Equipment: Not A Camelbak

I bought a super cheap hydration backpack off of Ebay:

I’m very bad at drinking enough on the bike and my hope is that a convenient straw will be easier than reaching for a bottle. I’ve learnt (on the bike and at work) that it’s literally impossible to make things too simple. Reaching down for a bottle requires thought and planning and intent, not to mention effort. Plus, drinking from a bottle is awkward. With the pack I can have a drink by simply raising the straw. You might pull a face – how hard is it really to use a regular bottle – but this is the kind of marginal gain worth trying.

First impressions are good. The bag sits well, without rubbing anywhere and even though I had 2kg of water in it, it wasn’t heavy or cumbersome. It also doesn’t foul my pockets. I might make me a bit sweaty on hot days, but it has a fairly small footprint. On a 2hr test ride I got through about a litre of water without trying. That’s a lot for me – I wouldn’t normally bother taking a bottle on a ride like that. It should be invaluable once I start riding long distance time trials – 2 litres is plenty for a 100 miler.

Will take it on a few proper long rides and see how it goes. Getting a lot more fluid in has to be a good thing, more so if it’s energy drink. At worst, the bag is cheap enough to ditch and small enough to stash in the Carradice.