Doge

I've been spending too much bottle time this weekend.
Got any system for how you use the bottle?

hack

I fill it with fluid and drink it when thirsty ... are there other uses?

revchuck 

Was that the bottle labeled "Chivas"?

Doge

Many.
Some...
-Pouring water over head. Then there was that time when it was chocolate milk.
-Sticky bottle. You can't go get one if you have fluid - that would be cheating.
-The size...many of the 24oz won't fit on smaller frames.
-Feeding team - 24s are too big.
-Start with frozen?
-Put cold/frozen on back for cooling - or in wet sock on back for cooling.
-What is in them? Water or calorie / electrolyte?
-Carry or feed?
-Best to aim at opponent - or dog - or spectator
-Have teammate feed you and carry less
-Aero bottle?
-Are you going to get them back?
-Color?
-Where you feed. Feed at top of zone, take extra bottle for decent and toss it at bottom - maybe filled with heavier than water.
-Passing to the teammate https://vimeo.com/152345039

In Europe they have to be cheap because you are expected to give them to other teams.

Ygduf

reported

topflightpro

In the really hot summer months, I generally fill the bottles half way, then lay them at an angle in the freezer overnight to keep them partially frozen for at least a little while.

I also do one bottle with sport drink and one water. I do this for two reasons: 1. In the summer heat, my stomach has a hard time processing sport drink, so I use the water to mix things up. 2. When things get really hot, I like to be able to dump water on my head - I don't shed or tolerate heat well.

I also prefer the largest bottles I can find. I'd rather finish a ride with water left than be struggling to get home because I ran out.

carpediemracing 

Camelbak Podium Ice (not Chill). Keeps things cooler.

Fill with cubes, top off with water, that will be a second bottle in a hot (85-105 deg F) race. First bottle I have to put only 3-4 cubes because otherwise I'm shaking ice cubes in an otherwise empty bottle. In one crit I underestimated the Ice's ability to insulate, it was a 90 degree F crit, 40 miles, and I had both tops off trying to get the ice cubes in my bottles to melt. I had very little water because I thought a lot of the ice would melt during the drive over and while the bottles sat in the car.

I've staged bottles on the road in case I have to pick one up, meaning I put it on the street next to the curb somewhere discrete. Only picked up one bottle in all my years racing. I haven't staged a bottle since the mid 90s.

Water only. Electrolyte drinks make me cramp almost immediately. I don't understand it, I haven't really experimented with it, but after a few stings in the tail I decided to simply avoid electrolyte drinks.

The "shorter" Podium Ice fit in my Specialized Rib Cages fine. Never dropped one, and I've hit some massive things out there, including a pothole so big I pinch flatted a tubular (it was in a puddle and I didn't know just how big it was).

I've poured sugary stuff on my because I couldn't drink it but I was hot. Coke, Mountain Dew, lots of it.

dz_nuzz

Being primarily a road racer I tend to opt for 3 bottles during the longer, hotter races. Almost always take two large, non-insulated bottles. My thinking is that a non-insulated bottle weighs less empty and can probably fit more water in it. Cool water is nice but it is not something I really crave, water is enough.

I ended up getting out of those butt-water holders thinking it would make sense for long races (I have a specialized saddle that lets me mount one directly, no need for a rail clamp). Put it on my bike, looked at it, immediately removed it.

As for water vs. hydration mix. I have been slowly converted to using hydration mix. I typically do one bottle with hydration mix and the others with water. I figure that if I eat enough food (sodium filled gels) the water is better off being non-hydration mixed.

Had a friend experiment with Skratch Hyper Hydration this year. It actually served him pretty well in the mountain stage of GMSR this year.

Doge

Against some rules now. Done anyway.
So is feeding by other than your team, also done anyway.

carpediemracing 

I actually cleared the bottle staging with officials before doing it, believe it or not. I don't remember if at some point one of them told me it's against the rules or something but nowadays, with insulated bottles, and me doing at most a 1.5 hour crit, I don't need more than 3 insulated bottles (one in pocket for early on then toss, two on bike). I usually carry just one bottle for most hour long crits.

I have done "neutral feed". Last RR where I fed was in 2010. My teammate bought a case of cheap non-team bottles, he told me to feed everyone. So I tried to give away whatever bottles, maybe it was 24? Maybe 48? After the race he was like "where are my bottles?" "You told me to feed everyone so I handed them up to whoever wanted one." "I meant everyone on the team, but it's okay". haha. I think maybe 6 or 8 got turned in at the "turn in your bottles" collection area.

