Originally Posted by
Rmagers
Doing my first century in August, Hotter than Hell 100, in Texas. Looking for some hydration tips. Do riders use hydration packs, such as a camelback, on century rides or does the extra weight make it not practical?
I will echo the above sentiments if you have the stops, use them to refill some bottles and ditch the pack.
In regards to a pack, while I have been seeing more and more on rides and talked to people on longer rides wearing them, they are still rare over all. I will say that I have played paintball with one on and when the water is cool, it feels great. But playing in the heat with one only feels like there is a bag of hot urine on my back and it causes me to sweat more. Granted this isn't some fancy pack made to vent the back, but it still gets annoying after a few hours in the sun. I can't imagine it on a bike the the sun beating down.
However if you are a thirsty/sweaty person (like myself) I can down 2 bottles of drink in an hour on a hot day and still sweat it all out. I go with a 32 oz of just water and a 24 oz of some sort of mix at every stop. I make sure the water is gone and sometimes split the mix if 1/2 is left at every stop, which is usually every 18-22 miles on MOST organized rides.
I haven't done a solo century, but when I ride alone I will do between 50-80 miles and I have routes that have some sort of water stop every 15-20 miles. That, coupled with 2 bottles, means I don't have to worry about not having water. If I was to get into randonneuring I would probably get a pack. Personally I hate stopping and would rather just ride the route and go home carrying what I need, so a pack might potentially be in my future.