[James]

I haven't done an XC race in FOREVER, and just wondering what the general consensus is on this. I know it probably depends on the course and all, and how much gear you're carrying.
I did the Sea Otter a while back, and they have a feed zone about halfway in where they hand up water bottles and energy drinks. I want to make sure I have all of the gear I need, but can probably carry everything like tube, CO2 and tools, in my jersey and a small seat bag.
The Firestone race (the other race I want to do) is 28 miles, and I don't think that they have a feed zone, so I'm thinking the CamelBak might be the hot ticket there.
I guess I want to make sure I have enough water and all, but I don't want to be overloaded with more than I need to carry.
I know for the short track, just probably 1 bottle at most, if that even.
Anyway, any thoughts/experiances? Heidi?

JJames

 

[sanjuro]

I haven't done an XC race in FOREVER, and just wondering what the general consensus is on this. I know it probably depends on the course and all, and how much gear you're carrying.
I did the Sea Otter a while back, and they have a feed zone about halfway in where they hand up water bottles and energy drinks. I want to make sure I have all of the gear I need, but can probably carry everything like tube, CO2 and tools, in my jersey and a small seat bag.
The Firestone race (the other race I want to do) is 28 miles, and I don't think that they have a feed zone, so I'm thinking the CamelBak might be the hot ticket there.
I guess I want to make sure I have enough water and all, but I don't want to be overloaded with more than I need to carry.
I know for the short track, just probably 1 bottle at most, if that even.
Anyway, any thoughts/experiances? Heidi?

JJames

Maybe a race specific Camelbak, with minimal carry space and water capacity? I know they even make ones where you can subliminate your team graphics onto the pack.

 

[James]

Maybe a race specific Camelbak, with minimal carry space and water capacity? I know they even make ones where you can subliminate your team graphics onto the pack.

Yeah, that's a good call! I didn't even think about that!
I'm gonna look into that tomorow!
Thanks!

 

[douglas]

On hotter days I really like going w/o the camalback, as long as the race is short enough that one bottle will be enough fluid, & (tube/tools) in seat bag

Otherwise, I use a camalback rouge (just enough storage for tube/lever/multitool & it has a pump slot)

 

[Westy]

I have never seen anyones Camelback fall off during a race, I have seen plenty of full water bottles come bouncing out of a cage.

I still carry all my tools and stuff in my jersey just because it is faster to get to than taking off a camelback.

 

[The Toninator]

I'm no Heidi but:

I prefer bottles because i dont like the weight of the camelback on my back, it hurts my lower back. I also take these things into consideration:

Length of course
Neutral feed zone(s) and what they are handing up
if somebody can hand me bottles at the feed zones
temperature

20/25 miles no feed zone moderate to hot temperature you should be able to carry enough fluids to last the race. 1 bottle cytomax 1 bottle water.I like the longer bottles for this type of race.
same as above but cooler temp - regular size bottles.
if it goes longer and they have a feed zone with bottles small bottles and rely on hand up

12 hours with dark at the beginning and end. Bottles and camel back. First lap camelbak with battery and helmet with light. All laps till night bottle and separate no light helmet then at dark switch back to camelbak and light

Also don’t forget to Gu up every 45 minutes to an hour.

 

[The Toninator]

OHHHH and if your a newbie (which i know your not) i do recommend a camelbak for at least a little while. Practice using bottles on your training rides get used to them then lose the CB and use bottles during the race

 

[Heidi]

Actually, in years past, I think they have had a feedzone. I normally just go with bottles and have someone hand me one each lap. I think last year it was a tad over 100 degrees for the race!!!!! I'm with Tony though, I have tried NUMEROUS camebaks and they all cause back pain for me.

 

[Ridemonkey]

Bottle cause neck pain for me.

Bottles = pain in the neck.

 

[Zark]

James there are two feedzones for the Firestone race. (Look at the map, thats what I made it for!) I don't know if they are neutral feedzones though.

I vote camelback. After seeing the SO course littered with full waterbottles bounced out of their cage I thought about how much it would suck to do that whole lap without water.

 

[Snacks]

On hotter days I really like going w/o the camalback, as long as the race is short enough that one bottle will be enough fluid, & (tube/tools) in seat bag

Otherwise, I use a camalback rouge (just enough storage for tube/lever/multitool & it has a pump slot)

I use the same one for my XC races. I thought about going with the water bottles at first but in the summer it gets real dusty so I'd get a good mix of mud in my mouth . I don't want to think about reaching down to grab my bottle, and I have seen people crash and lose their bottles.

 

[MtnbikeMike]

James there are two feedzones for the Firestone race. (Look at the map, thats what I made it for!) I don't know if they are neutral feedzones though.

I vote camelback. After seeing the SO course littered with full waterbottles bounced out of their cage I thought about how much it would suck to do that whole lap without water.

