Ok, so I’m sure it has been done before, but I can’t find it & I didn’t pay any attention to the previous ones so can I ask again?

Please?

I want to have a bike thats “ready to go” & although I have used camelbaks for years I still find it frustrating to have to fill the bag & stuff it into the pouch, put it on (not really a biggie) so the thought of just filling a small bottle & riding has a great appeal, with the rest of the minimal kit already on the bike (anyone else stuff to much crap you don’t ever use into their backpack?

So given that this “kit ” will be on a FS bike, negating the sprung V’s unsprung debate, is there any advantages to either or is it just personal preference?

Any musings gratefully excepted.

Cheers.

Hydration pack is easier in the rough. A bottle is no trouble at all however when pottering along fairly smooth surfaces, and less faff getting it ready.

It’s also nice to get the weight off your back, but it’s not as important on an MTB as it is on say, a road bike. And on an MTB you might prefer the pack as it’ll rattle around less off-road.

Horses for courses.

preference, if there is ever a summer, camelbaks get hot sweaty etc, bottle doesn’t.

But a bottle is less water than a camelbak, not that i find it an issue most of the time.

Bumbags are smaller and uncomfortable…or they were in the 80s

I much prefer a saddle bag (or stuffed jersey pockets) with a bottle to a Camelbak. It’s more comfortable, cuts down on the rubbish you may carry ‘just in case’ and makes you realise how little fluid you can get away with on a ride. Comfort is the main advantage for me. The ready to go thing is nice and I use Ortlieb saddle bags with a mount on both bikes so I can just swap the bag over safe in the knowledge that I’ve got all my essentials.

The only downside for me is that the bottle gets covered in mud and goodness knows what else in the wet, adding some texture to your swigs.

Off road for me is a Camelbak.
I keep a tube, tools, cash etc in it all the time and just fill the bladder every ride.

On road I have a saddle pack with tube, tools etc and take a bottle.

Bottles and a pack off road only work if you ride when it’s dry, if it’s wet, the mud makes it a pain so the pack wins every time as there is less to clean.

Thanks all, so horses for courses as I expected, but I do have the crap on the mouth piece covered as I brought one with a cover earlier today 🙂

Went on my first short ride without the camelbak earlier & it felt nice to “just ride”, I even went out in the stuff I was wearing rather than fully “kitting up” as I normally do,

Grab & go, just like when I first used to ride, rather than it being the premeditated affair that I tend to avoid.

Cheers.

I prefer not to have any weight on my back, plus in hot weather a rucksack can get very sweaty.
I now usually use a bar bag plus a bottle. The bar bag is pretty big, so I can still carry a fair amount of stuff that I don’t really need. Plus its easy to get things out of the bar bag while riding.
I have a SKS Shockboard, which helps a bit in keeping mud off the bottle. I can take two bottles if I’m doing a longer ride, plus bottles are easier to fill up from a stream or tap if necessary.

If you go down the bottle route, get one with a cover over the outlet to keep the sh*t out of your mouth….works on or off-road.

PaulD

In an ideal world, I’d use a bottle over a Camelbak but too many lost and shitty bottles mean the Camelbak usually wins out for off-road use unless it’s just a quick blast

I want to have a bike thats “ready to go” & although I have used camelbaks for years I still find it frustrating to have to fill the bag & stuff it into the pouch, put it on (not really a biggie) so the thought of just filling a small bottle & riding has a great appeal, with the rest of the minimal kit already on the bike (anyone else stuff to much crap you don’t ever use into their backpack?

There’s always one of the ex-army ones that externally fill – loads of them on ebay

One of the other problems I have with a camelbak is that unless I keep it in the freezer the bladder gets mould in it, I still think I’ll go back to them, but I just want to try the bottle option for a while first.

Cheers.

