Bottles v framebag?

I can fit two litre bottles inside my frame.

If I fitted a framebag, I reckon I could fit a three litre bladder and have room to spare.

Apart from aesthetics, any reason why not?
Seems to keep the weight in a sensible place.

I know this is old hat now, any real world downsides?

You know you can get frame bags fitted around bottles, don’t you? Wildcat do them and also ones designed around bladders, with hose holes (I think). Give them a call.

Osprey bladder, magnetic clip for bitevalve on stem and you’re sorted. I only occasionally use a bottle for shorter rides these days. Only downsides are smart arses who comment on the framebag being ‘heavy’ when they’re lumbering around wearing a hydration pack 🙄

I have a jandd frame bag and have used that with a Osprey bladder for longer rides. worked fine for me, it meant i only had one bag on the bike, I put all my food and tools in it too.

I only really use bottles for ease of cleaning and on shorter rides.

I ran the hose through the zip and used clip on a brake hose to keep it in reach.

Personally Bottles.

They’re easier to refill from streams/taps.

Also its easier to manage your water supply, as at quick glance you can see how much you have left and drink accordingly.

+1 for Wildcat bag around bottles, just works best.

Ring them! Best bags around

Tried the full frame bag and bladder but bottles are just easier

Do they come with free milk bottles to cut up?

How long are you riding for. Shorter trips don’t really warrant a frame bag anyway.

I’m also happy carrying a small backpack with water and for any en route re-supplies.

smart arses

I personally prefer to carry weight about my person rather than on my bike. Much more dynamic

Oh yeah, forgot that bit about stuff being lighter or more ‘dynamic’ when its in a back back

I’ll rise.

Put it this way, I’ve lost weight, and gained weight – I know that I’d rather carry an extra stone of fat, than have a bike that weighs a stone more. Ergo, the weight on my back is less noticeable than the weight I’m trying to hop up and over obstacles.
Your back and leg muscles bare the brunt of a back pack more effeiciently than your arms and stomach muscles would need to if all the weight is down low.

Would you rather carry a new born baby around in a (baby friendly) back pack style holder, or out in front of your knees?

And bunny hopping, manuals, wheelies, clearing gap jumps – prefer to lift the weight with your back/legs, or lift a heavier bike?

It’s not about stuff being lighter in a back pack, it’s about a more dynamic distribution. But hey ho, different strokes.

hucksacks = fashion

And bunny hopping, manuals, wheelies, clearing gap jumps

I’d be very surprised if anyone interested in frame bags and carrying large amounts of water is interested in the above.

i don’t like backpacks not for me, sweaty back and all that. The weight of a 750 bottle, trail tool and tube etc is fine on my bike. Anymore and i’ll be carrying a lot of gear on the bike anyways.

I’d be very surprised if anyone interested in frame bags and carrying large amounts of water is interested in the above.

SURPRISE!

TBH if I’m using a frame bag I’m actually more likely to be using a camelback, because the frames packed with tent, sleeping kit, cooking kit etc and of all that water probably lends itself best to a backpack (small, dense, malleable, no chance of injuries in a crash).

I pretty much leave my frame bag on my mtb all the time now. Its a large ocelot and its perfect to keep an o shit kit in and some food.

Bottles stil fit in their cage.

Id rather not have a bag at all if i can help it especially out locally but on big days ill run both.

I even used my frame bag out on the road bike yesterday,

Oh yeah, forgot that bit about stuff being lighter or more ‘dynamic’ when its in a back back

Depends on what you are doing. Long steady rides around the countryside – doesn’t make a differece, may as well put it on the frame. Trying to do something technical as fast as you can, then it makes more sense on your back, imo.

SURPRISE!

+1 – I’m not good at changing my riding style depending on the kit attached, so I tend to make sure it can all cope with normal mountain biking.

I tend to load my bike up until it gets just below the point where I wouldn’t want to lift it over a deer style (ladder over high wall type thing). Then backpack for the rest (which isn’t much these days).

As for water – I like using a Travel Tap (filter), so that I only need to carry 1L at a time, so I tend to go with a bottle and Wildcat Ocelot.
You can get Travel Tap filters to sit inline on a camelback bladder though, so I guess that would remove that argument.

I pretty much leave my frame bag on my mtb all the time now. Its a large ocelot and its perfect to keep an o shit kit in and some food.

Bottles stil fit in their cage.

Id rather not have a bag at all if i can help it especially out locally but on big days ill run both.

I even used my frame bag out on the road bike yesterday,

+ 1, almost to the letter! medium ocelot here, though.

As for water – I like using a Travel Tap (filter), so that I only need to carry 1L at a time,

I just rely on a healthy gut and immune system and sensible choices of drinking water* 😛 I tend not to die too often.

*moving (preferably falling), clear, in direct sunlight. Sunlight is a great biocide.

thisisnotaspoon – Member

As for water – I like using a Travel Tap (filter), so that I only need to carry 1L at a time,

I just rely on a healthy gut and immune system and sensible choices of drinking water* I tend not to die too often.

*moving (preferably falling), clear, in direct sunlight. Sunlight is a great biocide. I’ve often thought this too, but have never been brave enough. The problem here in the UK is that it’s hard to get above grazing land. I can never quite get the image of a dead sheep lying upstream out of my head.
I do however swim in all sorts of stuff, which must be nearly as bad!

i drink from streams all the time – in scotland.

I can never quite get the image of a dead sheep lying upstream out of my head.

It’s pretty easy in upland UK tbh. Much of the time you’re only a few hundred metres in a straight line from the source. Done Polaris challenges like this*, not had an issue. Just wait for the upland sections.

* The autumn and ‘spring’ ones mind, so more water around.

jam bo – Member
Do they come with free milk bottles to cut up?

Note the crap on the bike and bag! Bottles relatively clean 😀

You need the really big 6 pints bottles though..

Are those side entry bottle cages there Tiger6791? Are they any good? Do you need a custom bottle to work with them?
Just removed my frame bag so I could fit a bottle, small bag with just the basic tools, so bunged em in my jersey pockets instead. This morning that setup worked better than framebag with bottle in jersey pocket (extended ride to work, for big rides I use a ‘bak)

I think with side entry cages there should just about be room in the frame to fit them in. (but then that might be putting a bit too much weight on the bike – I’m also of the opinion that while pootling a heavy bike is fine, bit more involved riding it’s better to reduce the weight on the bike)