Insulated water bottles

[Hoodatder]

Hi J

I saw the Stanley - not the model perhaps that you refer to, Aladdin.

It had a very good write up but methinks the clincher is the versatility of the KK - big mouth (just like the ex), able to store big lumps in it and use a spoon, no pratting about with chewing on a teat (best not mention the ex here).

Also, the KK wont look out of place being used in the car - a small detail, granted, but that gives me kudos with her indoors that I'm not a total cycling anorak.

Cheers

Ian

[Hoodatder]

Thanks a million Dan!!

Why is it that when I've made my mind up, someone (similar to yourself) comes in with a side salvo and blows my choice out of the water. BOOM!

Perhaps I could put your bitter experience down to poor taste?

I will read and re read your comments again as I genuinely believe you are person who's opinions (based on facts) are to be respected.

Ah, more importantly, does beer taste better out of the KK or the Zefal?

Now there's the litmus test. Pick up that gauntlet if you dare.

Regards

Ian

[John Saxby]

A couple of further notes, Ian, following Dan's message:

   => I've never had any problems with off tastes in my KK bottles.  I often add some lemon juice, however, 'cos I like it, and that might mask anything salty. (All cooks know that to de-salt, simply add lemon, eh?) The lemon does eventually lead to some mould on account of the fruit sugar, but the stainless is better in that respect than any plastic I've used. It does have to be cleaned, of course -- a teaspoonful of regular bleach in a full bottle does the job.

   => The quick sport nozzle does leak, as Dan notes.  I find its handiness on the bike is more than enough compensation, however, so I have a couple of stoppers with the sport nozzles.  To keep all the liquid inside the KK, use the ring-top unspouted stopper as Dan says.  Buy a few extras of each kind if you do choose to buy some bottles.

My bias here is that I like things made of stainless steel.

Lotta detail, eh?    J.

[Danneaux]

Ah, more importantly, does beer taste better out of the KK or the Zefal?

Now there's the litmus test. Pick up that gauntlet if you dare.

Sadly, I don't drink, so am unqualified to say, Ian!  

I'm sorry I derailed your decision-making; it is entirely possible the things I found to be a bother won't be a factor for you. The bottles are very nicely made and work well for almost everyone who reviews them. They just didn't suit my needs for the conditions where I used them. Some of these factors might affect others, so it seemed wise to mention them.

The big issues to keep in mind really apply to all bottles:

• Will they be affected by temperature in some untoward way? (metal can become awfully hot or cold to the lips, depending, and there is the freeze-burst issue -- which can affect any overly full bottle in cold temps).

• Will they leak? If so, is there a solution and if applied, will it meet my needs? I'm now understandably leery of waterbottles of any sort in the car. Annnnnnd, not all bottles fit all automobile cup-holders.

• Will they fit your cages? If so, how well? If not, what is needed to make it so?

• Capacity. It might sometimes be desirable to fit a bottle of higher capacity in a standard cage, say during the heat of summer or where extra bottles cannot be fit, larger bottles can add needed capacity. For desert touring on the Nomad I carry 6.5l on the bike (two 1l bottles on the steerer, three 1.5l bottles on the frame in Blackburn B-52 cages), and anothter 20l as cargo. The idea of the Extrawheel trailer was to carry even more. For those tours, I need a lot of water capacity -- daytime air temps can hover between 120-124°F/49-51°C, ground temps are right at 140°F/60°C. On the same trip, daytime highs and nighttime lows can easily range over 70-80°F unless I go from the (Alvord) desert floor to the summit of Steens Mountain (9,734ft/2,967m), in which case I can be sleeping in snow and ice by nightfall -- and then all the water tries to freeze.

You'll do fine, Ian! Go for what you want and give it a try! Thousands of buyers would agree good, well-made stainless bottles can be a terrific, longlasting solution. They look pretty and give a "classic" sort of vibe to any fine bike.

All the best,

Dan.

[Andybg]

Just to add to the discussion I have been very happy with my Monkii bottle cages and their ability to adapt to lots of different size bottles and thermos cups.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/monkii-cage-Bike-Bicycle-Thermos-Nalgene-Sigg-Bottle-Cage-Brompton-Dahon-/221405507579?pt=UK_SportGoods_CyclAcces_RL&var=&hash=item338ccbeffb

Also the added betefit that the cages unclip making it easy to both chop and change between bikes and easing bike cleaning.

Andy

[Hoodatder]

Sadly, I don't drink, so am unqualified to say, Ian!  

Therein lies the problem. As my alcoholic father would say -
"Never trust a man who doesn't drink!!" But in your case Dan, I'm more than willing to make the exception - hiccup.

I don't go to the extremes that you do, I just limit my expeditions to Mars and Uranus, you know, kinda near home and not far away. Seriously, I'm not out in the wilds and subject to rapid and extreme temps - although it was 111 degrees when we rolled into Drug Wall town - and if I take due consideration of everyone's input, then I expect to make the correct purchase for my needs. Interesting how you noted the heat of the bottle touching your lips - hot lips?

