What size water bottles should i get

skinnydog1973
skinnydog1973 Posts: 114
edited February 2013 in Road beginners
Hi im new to cycling and was wondering what size water bottles i should buy, at the minute i have been doing 1 hr rides and my 500ml bottle is empty at the end, i am going to buy another bottle but was wondering should i just go for another 500ml bottle or get 2 bigger bottles, i was going to get some nunn energy tablets for my drinks but these say mix in 500ml if i got bigger bottles would these still be ok to use in them would it not water them down too much cheers

Comments

  • imposter2.0
    imposter2.0 Posts: 12,028
    If you get a 750ml bottle, then put in one and a half nuun tabs. Maths is great.
  • marcusjb
    marcusjb Posts: 2,412
    750s work well for me.

    I use NUUN and they taste just fine when in a 750 bottle.

    FYI though - they are not 'energy tablets' - they have no sugars or anything in them. Just minerals and stuff to help replenish things as you sweat them out.
    Stuff about riding a bike a long way
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    During the summer I use 2x750ml bottles for long rides. I'd rather carry the water rather than suffer without.
    For my 10mile commute I still carry a bottle - but it's a 500ml bottle - in the winter with about 100ml of water in - in the summer it'll probably be full ...
    For me as it's not a race the weight of a bottle and contents is immaterial to me ...

    As for content - (again - for me) dehydration is the biggest issue - so a hydration drink is more important than energy ... but if doing a sportive where I'm trying to get a good time (I know it's not a race) I'll have a bottle of energy drink (usually fill at the food stops) just to give that short term boost ..
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    Theres not right or wrong answer.

    Personally if I'm doing a short 1 - 2 hour ride I tend to take 2X500ml bottles with me.

    If its going to be a longer ride I can either take the same bottles and stop to fill them up, easy if I have a cafe stop planned. More often than not at the moment I find it easier on longer rides to take 2X 750ml bottles with me.
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    All of my water bottles are 750ml. Its no biggie though.
    I'd not bother with nuun tabs on short rides though - your diet has plenty of salts in it - so I cant see you'll need to take on extra in such a short time.
  • hipshot
    hipshot Posts: 371
    750ml bottles are for zumba classes. :D
  • fsman
    fsman Posts: 112
    2x750ml

    gives you options for different bike rides vs. different bottle sizes.
  • cougie
    cougie Posts: 22,512
    hipshot wrote:
    750ml bottles are for zumba classes. :D

    Or Spinning classes.

    (I've not been to Zumba - where do they attach their bottles ?)
  • navrig
    navrig Posts: 1,352
    I went out a few times on holiday in Fuerteventura using the hotel road bikes. It was an all inclusive holiday and 1 litre bottles of water were freely available all round the resort so on each bike they had a cheap bendy steel bottlae cage and a zip tie. This allowed you to squeeze a one litre bottle into the cage and loop the zipp tie around the cap/neck of the bottle. Using this and the cage of the seat tube I was able to carry 1.25L of water which in 74km of 36 degrees was useful.
  • Lightning
    Lightning Posts: 360
    If you're planning on doing long rides without stopping, as big as you can find (as long as it fits in the frame). Remember, just because you have big bottles, doesn't mean you have to fill them up on every ride, or even take both.
  • Mr Will
    Mr Will Posts: 216
    edited February 2013
    I prefer smaller bottles, these are perfect for all but the longest rides: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/camelbak-podium ... er-bottle/

    (edited to link to the non-chill version)
    2010 Cannondale CAAD9 Tiagra
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    I use Camelbak 'chill' insulated bottles and love them.
    Size of a 750 (I think) but hold 610ml.
    I just put 1 Nuun in and they taste great (espesh the kola :wink: ).
    Find they are a good compromise size wise and if you put some crushed (cubes rattle a bit) ice in they are great in the summer.
    'Jet valve' is great too :D
  • Bobbinogs
    Bobbinogs Posts: 4,841
    How about 750 ml bottles but with 500 ml of water in them? :wink:
  • lotus49
    lotus49 Posts: 763
    Is Yorkshire the only place with taps or rivers?
  • hipshot
    hipshot Posts: 371
    Yes, I have never really understood the logic of having 2 x 750ml bottles in our climate. If they are both full it's getting on for 2kg and if they aren't full why have them?

    Water is really heavy: leave it in the tap unless you really need it.
  • Anonymous
    Anonymous Posts: 79,667
    hipshot wrote:
    750ml bottles are for zumba classes. :D

    Nice you found them so versatile. :wink:
  • skinnydog1973
    skinnydog1973 Posts: 114
    I decided to go for 2 500ml bottles coz they matched the colour of my bike better :D
  • drlodge
    drlodge Posts: 4,826
    I've got 750ml and 1 litre bottles, take 1 or 2 750ml normally depending on the length of the route. For longer rides say 60+ miles or in summer when I drink much more, the 1l bottles really come into their own. I can get through 2l of drink when its hot in 40-50 miles.
    WyndyMilla Massive Attack | Rourke 953 | Condor Italia 531 Pro | Boardman CX Pro | DT Swiss RR440 Tubeless Wheels
    Find me on Strava
  • danlikesbikes
    danlikesbikes Posts: 3,898
    hipshot wrote:
    Yes, I have never really understood the logic of having 2 x 750ml bottles in our climate. If they are both full it's getting on for 2kg and if they aren't full why have them?

    Water is really heavy: leave it in the tap unless you really need it.

    Yes water is heavy but not as heavy as you seem to think it is as it works out at 1.5KG's Vs 1Kg if you were carrying 2X500ml bottles :lol:
    Pain hurts much less if its topped off with beating your mates to top of a climb.
  • slowbike
    slowbike Posts: 8,498
    hipshot wrote:
    Yes, I have never really understood the logic of having 2 x 750ml bottles in our climate. If they are both full it's getting on for 2kg and if they aren't full why have them?

    Water is really heavy: leave it in the tap unless you really need it.

    Er ... 2 x 750ml = 1500ml

    1Ltr of water weighs 1Kg

    therefore 1500ml of water weighs 1.5kg ...

    Now add in the bottle weight - my 500ml bottle weighs 78g - so allow a bit more for a 750ml bottle - probably 85g?
    2 of those is 170g

    So all up - is around 1.7kg ...

    I suppose you could exaggerate and state that's getting on for 2Kg .. but you're 18% out ...

    Anyway - you don't have to have a full bottle - the weight of the water is significantly greater than the bottle - and it is perfectly reasonable to carry less water if you know you're not going to need it ... but I'd rather have spare water available ...

    As for which bottles to get - they're cheap enough and you'll build a collection - but to start with I'd go for 750ml bottles because you'll need more water as you're pushing yourself hard - they're more versatile and you can ride a fair old distance with 2 x 750ml bottles without concerning yourself about refills.

    Personally - on longer rides in the summer heat I'll take 2x750ml bottles, drink the first one till about a 3rd is left, then swap over to the second - I can then drink all the second one safe in the knowledge I've still got a bit left. This has worked for 50-60mile rides and no coffee stop.
  • hipshot
    hipshot Posts: 371
    Slowbike wrote:
    you're 18% out ...

    my bad

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