How long do you keep Bottles for?

GavH

Was wondering, how long do Bottles actually last if undamaged? Are these items which should be replaced every so often or do they have an indefinite shelf-life, all of course assuming that they are washed and cleaned after each use.

Bunneh

Good lord, I've got bottles in the shed that are 15 years old. I tend to keep a bottle until I forget to wash it for a few weeks and develops its own complex lifeforms inside, then it gets whizzed and I buy another cheap one.

I would guess so long as it's not got scratches and little places for things to hide, they could last you a good long while. Wash it out with Dettol, rinse it, and leave it open to dry. I ain't too fussy really, if it wiffs a bit I just rinse it out and use it anyway, but then I have a cast iron gut, can't seem to ever get ill...

Oh and if I saw a cyclist in a race launch a bottle, I'd go get it!

brighton-biker

I usually replace them after 1 to 2 years.

This is because sometimes the strap connecting the lid to the bottle breaks, the bottle stinks so water tastes bad out of it, and they get dirtied and scratched beyond belief. They might last longer if i was more regular about cleaning them after use though!

And i like getting new bike stuff - even if its just 2 cheap new shiny bottles bottles

tardington

When they go a bit fusty looking they go! Just put water in though,

I do like buying new ones though. The twin six ones are nice!

Crapaud

I'll happily use mine until they fall apart.

To stop them getting fusty and having "complex lifeforms"* developing, I fill them with water and drop a baby's bottle sterilising tablet in and leave overnight. A good rinse the next morning and they're good to go.

The oldest bottles are around 5 - 6 years.

*

Chirg

My bottles look awful after two years, which I guess is a couple of hundred uses. Might be because I stick them through the dishwasher to sanitise them after every use though.

geoff_ss

Well there was one that I would never use again.

Very early morning; 3 blokes driving to catch a ferry to France for a lad's week off the hook; cooling system springs a leak; successful repair; need water; obvious human source but needs container to transport it; spare bidon brought into service ... and subsequently discarded

Otherwise keep 'em forever and wash them with Milton's or whatever.

Geoff

wemac

I use the SiS easyfill bottles with the markings for the fill level. I keep mine until the markings aren't visible anymore and then replace.

As long as you wash it well you should be able to keep it a looong time!

freehub

I keep my bottles until the water inside tastes awful and acidic.

sicknote

freehub wrote:

I keep my bottles until the water inside tastes awful and acidic.

Might be an idea to change the water sometime

Bhima

When whizzing round doing my courier work, I have 2 bottles which I get filled at starbucks for my coffee buzz... Because of the milk, they get really manky and uncleanable (a real word?) after a month. Also, the heat warps them beyond repair after about 5 days. Need to find a flask that'll fit in my bottle cages!!!

Bottles I use for training (fruit smoothies/isotonic vitamin drinks/etc) start to get weird after about 6 months. After a week of smoothies, any water you put in them tastes whack!

Any bottles used for water last forever (so far).

STEFANOS4784

Your targets looking good Bhima 8)

sicknote

Hi Bhima

I am sure Lidi's did one not so long ago that you could use for hot or cold, if you have one near you, they might still have some.

geoff_ss

Bhima wrote:

When whizzing round doing my courier work, I have 2 bottles which I get filled at starbucks for my coffee buzz... Because of the milk, they get really manky and uncleanable (a real word?) after a month. Also, the heat warps them beyond repair after about 5 days. Need to find a flask that'll fit in my bottle cages!!!

Bottles I use for training (fruit smoothies/isotonic vitamin drinks/etc) start to get weird after about 6 months. After a week of smoothies, any water you put in them tastes whack!

Any bottles used for water last forever (so far).

I've got a couple of insulated bottles that are good either to keep water cool on hot days or warm on cold. One's plastic the other is aluminium. The only problem with the aluminium one is that it rattles a bit in the cage so I put it in a sock.

Some friend of mine have modified a standard cage to carry a small flask so they can make tea for a picnic when they're out. An improvement over the old traditional 'drum up' beloved of the CTC.

Geoff

don key

Bhima wrote:

When whizzing round doing my courier work, I have 2 bottles which I get filled at starbucks for my coffee buzz... Because of the milk, they get really manky and uncleanable (a real word?) after a month. Also, the heat warps them beyond repair after about 5 days. Need to find a flask that'll fit in my bottle cages!!!

Bottles I use for training (fruit smoothies/isotonic vitamin drinks/etc) start to get weird after about 6 months. After a week of smoothies, any water you put in them tastes whack!

Any bottles used for water last forever (so far).

You do not clean out milk with hot water , it turns the residue solid or whatever the tech term is, always put in cold to dissolve the milk, leave it a while and then go hot .

antfly

For the unbearded and ignorant what is a "drum up"?

Bhima

STEFANOS4784 wrote:

Your targets looking good Bhima 8)

Cheers

It's not changed much in the past month though.

Sicknote wrote:

Hi Bhima

I am sure Lidi's did one not so long ago that you could use for hot or cold, if you have one near you, they might still have some.

Cool, i'll have a look tomorrow!

Geoff_SS wrote:

I've got a couple of insulated bottles that are good either to keep water cool on hot days or warm on cold. One's plastic the other is aluminium. The only problem with the aluminium one is that it rattles a bit in the cage so I put it in a sock.

How good is the plastic one though? Does it have a good vaccum/seal like a proper flask would?

don key wrote:

You do not clean out milk with hot water , it turns the residue solid or whatever the tech term is, always put in cold to dissolve the milk, leave it a while and then go hot .

Damn! I had no idea, thanks for the tip!

Although, the coffee itself is very hot - would it not cause the solidification effect before I got a chance to go home and clean the bottles?

cougie

My bottles last years - they go in the dish washer after every ride and look as good as new.

Headhuunter

Exactly, bottles will last forever. Plastic has a life of a few thousand years before it decays, as long as you wash them out properly and don't get to fussy about how scratched they get, then you never need to replace them

Crapaud

antfly wrote:

For the unbearded and ignorant what is a "drum up"?

There's no cake / cafe / pub stop so you have to take a packed lunch or buy something from a shop. ie, drum up your own grub.

*activates beard trimmer*

[fx] buzzzzzzzzzzzzz... [/fx]

freehub

Should bottles be cleaned using those tablets? Or is just hot water ok?.

Crapaud

freehub wrote:

Should bottles be cleaned using those tablets? Or is just hot water ok?.

Cleaned in hot water, right after a ride, should be fine. Sometimes I forget and get a mold growing in them. A quick scour with a dish washing brush-on-a-stick thing, rinse, steep with a sterilising tablet, rinse again and they're as good as new.

I use the generic no-brand tablets from the local pharmacy. Cheap as chips.

antfly

Thanks for educating me about the drum up.

boneyjoe

Got stuck in a traffic jam coming back from a race once, and had to use an empty bottle to take a pee. A bit gross having to empy and clean it, but it still works just fine!