Camelbak- hate em
saddlebag- you need to get back over the rear of the saddle so not practical
solution?…mini frame bag, no weight on your back, saddle uncluttered, loads of room even for all that stuff mtbers feel is necessary to lug around and two bottles fit. I use ones with “teat covers” which keep them mud free

Singular Swift by rOcKeTdOgUk, on Flickr

I have started using a bottle and putting tool, pump and tube in my pocket and it feels great not having a pack on your back. When you have a backpack you tend keep putting extra stuff in it, but when you have limited room you only take just enough to get you home.
In my camelbak I would take 2ltrs of water, pump, shock pump, tool, 2/3 inner tubes (found I still had these in there even after I switch to tubeless), tyre levers, puncture repair kit, tubeless repair kit, co2 canister and head, spare pads, reel of electrical tape, my ultrafire head torch, knife, and emergency blanket. I used to wonder why it was so bloody heavy. This is all stuff that just got accumulated over time and other than the pump and tubes generally never saw the light of day.
Now all I carry is the pump, tube and a little box that has multitool and puncture repair. I would probably use the camelbak for long rides, I’d just be a bit more careful about what I put in it.

I tend to swap between the two but it depends what I’m carrying. Camera = Camelbak. Commuting I just go for a bottle. Spares and tools are carried in a saddlebag. It is nice riding with nothing on your back.

I ditched the camelback – only use one now for rides where loads of extra water or food might be needed

It’s so much nicer and simpler.

My riding gear is now paired down as follows

Strapped under the saddle using Velcro strap thing from xcracer.com
Spare tube (I run tubeless)
2xco2
Tyre lever
Spare chain links wrapped up in the tube

In a small drawstring bag in my jersey pocket
Multi tool
Patches
Anchovies
Co2 inflator

Also in pockets
Bar/gel(s)
Keys
Phone (in a waterproof thing, even if it’s not raining my back sweats!)
Maybe a tener or a card
Blackburn micro pump
Gillet/ lightweight jacket if needed

Bottle in bottle cage

Works for me

i would go camelback everytime. besides who has time on a ride to get the bottle out of the holder remove the cap take a drink and replace the cap and put it back in the holder. a camelback with a wel placed zip tie to keep the nozzle 2 inch from the face in the answer, unless just potering around

It must of

Why did you type that?

I used to use camelbacks just cos it was all I knew.. but then I saw mates just using a bottle and stuffing a little kit in the jersey pockets, so tried that and loved it.

I haven’t used a camel back in years now, though I still have one just incase! I don’t even use a saddle bag, which I also tried.. but it rattles around and annoys me.

I take little kit with me, I have a little pouch which I put my co2 pump, 2 canisters, a multitool, tyre levers and a little money into. I then also carry a spare tube. That’s it.

I use varying sized bottles depending on temperature and length of ride. Simples.

I can move the bike around with no heavy irritating bits, and can move my body around unrestricted. Would recommend HIGHLY!

I hate wearing a Camelbak with a passion.

I find it hot & sweaty, a surprising combination of restrictive, yet when jumping it moves around annoying me.

Recently when out in the Alps I look to a tube on the underside of the seat, multitool in it’s little case ziptied onto the bike & gas canister in a pocket & go without water (no bottle mount on a Nomad).

Sadly there isn’t really a solution, so I put up with it, constantly cursing it’s annoyance.

i like a mountain bike to be as light as possible and once you’ve gone to drink from a bottle and the mouth piece is covered in dog shit never again.

Always used bags until I started racing.
Then used a bottle and the minimum amount of stuff I needed for racing.
I put a lot of hours in training, riding and racing and slowly realised I’ve never needed anything extra.

The freedom you feel when not carrying anything the first ride is awesome, talk about a weight off your shoulders!!!

I carry….
Mini pump
Spare tube
Chain breaker
Tyre levers
Very small multitool

Always used bags until I started racing.
Then used a bottle and the minimum amount of stuff I needed for racing.
I put a lot of hours in training, riding and racing and slowly realised I’ve never needed anything extra.

The freedom you feel when not carrying anything the first ride is awesome, talk about a weight off your shoulders!!!

I carry….
Mini pump
Spare tube
Chain breaker
Tyre levers
Very small multitool (3 x allens , 1x screwdriver)

All get thrown in my helmet when I get home, then straight into my jersey as u head out the door….

On the drink front I found it a god send knowing what fluids I have left / consumed just looking at a bottle.
In the past I was forever running out of water or coming back and finding I’d drunk bugger all.

I weigh 95kg ish, a few kg of camelbak on my back makes no difference. A few kg on my bike sucks.

@rocketdog I was going to ask whether all that crap strapped to the frame ruined the handling, but I can see it is a rigid 29er singlespeed beardmobile, so there’s no handling to ruin 😉