I do agree the Camelbak makes you a little warmer, but the weight doesn't bother me. I have one that is 3-4 years old, and I have seen a lot of the newer ones. It looks like they are making good progress in designing them for air flow across the back. I do enjoy being able to sip continuously - I actually prefer drinking from the tube as I go rather than having to reach down for bottles all the time.
My bike is my Benz.
You can go with a Neverreach
I'd rather be swimming...biking...running...and eating cheesecake...
--===--
2008 Cervelo P2C Tri bike
2011 Trek Madone 5.5/Cobb V-Flow Max
2007 Jamis Coda/Terry Liberator
2011 Trek Mamba 29er
My Camelbak Blowfish is about 10 years old and I don't really notice the extra weight when I'm riding with it, since it's pretty low profile and stays close to my body. I've even replaced the original reservoir that came with it with a larger one. My back gets a little moist on longer rides, but not uncomfortably so. And I like that the water in the reservoir stays kinda cool. And it's usually pretty light by the time I finish my ride.
I've seen tube extensions for both Camelbak and I think Platypus might make them, too. My question would be if you strapped the reservoir to your rear rack, where would you clip your bite valve? I like that my bite valve is attached to my shoulder strap -- it's RIGHT THERE when I want to take a sip.
If you know someone who has one, why not ask if you can borrow to try it out before spending the money? See how it feels to wear it with water, on your bike, etc.
My bike:Slideshow at Picasaweb
My dog: http://hudsonthedog.com
My job: http://racheljimenez.com
I just started using a Camelbak, and I was really surprised that it didn't bother me at all to have it on my back. This thing has really saved me, since I suffer when riding in hot weather. I don't know how I ever rode without it, really.
For my longer rides I use a waist pack CamelBak and carry extra water bottles to refill it as needed. This lets me carry extra liquid, easily accessible while riding, and keeps the pack off my back. I think it's a good compromise.
I'd rather be swimming...biking...running...and eating cheesecake...
--===--
2008 Cervelo P2C Tri bike
2011 Trek Madone 5.5/Cobb V-Flow Max
2007 Jamis Coda/Terry Liberator
2011 Trek Mamba 29er
I have always wondered about these. How do you keep them clean, rinse out with bleach water? Do they taste like plastic? I have a big problem with plastic tasting water.