Doge

Getting bottles back has always been a bit of a challenge. I'm generally feeding 2-3 riders and/or kids. Net is I'm likely out 10+ bottles a year. Proper etiquette should be bottles discarded in the feed zone should be left until the end of the race day so folks can get their bottles back, but folks walk off with everyone's it seems. But as I loose so many bottles, buying insulated ones, while a small amount of $ compared to everything else just bugs me. Juniors rarely finish with a bottle.

In Victorville crit in June it was 113F and promoter allowed "feeding". The group was small and it kinda worked, but this was what was a 28mph part where the front group worked into some kind of agreement that a different rider would go off front each lap and get a bottle. We had an exchange program in the pit when a guy would ask for water we'd tell them to drop theirs next lap and we'd fill it. That worked. But also unusual.

In quite a few local RR and crits they are tossed rather poorly and other riders hit them. Santa Barbara RR, Cascades RR feed zone I've seen those crashes due to someone running over someone else's discard. Both of those have flatter feed zones - don't know if that has anything to do with it.

topflightpro

I did a crit in weather like that once. About five laps in, three guys attacked, and the rest of the field just sat up, and said, "You guys want to race in this, go ahead." We just rode around until the race was over with those three going hard.

Doge

Yea - as done by the majority of the pros in Dohar.

So there was a few hundred $ on the line on this Victorville Crit. I knew junior was well taken care of for water and, other than one other rider - a non sprinter the others in the break were going to be empty very early - and likely drop out. 2-3 did drop from the break and the "pack" I think quit after lap 4 or something and some 10 didn't start.

So I helped (since it was a rule breaking day) or there would have been no one for my sprint finish video :-)

tetonrider

why is that? Because they ditch their bottles before the finale?

tetonrider

do at least one test ride with the hyper hydration before using it in a race. things can go very wrong with that one.

Doge

I don't understand the thinking of these kids, just what I observe.

They like to toss them far last lap. Real far and then talk about how far they tossed them.
On hills they wouldn't want to carry up that extra weight. As mine matured - he doesn't care as much.

Then they don't pay for them.

tetonrider

and probably don't clean them up, either.

dz_nuzz

Haha, yeah we had a big team pow wow about it. He decided to risk it and it paid off. Personally I would not do that the day before a major A-Race without some testing.

Doge

That, or the kitchen, or their rooms...

Many of the older juniors see this as littering - and understand. Same goes for food wrappers.
But Daniel made the comment several times that a bottle won't be on the ground for more than a few min in Europe. Spectators like to collect them and they got caught off guard being asked for them by other teams as an exchange thing.

hack

I've seen quite a few of the Jrs around here toss bottles going into the last lap of a flat crit. Big bottle throws, too.


Regarding drink mix. I almost never use it and I decided I'd add a bunch to my bottles at Cascade. Somewhere around mile 65 of 95, my stomach just about exploded. Made for a miserable last 30 miles. Didn't help that I came down with some add'l stomach issues for the rest of the stage race.

aaronmcd

3 bottles, 300 calories of infinit nutrition per bottle. For a road race. That's 900 calories and no need to fumble around with a dozen gus and gummies. I'll bring a gu or two, some gummies, whatever I have lying around as backup/extra/sugar jolt if I need it. Neutral feed for plain water if it's hot. Toss the crappies bottle I have and keep the crappy feed bottle. Bring it next race to trade again. Finish with all my empty bottles to use later unless they really are past their lifespan.

scheibo

I bought like 10 of these - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007B2DRE6 when they were something like $2.99 each. The things I was looking for in a bottle were:

- clear (so you can tell when its dirty/mold is growing or something)
- caps which aren't horrible and are easy to clean
- dirt cheap so you can toss them at races/throw them away when they get worn/etc.

I also wash them after each use, even though I only ever had water in them, because getting sick from bottles is lame.

I am very happy with my original purchase, but it looks like they're now $6.99 and 28oz (https://www.amazon.com/Seacoast-Basi.../dp/B0096XHQHW) which I'm not as keen on as 24oz/1.5L seemed to be a good size and they are considerably more expensive now.

Doge

Biodegradable bottle and cap - For junior riders (wouldn't that fall apart with use and the sun?)
Easy to squeeze soft plastic, soft plunger
BPA free, California prop 65 compliant
Made in the U.S.A.

https://www.amazon.com/Sunlite-Made-...RHD&th=1&psc=1

spdntrxi

I have one of those steam thingy machine.. works wonders on tile floors and water bottles.

Doge

I wish top and bottles were sold al-cart.
It is the tops that seem to grow things that are hard to clean and hard to see.