Water Bottle Location

[quint41]

I have a hell of a time drinking from the bottle cage down on the frame. It's just too far a reach for my short arms without getting all unstable. I currently have a Minoura handlebar thingy that allows me to mount a cage on the handlebar, but it doesn't fit properly and is not stable. I have to think of something else ... the thought of having a Camelback on my back the entire ride does not appeal to me (not to mention which, I wouldn't be able to get into my back pockets for tissues when my nose needs blowing, chapstick, etc.). Does anyone have their bottles mounted behind the seat? If so, how do you like them there? Only problem there is that it will mean my wedge has to go, and then where do I stash my tube, keys, cell phone, etc.

I've been looking at handlebar bags, but they all look so honking big!! I'll never be able to see my front wheel. Of course, it doesn't help that the online sellers do not picture the bags ON THE HANDLEBARS and most don't give dimensions so you are just supposed to guess!!

OK, enough griping. I'd love your feedback on the whole water bottle dilemma!

Thanks, girls!

[HillSlugger]

I've got a back-of-seat double bottle holder (Minoura), but so far I haven't tried to get a bottle out while riding. I am able to fit my smallish seat pouch under it but I have to unstrap it to get anything out.

My preferred setup is a Camelbak fannypack. It sits really low so it doesn't cover your back and make you too hot or completely block access to your jersey back pockets. At rest stops I use my water bottles to refill the pack.

[emily_in_nc]

I too really like my Camelbak fanny pack ("Flash Flo", I think it's called). I tend to use bottles on my road bike and the Camelbak on my mountain bike (since bottles get dusty and dirty), but sometimes I'll use the Camelbak on my road bike too. Not many people seem to use them, but I definitely prefer them to the shoulder straps of usual Camelbaks.

Emily

[r900]

I wear a camelback rocket. It rides fairly high on my back, but I'm a 6'2" dude. The road tours I'm on around here about half the riders (guys and gals)wear camelbacks of some sort. The newer camelbacks have wide padded straps so the don't cut into your shoulder.I was once riding down a valley (about40 mph) and being overtaken by a rider with the seat mounted rear bottle carrier.It was shortly after the start and his big bottles were full and the road was rough.One contraction joint too many and the carrier broke off and sent the bottles flying.That was a bad way to start a century.

[tygab]

my bike did not come with a 2nd set of brazeons for a 2nd cage so my DH mounted a cage holder to my handlebars. At first it did not seem stable, as the holder itself would rotate around the bar, so what he did was put a plastic shim underneath basically to absorb any extra space around the handlebar. It has stayed rock solid ever since. I seem to be one of the only ones with this kind of set up.

That said, I still don't drink on the bike well. It has to be 100% flat and very low traffic for me to even think about it. The other day I got the bottle out from the lower cage only to realize I was on a downhill so... bottle or me... I chucked the bottle so I could get both hands on the bars again. [then went and retrieved] I can't imagine how the riders who can eat, put their coats on or off, or perform TdF gear distribution do it. Maybe it will come with time, but I am skeptical.

I have however mastered swigging at stopsigns, which seems to work well enough for most days.

[Zen]

I have however mastered swigging at stopsigns, which seems to work well enough for most days.

me too

[quint41]

That said, I still don't drink on the bike well. It has to be 100% flat and very low traffic for me to even think about it. The other day I got the bottle out from the lower cage only to realize I was on a downhill so... bottle or me... I chucked the bottle so I could get both hands on the bars again. [then went and retrieved] I can't imagine how the riders who can eat, put their coats on or off, or perform TdF gear distribution do it. Maybe it will come with time, but I am skeptical.

I'm like you, tygab. I am not secure enough to drink while driving yet, either. I don't know if I ever will be -- I guess if I do this long enough! I ride with guys who let go of the handlebars, unwrap a bar, stretch, etc. It blows my mind.

[Veronica]

My rig - I have two handlebar bags in this picture. Both are Gille Berthoulds and are sort of expensive. I normally only ride with the black one, but this was for a double century and I needed the second to hold the battery for my light.

I keep food, money, cell phone, spare contacts, chap stick in this bag.

I have a small bento box which holds whatever I'm currently eating and another chap stick.

The saddle bag, that you can't quite see in this picture, holds tools, a jacket, a buff and short fingered gloves.

None of that answers your water bottle question, but it does show you what a small handlebar bag looks like.

V.