Hydration vest for long workouts?

harrast

A little history, I used to fill a couple of bottles, get on my bike and ride until I ran low.  Then I'd start looking for a drinking fountain or someplace to buy a Gatorade.  This year I'm a lot more organized and want to fuel my long rides just like my race.  That means at least 4 bottles for a 3 hour ride and 7 bottles for a 5 hour ride.  The problem is my bike (currently) holds only 2 bottles, a Speedfil A2 BTA and a rear-mounted Lieto-style bottle.  Two bottles is fine for a race, but for a 2-5 hour ride I need to carry an additional 5 bottles.  I have frame bosses for 2 more cages, so I could add 2 frame bottles and take them off for a race.  Now I need only 3 additional bottles, 72 ounces, or just over 2.1 liters.  Am I looking at a 2 liter hydration pack, or are there better ideas out there?  

GMAN 19030

I park my vehicle in a place where I can ride by it every hour or so. I put a cooler in the car with all my hydration needs for the day. Problem solved.

russG

@Steven - agree with Bob - I set up my own bottle exchange; it's actually at mile 0 on my 30-mile loop, so I exchange every 90m or so. I added a torpedo mount on the aero bottles (four twist-ties and a cage) for an extra bottle, so I'm carrying 4 24oz bottles: one on the frame, one on the bars plus two in back.

So - if you want to, you can put two bottles behind the seat - many riders I see on the road do carry two in back. With the speedfill plus two on the frame plus two in back plus one on the bars you'd have your own human-powered fire truck... might be a little heavy out the door but you could do a metric century in the desert without stopping...

Joe Matchette

For training rides, I carry the following:

• Feed bottle between the aerobars (concentrated Infinit, up to 3hrs)
• 2x24oz bottles on the frame
• 2x24oz bottles behind the seat
• up to 3x16.9oz "disposable" bottles in my jersey pockets
  • Total: 24 oz liquid food (3 hrs), 146.7 oz water ---> total 170.7 oz of fluid

 This allows me to get in a 3hour ride in the summer heat without stopping.  Sweat tests have shown I perspire at 50-60 oz/hr when the heat and humidity get above 85-90deg and >80%.  IF it is that hot, and I am riding longer than 3hrs, I will power-chug at least 30oz during my Pit Stop.

I have been thinking about going the 'Perform-only' route, but have not been able to figure out the logistics of carrying 8 to 9 bottles for a three hour ride......it is bottles 7,8, and 9 that are the problem.  The small 16.9 oz bottles fit easily in the jersey pockets with 'ride essentials (dog spray, wallet, cell phone, extra tube and CO2s, etc).  It is getting the 24oz Perform bottles to fit that has me flummoxed.

harrast

@all
Still trying to figure this long-ride fluid thing out. I'm a Perform only person so my mind set is to carry 4-7 bottles (or the equivalent) of completely constituted Perform. I prefer not to add a second bottle behind the seat because my X-Lab bottle holder is a pain to get on the seat and it launches bottles. On to creating my own personal aid station: Sorry to be picky, but many of my long rides are on rail trails, and it's hard to wrap my mind around returning to my personal aid station and thus repeating the same section of trail over and over again. So, with one front and one rear bottle plus two temporary bottles on the frame, I guess I can either take Joe's suggestion and stuff extra bottles in my jersey, or get some kind of Camelbak deal and fill it with two liters of Perform for my long rides. Any preferences? I guess I'm leaning toward a Camelbak mostly because it's one piece of gear as opposed to multiple bottles. Just thinking.

robin sarner

Assuming you have water along the route.

Carry Perform powder in ziplock in jersey pocket.    Mix up fresh Perform as needed.

Dino Sarti

On long rides I hit a liquor store and either buy water for the powder in my pocket or a spots drink.... takes about 120 seconds. I assume about the same time as special needs would take.

Al Truscott

OK, this may not work for you, but the standard 112 mile route I use for my RRs is on a rail trail, which is about 40 miles long. I park at mile 20.5, where there is a toilet but no water. I do three 37 mile out n backs, one down the trail, one up the trail, and one which combines roads and part of the up,section. I carry two bottles, with 5-6 extras in the car sometimes in a cooler. There is water along the route if I need it. There is a gravel,road which parallels the trail, where I do my run. Last year, I was all Perform, all the time with this method.

Back in the day when I would do epic mtn bike rides, or even now when I take my road bike on 4+ hour rides away from water sources or stores ( think looooog, isolated mountain pass), I will use a Camelbak ... Is that what you mean by hudration vest?

moetai@gmail.com

same as Bob...works wonders

Dino Sarti

That's the difference training in L.os Angeles. Even on a 35 mile bike path from my house to the beach, liquor stores, mini marts, strip malls, et al, are just a second off the path....

harrast

@Al, yes, camelbak=hydration vest--maybe I should say hydration pack.