Hydration bladder with the best flow?

Lewis Moon · #1 01-12-2020, 09:19 AM

I did my first MTB XC race yesterday and I bonked like a boss. Ended up a DNF because I didn't want to kill myself crashing in the last technical section because I couldn't see straight. I've always had a big problem eating and especially drinking because I just don't get thirsty. Really. Compound that with how tough it is to reach down for a bottle on rocky courses....
I went with bottles this time because I hate how hard it is to suck water out of a bladder. Compared to a good bottle, bladders seem like you're suckling peanut butter through a pin hole. I'll probably go with a bottle for when I can get to it and a bladder for when I can't. Is there a bladder that flows particularly well?
Also, I GOTTA get a full squish frame and a dropper... Enough with the hair shirt retro steel hardtail... I left a kidney somewhere on the course...

fmradio516 · #2 01-12-2020, 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lewis Moon

I did my first MTB XC race yesterday and I bonked like a boss. Ended up a DNF because I didn't want to kill myself crashing in the last technical section because I couldn't see straight. I've always had a big problem eating and especially drinking because I just don't get thirsty. Really. Compound that with how tough it is to reach down for a bottle on rocky courses....
I went with bottles this time because I hate how hard it is to suck water out of a bladder. Compared to a good bottle, bladders seem like you're suckling peanut butter through a pin hole. I'll probably go with a bottle for when I can get to it and a bladder for when I can't. Is there a bladder that flows particularly well?
Also, I GOTTA get a full squish frame and a dropper... Enough with the hair shirt retro steel hardtail... I left a kidney somewhere on the course...

I have the Osprey Viper 3 and its the only hydration pack ive had, so i cant compare the flow to others, but ive never had a problem like youre describing at all. Even after a tech climb, I can still slug a bunch of water down even while im trying to catch my breath. It only stops flowing so well when youre down to the last few sips, which i imagine is the same deal with all packs.

Jaybee · #3 01-12-2020, 09:42 AM

The Hydrapak valve (which osprey uses) is noticeably more flow than the standard Camelbak valve. It does have more parts and can begin to leak after some hard use, so I’d get a spare bite valve to have on hand. You can also replace any hydration bladder valve with the hydrapak version. It’s just a barbed fitting.

KVN · #4 01-12-2020, 10:06 AM

How long was the race? I mean, if this was your first race, are you sure your trouble was dehydration due to the water bottle, or was there other factors involved?

Water bladders have their own set of downsides - they're hotter to wear, more weight on your back, they bounce around on jumps, more trouble with electrolyte mixes during the race and harder to clean. They can also leak without you noticing and leave you high and dry.

If you have a good bottle mount and practice using it while at race pace, using a bottle isn't too hard, even in technical races. For me, the down side of having the extra weight on my back outweigh the convenience of hydration packs. I also like to use electrolyte mixes (or one bottle with mix/one without) during long races, and most manufactures advise against using those mixes in their bladders.

Lewis Moon · #5 01-12-2020, 10:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jaybee

The Hydrapak valve (which osprey uses) is noticeably more flow than the standard Camelbak valve. It does have more parts and can begin to leak after some hard use, so I’d get a spare bite valve to have on hand. You can also replace any hydration bladder valve with the hydrapak version. It’s just a barbed fitting.

I have the Osprey and I'm still not impressed. There are too many kinks in the system.

The race was 43 miles with a bunch of technical (for me) single track. I agree there needs to be a huge jump in skill. I also need to be a better manager on the bike and make myself drink when I can. First race = big learning experience. One of the things I saw was riders taping gels to their top tube. That makes them easier to get to and also reminded the rider to eat.

fmradio516 · #6 01-12-2020, 11:43 AM

jeeeeeeez 43 miles on a mtn bike?! going as hard as you can?! Thats like the equivalent of a century on a road bike! No wonder you had trouble. Dont beat yourself up about it.

KVN · #7 01-12-2020, 11:58 AM

Yeah, when you said XC race, I was thinking of the typical hour-long lapped race. I'd put a 43 mile race firmly in the endurance category. Lots to learn in those races as far as things like pacing, bike fit, in-race fueling, hydration are all different than your typical XC race.

Here's a couple things I do in those long races to help with pacing: I'll set a 5 mile lap timer on my wahoo to remind me to eat and drink (and take electrolyte supplements if it's hot). I also will setup my wahoo homescreen to keep track of my overall times spent in Z4 and Z5, and the average HR in the last lap to help me gauge if I'm burning my matches too fast.

Lewis Moon · #8 01-12-2020, 12:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KVN

Yeah, when you said XC race, I was thinking of the typical hour-long lapped race. I'd put a 43 mile race firmly in the endurance category. Lots to learn in those races as far as things like pacing, bike fit, in-race fueling, hydration are all different than your typical XC race.

Here's a couple things I do in those long races to help with pacing: I'll set a 5 mile lap timer on my wahoo to remind me to eat and drink (and take electrolyte supplements if it's hot). I also will setup my wahoo homescreen to keep track of my overall times spent in Z4 and Z5, and the average HR in the last lap to help me gauge if I'm burning my matches too fast.

I'm going to have to look up how to do that on my Wahoo. That would be a big help.

Themountaintop · #9 01-12-2020, 01:29 PM

I've been using a Wingnut Gear Hyper 3.0 pack for years and have had good luck with it using the Crux bladder system. Great water flow with zero kinks in the line to impede transfer. The Wingnut pack places the weight at hip level so there's no top heavy feel to it as far as balance is concerned which is a win for technical single track trails. The 2.5, 2.0 or Assault pack might be better for racing though. Just some food for thought.

https://wingnutgear.com/shop

biker72 · #10 01-12-2020, 01:39 PM

I'm a longtime CamelBak user. A couple of co-workers recommended the Osprey so I tried one. First day out the bladder leaked. I got a replacement bladder...it leaked too. Been using CamelBak ever since.

vqdriver · #11 01-12-2020, 03:00 PM

+1 to the fs and dropper. you'll feel like you were at a disadvantage this whole time.

in regards to the flow, i had the same impression when i first got one. hot on the back, moves around back there, and really messed up my breathing when i had to suck on the bitevalve instead of shooting from a bottle. it just isn't for everyone. the way i see it, the problem wasn't the valve so much as the physics of having to suck it 'upstream'. no matter what, the hose attaches to the bladder below the level of your mouth so you're always having to suck on it.