them in stickers and add to them when they are beat up and I think about it. Cuts down on metal to metal rattling.
I also use a 20oz stainless coffee cup w/ tight lid closure. Same one for years. Get one that fits your bike bottle holding system. Purchased my current one on clearance at Starbucks a couple of years ago. The previous one lasted 5+ years.
No plastic. No waste.

I have Camelback and Polar. Have used Specialized decades ago, and various cheap ones. I wash once every few weeks, maybe once a month. If i replace, it's not because i wore them out. I just find a new design i want to try. My favorite are the Powerflow bottles from Bianchi USA. No need to bite and slide. Just squeeze the bottle.

eric/fresno, ca.

I replace when they start to leak. No favorites, they're just cheap plastic vessels after all.

I love Camelbak Podium, the valve is the best (except it's basically impossible to clean the guts inside the valve).

Every time I'm at salvation army I sift through the tons of water bottles and see if there are any camelbak podiums. I've gotten at least 3 so far.

But I keep my daily commuter loaded up with my Sriracha water bottle (also from salvation army). But it's just for looks. My commute is short enough I almost never drink from it. Maybe 3-4 sips a year.

The what do you carry coffee in thread always interests me whenever it get resurrected.

I have never carried coffee on a bike. Or covfefe even. I have stuck a half-empty slurpee in a water bottle cage a few times, that's about as creative as I get.

In the evening I rinse out the Stanley one-hand stainless thermal mug and fill it with cold soda water for the ride home - keeps hot things hot and cold things cold for the five years I've had it.

Any of my water bottles that are 30 years old taste bad...
Well, they would if I knew where they were. But, they were bad bottles when new.

New ones vary a bit. The larger bottles are the Zefal Magnum bottles weighing in at 33 oz. Not perfect, but not bad.

The Specialized MOFLO bottles are slightly smaller, taste slightly better, and are pretty leak proof, even if the spogot isn't closed.

:thumb:

I've found that there are several models of Contigo bottles fit in the cages well, and work well, depending on the spout one wants. Most of them are auto/button operated and are easy to use. Newer ones can be mostly opened for washing/cleaning, depending on how one uses the bottles.

I can't tell if the plastic insulated bottles do much, but the Contigo insulated Stainless bottles work well for a few hours, either hot or cold.

Yeah, stainless steel. I won't go back to plastic. I know, they're expensive.

A King Cage Iris holds my commuter Klein Canteen without rattling.

Any ideas on how to improvise a dust cover for camelbak podium valves?

I'm now the owner of two 24 oz (mostly for speed of availability), though honestly I'd have rather had something with a simple wide screw off cap as the height barely fits and I can't get at them without dismounting anyway. And yes, I know they sell covers; already feeling like I spent too much on something that wasn't what I really wanted.

Mounted behind the seatpost the valves will end up nearly jammed under the saddle so a sort of shower cap that stays attached there when they come out might almost work, problem is rear mount bottles also end up effectively the fender and there will definitely be puddles.

I could do a sandwich bag and a rubber band, but that's getting to a fairly large number of steps to get a drink, especially as I'm expecting I'll have to add a velcro strap to aid cage retention (that I can force them in/out sideways is a necessity as much as a flaw, no room to slide out vertically). Pack cloth and sewing elastic may be an option, or maybe no elastic but just a long sleeve... with some velcro to connect with the planned retention strap?

I'd almost rather just stick two re-used 20 oz gatorade or vitamin water bottles in the cages, and would have done that if I could find anything in a 24 oz size. Discovering I have to unscrew the lid of the camelbacks to get the last mouthful or two out anyway calls the whole thing into question.

Oddity: turns out Vitamin Water Zero Revive fruit punch uniquely among any flavors I saw has 940 mg of potassium, vs most having none. And I bought it just to fit-test the bottle! Should I end up actually taking it, I have half a mind to open it and put in a corresponding amount of table salt.

just checked, not in my manual either?! LOL


I replace when they start to leak or I lose them. I usually lose them before they leak.