Last year, if I remember correctly, they only had one neutral feed zone. I had looked at the map and it showed 3! That was the worst last year. I crpamed up sooooo bad. I don't think I've ever felt such excruciating pain in my life.

But anyway, I feel it would be better for you to use a camelbak. I find that I have to make a bigger effort to get the right amount of fluids when using bottles. I'll be racing and want to take a drink, but either the course won't let me, or I'll be redlining and not want take my hands off of the bars.

 

[The Toninator]

Camelbak’s are the Devils cycling bridle

 

[Westy]

Water bottles are for roadie posers who like to lick splattered cow poo off plastic nipples.

 

[Heidi]

Water bottles are for roadie posers who like to lick splattered cow poo off plastic nipples.

LMAO - so not true! Watch a pro race...how many do you see in camelbaks?

 

[Westy]

LMAO - so not true! Watch a pro race...how many do you see in camelbaks?

I always figured the pro's wouldn't use camelbacks so as not to cover up their sponsors logos on their backs.

And I have seen pros like Jeramiah Bishop ride with camelbacks, of course he rides his bike 50 miles over the mountains to the race before whipping up on us local yocals.

 

[Heidi]

I always figured the pro's wouldn't use camelbacks so as not to cover up their sponsors logos on their backs.

And I have seen pros like Jeramiah Bishop ride with camelbacks, of course he rides his bike 50 miles over the mountains to the race before whipping up on us local yocals.

Yah, that's one reasone. But why wear one if you don't need to? It's not like they are comfortable! You can easily fit a tube, tire levers, co2, and a thing of Hammer Gel or whatever in your jersey, and one bottle per lap is enough.

 

[The Toninator]

I always figured the pro's wouldn't use camelbacks so as not to cover up their sponsors logos on their backs.

And I have seen pros like Jeramiah Bishop ride with camelbacks, of course he rides his bike 50 miles over the mountains to the race before whipping up on us local yocals.

that dudes a bad ass he beat eatough at the marathon 2 weeks ago.

1 Jeremiah Bishop 4:26:15.64 3771 1023 TREK/VW
2 Christopher Eatough 4:35:11.87 97632 1002 TREK/VW
3 KARL PLATT 4:44:03.64 25 ROCKY MOUN
4 Jay Henry 4:53:08.61 15853 1021 FORD/SPECI
5 Andrew Johnston 4:54:34.47 18075 1018 KENDA/CYCL
6 Michael Janelle 4:55:28.06 17659 3 TOKYO JOES
7 Aaron Potts 5:04:40.06 28523 1004 COLORADO P
8 Kip Biese 5:11:26.84 92714 1013 CANNONDALE
9 Nat Ross 5:12:11.94 152119 1020 SUBARU- GA
10 Brent Thompson 5:26:51.21 115089 724 BICYCLE SP
11 DAVID YAKAITIS 5:32:33.29 1237
DNF Matthew Freeman 172215 1049 TEAM REDLA
DNF Brian Lugers 105454 1019
DNF Mike Koenig 120199 1017 TOKYO JOE'
DNF David Harris 15187 1016 HEALTHFX
DNF Arlo Buijten 135615 1008 TITUS/SCHW
DNF CARSTEN BRESSER 24 ROCKY MOUN
DNF CLINT MUHLFELD 511
DNF Cameron Chambers 161597 1211 SUBARU- GA

 

[Westy]

that dudes a bad ass he beat eatough at the marathon 2 weeks ago.

1 Jeremiah Bishop 4:26:15.64 3771 1023 TREK/VW
2 Christopher Eatough 4:35:11.87 97632 1002 TREK/VW
3 KARL PLATT 4:44:03.64 25 ROCKY MOUN
4 Jay Henry 4:53:08.61 15853 1021 FORD/SPECI
5 Andrew Johnston 4:54:34.47 18075 1018 KENDA/CYCL
6 Michael Janelle 4:55:28.06 17659 3 TOKYO JOES
7 Aaron Potts 5:04:40.06 28523 1004 COLORADO P
8 Kip Biese 5:11:26.84 92714 1013 CANNONDALE
9 Nat Ross 5:12:11.94 152119 1020 SUBARU- GA
10 Brent Thompson 5:26:51.21 115089 724 BICYCLE SP
11 DAVID YAKAITIS 5:32:33.29 1237
DNF Matthew Freeman 172215 1049 TEAM REDLA
DNF Brian Lugers 105454 1019
DNF Mike Koenig 120199 1017 TOKYO JOE'
DNF David Harris 15187 1016 HEALTHFX
DNF Arlo Buijten 135615 1008 TITUS/SCHW
DNF CARSTEN BRESSER 24 ROCKY MOUN
DNF CLINT MUHLFELD 511
DNF Cameron Chambers 161597 1211 SUBARU- GA

Bishop is one fast dude, super cool guy at the same time. He had a bad year in 2004 after getting sick from drinking water from a stream but I expect to see him do well this year.

