Quote Originally Posted by OakLeaf View Post
Have you tried re-positioning the straps on your Camelbak? I can ride in my Platypus as long as I loosen the straps so that it rides low on my back. If I leave them in "hiking" position, they really hurt my back on the bike. Also, my packs are the kind that have the waist strap as well as the sternum strap - it does seem that some of the Camelbak brand packs ride very high.

A really dorky solution would be to stow a hydration pack in a handlebar bag. Better than running out of water. You'd probably be limited in the amount you could carry up there, though, just because of weight considerations.
Hey Oakleaf... thx for that tip...

Actually, that is another thing I did on my outting to map the route... went to sporting good store to look at diff CamelBaks. My mtb one is the ladies Charm. Just as you say: sits high w/sternum strap only.

The store had one other pack that caught my eye initially cuz it was hot pink. Plus, cuz it had more pockets which my Charm CB does not have so much. This one was called "the Mini Mule". I'm thinking about getting it for mtb just for extra storage. And it does have a waist strap, plus sternum. But, maybe I could try it on the roadie on a short ride to see how it felt.

My last fleeting thought on the drive home was to take the CamelBak bladder and strap it to the back of my saddle bag as a desperate H2O storage measure. Well, at least until I figure something else out.