Cycling Water Bottle http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org Looking for a Cycling Water Bottle? Look no Further! Sun, 03 Oct 2010 22:33:19 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Bike Water Bottles http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org/bike-water-bottles.html http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org/bike-water-bottles.html#comments Sun, 03 Oct 2010 16:06:45 +0000 susb8383 http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org/?p=85
While some cyclists may enjoying having that as an excuse to stop at a little café or coffee shop for a drink, most want to keep going. That’s why having bike water bottles right on your bicycle that you can grab easily, open, and take a drink from are so important.

So what are important features to look for?

Wide Mouth Bike Water Bottles
Here’s one you may not have thought of: wide-mouth vs. narrow mouth bike water bottles. A nice feature on a hot day is being able to put ice cubes in your bottle so that by the time you’re ready for a drink, you have something nice and cold. This is only possible if you have a nice wide opening.

You may see bottles sold in stores that have narrow openings. The argument is that they are easier to drink from. But these are mostly bottles that hikers and campers use, not cyclists. They can stop and screw off the lid to take a drink.

With bike water bottles, however, nobody has two free hands–one to hold it and the other to unscrew it. Instead these bottles have pull tops so you can grab the water bottle with one hand while still riding and pull it open with your teeth. So it really doesn’t matter how big the opening is under the pull top.

Size
Here’s another thing to think about: size. You want to make sure you have enough water to last your trip. But remember that the bigger the bike water bottle, the more weight it adds. So try to get the smallest size bottle possible that will still satisfy your thirst. Some common sizes are 21 oz and 24 oz.

Aerodynamics
Almost every bike water bottle you see has the same basic shape. But some companies have realized there is no reason why the bottle has to be round. Instead they have come out with an more aerodynamic shape.

Check out for example the Arundel aerodynamic bottle.

Note that one downside of this water bottle is that you can only fit one on your bike.

Insulated water bottle
Another nice feature to have are insulated bike water bottles. These will really keep your drink cool without having to add ice. Polar makes nice insulated bike water bottles that have a foil covering.

So if you’re shopping for bike water bottles, keep in mind some of the more desirable features.]]> http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org/bike-water-bottles.html/feed 0 Cycling Water Bottle http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org/cycling-water-bottle.html http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org/cycling-water-bottle.html#comments Sat, 12 Sep 2009 15:22:07 +0000 susb8383 http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org/?p=22
Although the reason for wanting a bottle of water or other drink while you’re cycling is a basic need, the different types of products and accessories to satisfy that need as vast.

Attaching a Cycling Water Bottle to your Bike

The most popular way is to buy a separate cage which the water bottle fits into. The cage typically screws onto your down tube or seat tube (some people put a bottle on both tubes) but you can also buy cages that attach to your handlebar. This works fine unless you have other things taking up space there like a handlebar bag or cycling computer. Some cages also mount on your saddle rails for bottles that are attached behind your seat.

Not all bottles attach with cages, though. Some come with built-in clips or straps that attach anywhere on your frame without attaching a cage first.

What to look for in a Cycling Water Bottle

Here are some features to look for when shopping for one:

Insulation

Nothing is worse than drinking warm water after a hard ride, especially on a hot day. Fortunately, many styles of cycling bottles have some insulating feature to keep your beverage cool. The most effective way to insulate your water is to use a double-wall construction. Air is trapped between the two walls, which is a very good insulator. This is similar to how a thermos works.

Wide Mouth

A wide mouth serves two uses: it allows you to put ice cubes in easily which is very desirable on a hot day. It also makes it easy to clean.

Dishwasher Safe

No, not all cycling water bottles are. If you’re shopping for a bottle, don’t overlook this feature.

Screwed on Lid

Unlike a lid that pops on, one that screws on is secure. This means that the lid won’t pop off when you pull the bottle open with your teeth for a sip.

Easy to Squeeze

Some cycling bottles are hard to squeeze with one hand, especially the thicker insulated bottles. You want to easily be able to squeeze and drink while you’re riding so you can concentrate on your ride and not on your bottle.

Size

A bigger size (like 48oz) may be appealing because it means more liquid available to drink, but make sure any bottle you buy will clear your top tube as you put it into your cage. Make sure you measure first and get the exact bottle size specs.

Taste

In theory, washing your bottle first should get rid of any plasticy taste that will transfer into your water, but this isn’t always the case. Read customer reviews first.

How a Cycling Water Bottle affects Wind Resistance

How does the water bottle effect the wind resistance of your bike? You might think that it increases it (and that would make sense) but studies conducted in a wind tunnel showed that a water bottle mounted on the down tube or the seat tube actually reduced wind resistance. Who’d have thunk?]]> http://www.cyclingwaterbottle.org/cycling-water-bottle.html/feed 0