 

[blue]

My current frame only has one bottle mount on the downtube, so I just race with a Camelbak Rogue. I've had numerous bottles bounce out on me...no good. Depending on how long the race is, normally I can get by with only filling up to about 50 oz of the 70 oz it holds.

 

[SuspectDevice]

James,
You need to get a girlfriend. They make great pit crews...
Seriously though hydration packs are silly. They weigh more than a water bottle, they throw off your balance, they are hot, they make you look like a fred, and most importantly you can't easily have the same available selection of beverages. I have NEVER lost a waterbottle during a race, that would be in over 200 races all over north america. Hasn't happened once.

Loosing a bottle is like getting a flat, due to poor preperation and equipment upkeep.

Hydration packs are great for the big ole backwoods epics where you need spare clothes and solid food and stuff, and there is no feedzone, but for XC racing, which is far-far removed from actual MTB riding they just look bad and add weight...

 

[Echo]

My strategy in Old Pueblo was to only use a camelbak on my night laps to carry the battery. That worked fine, a bottle of water was plenty for the daylight laps.

 

[James]

James,
You need to get a girlfriend. They make great pit crews...
Seriously though hydration packs are silly. They weigh more than a water bottle, they throw off your balance, they are hot, they make you look like a fred, and most importantly you can't easily have the same available selection of beverages. I have NEVER lost a waterbottle during a race, that would be in over 200 races all over north america. Hasn't happened once.

Loosing a bottle is like getting a flat, due to poor preperation and equipment upkeep.

Hydration packs are great for the big ole backwoods epics where you need spare clothes and solid food and stuff, and there is no feedzone, but for XC racing, which is far-far removed from actual MTB riding they just look bad and add weight...

That's kind of what I was thinking. I've never lost a bottle either, so that's not the issue. I think that carrying the least amount of weight possible is the way to go.
I agree, CamelBaks are great when you're out for 3+ hours, need to carry a jacket, etc.
So it sounds like the consensus is bottle for a race, kind of what I was thinking.
Thanks all.

 

[The Toninator]

be sure to buy some nice STEEL King cages, they wont let you down.

 

[James]

be sure to buy some nice STEEL King cages, they wont let you down.

I only use stainless cages. Not Kings though, I think mine are the lighter of the two Blackburn ones, they rule. Super light, super grippy, don't mark the bottles. Not quite ti, but they'll do.
The hot ticket for me is using Hayes ti rotor bolts as bottle cage bolts...

 

[Special K]

James,
You need to get a girlfriend. They make great pit crews...
Seriously though hydration packs are silly. They weigh more than a water bottle, they throw off your balance, they are hot, they make you look like a fred, and most importantly you can't easily have the same available selection of beverages. I have NEVER lost a waterbottle during a race, that would be in over 200 races all over north america. Hasn't happened once.

Loosing a bottle is like getting a flat, due to poor preperation and equipment upkeep.

Hydration packs are great for the big ole backwoods epics where you need spare clothes and solid food and stuff, and there is no feedzone, but for XC racing, which is far-far removed from actual MTB riding they just look bad and add weight...

Some bikes do not fit bottles -- My s-works epic does not fit a bottle well at all and I need to use a camelback. I hate reaching around my jersey during a race to get a waterbottle. I have lost dozens of bottles during races before I used a camelback due to some awesome technical trails, reaching for it and it falling out, etc.
By the way, boyfriends, make the best pit crews too, I have been lucky to have race support at virtually every race by my bf.

 

[James]

Some bikes do not fit bottles -- My s-works epic does not fit a bottle well at all and I need to use a camelback. I hate reaching around my jersey during a race to get a waterbottle. I have lost dozens of bottles during races before I used a camelback due to some awesome technical trails, reaching for it and it falling out, etc.
By the way, boyfriends, make the best pit crews too, I have been lucky to have race support at virtually every race by my bf.

That is true, however, I happen to be 6'2", so all of my frames fit at least 2 waterbottles, so I'm lucky that way.
Hmm, significant other as race support eh? We have some common needs, maybe WE should date?
Kidding.
I would use a CamelBak if I couldn't fit a bottle though if my bike couldn't fit at least one bottle. But my NRS fits one on the DT, and my XTC Carbon hardtail can fit two.

JJames

 

[Special K]

That is true, however, I happen to be 6'2", so all of my frames fit at least 2 waterbottles, so I'm lucky that way.
Hmm, significant other as race support eh? We have some common needs, maybe WE should date?
Kidding.
I would use a CamelBak if I couldn't fit a bottle though if my bike couldn't fit at least one bottle. But my NRS fits one on the DT, and my XTC Carbon hardtail can fit two.

JJames

My bikes aren't the only thing that my mechanic services :devil: