- 1.7 liters of water isn't enough for 3+ hour rides when it's really hot
- it's much better to have easy access to tools than not-so-easy access to tools
Enough to Drink?
My favorite bottle to drink from while riding is the Nalgene On-the-Go (aka OTG) which holds 700ml or 24 fl.oz. I like it because of the secure, closed loop to hold it (no slipping out of your sweaty hands), easy open cap (squeeze the sides, then rotate open rather than trying to flip it open with your thumb--the latter may seem to be the obvious way, but it doesn't work well), good outflow of water with no squeezing needed and finally a modicum of protection of the drinking spout from gunk kicked up by the tires.
For longer rides, I refill that with the Elite Maxi Cincio, which holds 1000ml or 34 fl.oz.
On really super hot days, I may use an insulated Camelback Podium Big Chill, which holds 750ml or 25 fl.oz. as my primary bottle, and either a semi-frozen Maxi Cincio or, on shorter rides, a second Big Chill with ice water, as my reserve tank.
If you look around for the On the Go bottle, you may actually find the newer, On the Fly (aka OTF) bottle, also by Nalgene. It is the same container, but with a different lid that, while better for tossing into your backpack or gym bag without worrying about leakage, makes for a poor cycling bottle. This newer design does indeed solve a real problem with the OTG, i.e. the older cap design is not "leakproof" and is liable to open on its own if jostled. But the other problems the OTF purports to solve are actually non-problems if you know how to use it properly, and the OTF's solutions make it less usable on the bike.
OK, enough ranting about the OTG vs the OTF lids. What am I getting at? I sometimes need more than the ~1.7 liters of water I can carry with two bottles. Sure, I could carry 2.0 liters if I used two Maxi Cincio bottles, but these bottles are huge and a little awkward to take a swig from while riding. They make for great reserve tanks though.
The other common alternative is to use a hydration bladder, the stuff that Camelbak made their name with. Been there, done that, no thanks. I don't want to carry even more weight on my body and hydration bladders are annoying to clean (not that bottles are a joy either).
How about a soft flask, like the Hydrapak Ultra Flask or Camelbak Quick Stow Flask? Those were my first thoughts--they could fit in a jersey pocket with less discomfort than a hydration pack/bladder would impose, or could even be stowed in an on-bike bag while imposing a cleaning chore comparable to that of a normal bottle. Cool, except I don't own either of those.
What I do already own after keeping an eye out on closeout bargains over the years is a triathlon-type bottle cage mount that goes behind the saddle, specifically a Tacx Behind the Saddle bottle cage adapter for bottle cages. I have been leery of those types of things due to the setups I see so often out there, with folks carrying large bottles that protrude above the plane of the saddle. I suppose it's more aerodynamically efficient, but I think that I'll try out this type of thing using a lower mounting height and angle, and smaller bottles that do not sit up high. That would give me an extra liter or so of water carrying capacity that I can put on or take off the bike without too much fuss. I'll see how that goes this Summer--2.7 liters of water should last me a good long ride without having to stop at service stations.
But wait--how do I use a saddle-mounted bottle cage system if I also have a large seat wedge taking up that space?
Better Access to Tools and Stuff
Here's where some accessory acquisition comes into play to improve an existing bike.
Over the years, I have searched far and wide for the perfect saddle bag. After trying many variations, the closest thing I've found to perfection is a long-discontinued Novara (REI house brand) expanding seat wedge. It is narrow so my thighs didn't hit it while pedaling, and it is deep enough to hold a good bit of stuff that I need. But it wasn't quite big enough to hold the growing list of tools that I want to carry on my rides. So I added the SKS Tool Wrap, an adequate tool roll that hangs underneath the top tube. It holds a micropump, multi-tool, spoke wrench, patch kit, tire levers, a few small spare parts and organizes them well enough, but with one big problem--the mounting system. It is basically two straps cinched by pairs of D-loops, plus velcro on the edge of the roll.
While I do hate velcro most of the time, that's not the problem here--the problem is that I have to totally undo the cinched straps and remove the tool roll from the bike to access the contents. So basically I have to put it on the ground while using any tools, which is a potentially messy pain.
I like efficiency, killing two birds with one stone, getting fun, exercise and transportation all-in-one (aka cycling!). So how about something that can do the job of that near perfect seat wedge and the innocuous to carry, but cumbersome to access tool roll that allows me to continue to access my existing water bottles, plus allow the option to add more water bottles?
The answer: a frame bag that is small enough to fit my sloping top tube road bikes without interfering with water bottle access (side access bottle cages are OK with me, if needed), yet large enough to hold the stuff I currently have spread out between the seat wedge and the tool roll, all the while having improved access to all the contents without having to uninstall anything.
Here it is, the Banjo Brothers medium sized frame pack. There are so many similar frame bags out there, but this seems to be just the right size and shape to hold all the stuff I need to carry, in the space available to install it on my bike, with far improved access through the full length zippered openings while staying on the bike.
Photos and results to follow...
