Water Bottle With Lid/Cap Recommendations

[scotsbikester]

Zefal Sense Soft No Mud bottles are like the Camelbak Podium but about half the price, and come with a dirt cap.
The dirt caps are also sold separately and will also fit a Camelbak Podium bottle. Half the price of the Camelbak cap.

Have you tried that (emboldened text)?

 

[Sea of vapours]

Zefal Sense Soft No Mud bottles are like the Camelbak Podium but about half the price

Are they really? They look as if they have a 'bite valve'. The key, differentiating feature of the Camelbak Podium is the excellent nozzle mechanism, which is the only reason I use them. Without that it's just another bottle, so if these really are equally good and cheaper that's great.

 

[JonBuoy]

Are they really? They look as if they have a 'bite valve'. The key, differentiating feature of the Camelbak Podium is the excellent nozzle mechanism, which is the only reason I use them. Without that it's just another bottle, so if these really are equally good and cheaper that's great.

It looks to me like it is a standard bottle but with a silicone nozzle rather than the Camelbak bitevalve design.

 

[scotsbikester]

Are they really? They look as if they have a 'bite valve'. The key, differentiating feature of the Camelbak Podium is the excellent nozzle mechanism, which is the only reason I use them. Without that it's just another bottle, so if these really are equally good and cheaper that's great.

Yes, the squeeze-the-bottle-get-some-water valve thing is fantastic. Even without the valve lock it seems to be pretty leakproof - I've held it upside down (without squeezing) and nothing leaked, though all mine are very new.

But I do worry (only a bit) about getting crud in them, especially the one in the down tube bottle holder. I might splash out on the caps, probably the Camelbak ones - stuff from the actual manufacturers is usually better.

 

[scotsbikester]

It looks to me like it is a standard bottle but with a silicone nozzle rather than the Camelbak bitevalve design.

Not sure what you mean by "the Camelbak bitevalve". We're talking about the Camelbak Podium here, which doesn't have a bite valve - you squeeze the bottle and water comes out of the one-way valve, no biting needed.

EDIT: I suppose the valve isn't really "one-way", as air goes back in to replace the water that comes out. A better term would be "non-leaking", or "pressure-actuated" or something like that.

 

[JonBuoy]

Not sure what you mean by "the Camelbak bitevalve". We're talking about the Camelbak Podium here, which doesn't have a bite valve - you squeeze the bottle and water comes out of the one-way valve, no biting needed.

Fair point - I was getting the terminology confused. I have Camelbak Podiums with the squeeze bottle to use nozzle design and Camelbak bladders with the bitevalve and they are both excellent. The Zefal bottle looks like it has a 'standard' pull to open, push to close mechanism.

 

[rualexander]

Have you tried that (emboldened text)?

Yes I have a zefal mud cap on my Camelbak Podium bottle at the moment.
It fits directly as a replacement of the Camelbak one, but the fit is not perfect and can be improved by taking a Stanley knife and paring off a small section of the inside of the zefal mud cap.

 

[rualexander]

Are they really? They look as if they have a 'bite valve'. The key, differentiating feature of the Camelbak Podium is the excellent nozzle mechanism, which is the only reason I use them. Without that it's just another bottle, so if these really are equally good and cheaper that's great.

Yes you do have to pull on the nozzle with your teeth to open it but it's soft and easy rather than the hard plastic of traditional bottles, so much more tooth friendly.

 

[scotsbikester]

Yes I have a zefal mud cap on my Camelbak Podium bottle at the moment.
It fits directly as a replacement of the Camelbak one, but the fit is not perfect and can be improved by taking a Stanley knife and paring off a small section of the inside of the zefal mud cap.

Thanks. I think I'll go with the "official" Camelbak one. I'm all for saving money and adapting things, but for the £3 saving I won't be getting my Stanley out. And I know what will happen, I'll get it wrong, and it won't be quite right and it will annoy me for ever.

Or I'll cut my thumb off. I hate Stanley knives with a passion. Trust me, when you've seen a plasterer slip with a Stanley Knife you treat them with ultra caution.

 

[Deeferdonk]

I thought about getting one (or more) of those caps (I only got the podium bottles recently). How do they attach please?

there's a ring that pops over the nozzle, they re made of a rubber type material, will be obvious when you see one. They are easy to put on and swap between bottles if needed - but no danger of them coming off during use.

 

[N0bodyOfTheGoat]

Just looking at my latest alerts on Hotukdeals, which includes cycling, there is (or was) an Elite 550ml capped bidon for £4.49 on Amazon.

https://www.hotukdeals.com/deals/el...ke-cycling-bottle-with-dust-cap-550ml-4948212

If you look at the options on Amazon site, there looks to be a 950ml capped version for £5.49 too.👍

 

[ktmbiker58]

All this talk of Camelbak why not just buy errrrrr a Camelbak Hydration pack - the one for runners is 1.5l and comfortable.

There is so much stuff on tracks and trails that is really bad for humans.

There's chemicals from sprayers, crap of the sheep/cow/dog/badger/deer etc variety.

E.coli. can survive on dust for a considerable time.

Personally I would never use frame mounted bottles while off-road riding now that hydration packs are well developed.