Is there anything you don't consider? Do you ever switch off or is there a massive Duracell battery pack strapped to your back?

If all fails, I will be able to fill the KK's with maggots and give them to the ex as a reminder of happy days
Ah, I can see her face now, Bliss.

Regards

Ian

PS. If anyone wants / needs marriage guidance / counselling - I'm your man. Let it be known that diplomacy is my forte.

[Danneaux]

 

Ian, Andy's suggestion of the Monkii Cages is well worth considering. It is a pretty nifty system that allows maximum flexibility in bottle size and placement.

All the best,

Dan. (...who's writing this on the phone mid-ride and smiling a lot after reading your post)

[Hoodatder]

Hi Andy,

Thanks for that post.

If the Profile cages don't work out, then I will certainly look at these.

Monki cage - ex - hmm. Some mileage there.

Ian

[Hoodatder]

Dan,

In this country, we have the 3R's -  and it's not reading, writing and riding!

That's nearly as bad as drinking and driving.

Tut tut

Ian

[Andre Jute]

+1 for the Zefal black plastic bottles. I've drunk champagne out of mine with the pedal pals, but don't remember the bottle particularly keeping the fizzy cool. Big pic of it on one of my bikes near the bottom of the page at http://coolmainpress.com/BICYCLINGsmover.html. I think that basically it wasn't in the same class as stainless steel despite the famous name on it. In particular the thin strap from the cap to the bottle soon broke, which was inconvenient and looked ugly.

Personally, I'd rather have metal, preferably stainless, as John says.

[Danneaux]

...the thin strap from the cap to the bottle soon broke, which was inconvenient and looked ugly.

It sure would look ugly, Andre! Fortunately, Zéfal redesigned the Magnum bottles so the caps now screw on...no tether to snap or break, and a *very* wide mouth that will take the largest ice cubes whole.

The Zéfal Magnums work great, but don't look as classy as stainless.

All the best,

Dan.

[Hoodatder]

Hi,
Received my water bottles last week, although the Café Cap (drinking cap) was out of stock.

At 1:30 pm I filled both bottle with boiling water and screwed the caps on.
At 12:30 am I tested the temp with a thermometer - 58'C. I intended to test after 6 hours but forgot!
At 9.00 am the temp was 38'C.
The bottles with the closed cap are certainly adequate for keeping liquids hot on a days ride.

I used them on a 4+ hour ride and my friend used his plastic bottles. Fair enough, the weather temp wasn't in the mid to high 20's but my cold water was cold and his was noticeably warmer.

The Café Caps arrived the other day and I tested the bottles again.
Both had only 2 cubes of ice in  - but only one had the closed cap on.
The ice had melted in both bottles and the water was marginally colder in the bottle with the closed cap. I suspect that this was due to the bottle not being open to atmosphere.

PRO'S
I found that the operation of the drinking cap was a doddle.
There was no teat / nipple to chew on  - let's not go there, eh?
The water flowed into my mouth with an easy controlled flow.
Most importantly, there was no plastic taste - just fresh, clean cold water.
The water didn't spill / drip / leak out of the drinking cap , as I had been expecting, given that it is not leak proof.
The bottle came out of the elasticated cage very easily and went back very easily.
It made no noise in the elasticated cage.
It didn't get scratched in the elasticated cage.
They are easy to drink out of whilst ON THE MOVE.
The Café Cap splits apart in to 2 pieces for thorough cleaning - not so easy with plastic teats / nipples.
There will be no teeth marks on the drinking cap.
They are more versatile than the plastic bottles
They fit in my car cupholders and look far, far better than the plastic bottles.
My water most definitely now remains cool in the car!

CON'S
They only hold 500ml - that's 33% less than the plastic bottles. A major consideration if going to remote places.
The bottles "chatter" if used in a metal cage.
I tested them in my Blackburn alloy cages - I even used insulating tape on the cages to prevent scratching - they were as good a fit as the plastic bottles but still chattered annoyingly - just like the ex!
They cannot be laid down with the drinking cap on - they leak, quite a lot actually.
I normally drink a lot of water and will miss the extra content of the plastic bottles, but I will just have to top up when convenient.

CONCLUSION
I will be buying a 3rd bottle.
Use a plastic cage
I would recommend these to anybody, in fact, my cycling buddy is sold on them - just like the Rohloff oil, heh, heh.
Dan thought they left a sour taste in his mouth - he ought to meet the ex - she leaves a right bitter taste in your mouth!

Ian

[Andre Jute]

Another pro:

* They're good-looking water bottles.

Thanks for the comprehensive report, Ian.

[Hoodatder]

Mon plasir, mon ami.

I will post a photo of the drinking cap asap. After all, that's the essence of drinking from the bottle.

Thanks for reading it.

Ian

[Hoodatder]

Hi Andre,

Had  a squint at your machine on coolmainpress - it looks like a real comfort bike.

Do me a favour please and post a photo here.

I tried blowing it up - hope that don't offend you, being Irish an' all - but it just goes fuzzy.

Looks like it's got all the gizmo's.

Thanks

Ian