A few years ago, I crashed my gleaming, two-week-old, beautiful Cervelo. I sent it off to be repaired with everything attached. My pedals were in the shop. My saddle was in the shop. And my fancy bottle cages were in the shop. All locked away from my old Cannondale (I know, lots of lessons learned here). It also just so happened that the following weekend was a women’s collegiate training camp–complete with pro riders and team managers: i.e. my big shot to impress people.
Well, it’s kinda tough to impress pro cyclists when you’re stomping the hills in skater shoes, strap pedals, and a gigantic water bottle protruding from a jersey pocket. Not only did I look like a total noob, I looked like a dehydrated total noob. Fifty miles on 21 ounces of water didn’t quite keep me from getting dropped. Quickly.
So imagine the nostalgia I felt when I saw BackBottle. Not nostalgia like, “oh hey, it’s like that horrible training camp experience”–nostalgia like wondering what could have been had I owned a few BackBottles on that weekend. That’s nostalgia, right?
All regret aside, this fancy bidon has a few features that might make a serious contender for pocket space. If you’ve taken many long rides, you know that two bottles are often not enough. The extra 18 ounces that the BackBottle carries adds liquid to your kit without the need for a style-killing backpack (the Velominati will hunt you down), or extra stops at convenience stores for refills.
In fact, Brian Davis of Fix It Sticks came up with the BackBottle as a solution for Cyclocross riders who got DQ’d for taking hydration during a race, triathletes who didn’t want to stop at aid stations, and the aforementioned long-distance cyclists.
In simple terms, it’s a flat-shaped bottle that slides into a jersey pocket and fits snugly against your back. It eliminates the discomfort of rounded bottles that shift and slide, and offers an easy-to-grab shape (although I haven’t personally tested this yet, so I’m not making any promises here).
In addition to its ergonomics, the back of the bidon sports ridges to allow for airflow, which, in theory, should keep your body from heating up the water inside (though an insulated version might possibly be in future production horizons). Full BPA-free, recycled, and made in the USA materials ought to make you feel comfortable about buying it. And the price ain’t too bad either: just $10 if you order it via the Kickstarter campaign ($12 after product launch).
To see the BackBottle in action, and decide for yourself whether it’s the holy grail of cycling bidons, check out the official Kickstarter launch video:
If you’re ready to try out the BackBottle, you can order one (or several) through the Kickstarter campaign. If you do, be sure to come back over here and let me know how you like it. I’m pretty curious on this one.
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