Simple Hydration differentiates itself by the shape of the bottle. The ergonomic bottle is shaped similarly to a microphone. It has a narrow body that hooks over to a full-size top. The reason for the odd shape is that runners have a hard time holding or stowing a full-size bottle on their run.

Not only is the bottle comfortable to hold in your hand to drink or to run, it fits in a belt or waistband. That’s right, this bottle tucks in the waistband with no awkwardness or risk of losing the bottle. The design is shaped to fit with the curve of your back.

The bottle top is a screw-on cap that’s the same size as a standard water bottle. The wide opening is nice when it comes time to fill and clean the bottle. Some of the other solutions for runners are smaller bottles and that means smaller caps.

While it’s an interesting shape of the bottle, it’s worth pointing out that if you stow your bottle in your waistband along the center of your back, it may be subject to sweat running down your back. The odd shape also might make it difficult to stand up on its own, we’re not sure if that works or not.

UPDATE: Simple Hydration Founder Brian Hock just confirmed that the bottle does, in fact, stand up. “That was an issue made aware to us by runners in our research phase and we made sure it would stand up fine. If you notice in the top photo the bottom is flat so that it can stand in an upright position. Plus, the bottom is perfectly centered under the top shape to also provide balance when standing up straight.”

Simple Hydration Official Website

We first saw the Relaj water bottle at Interbike last fall. It’s tall, clear, and has a thin nozzle for drinking. The bottle slants at an angle, making it look a little like the official bottle of Dr. Seuss. That look has its purpose. The shape allows bike riders, as well as runners and walkers, to tip the bottle and drink from a forward-looking position. This way you don’t have to lean back to get water to come out of the bottle. That “Grip ‘N Tip” technology is an ergonomic feature that lets you hydrate while staying on the path.

Relaj makes the bottle from a BPA-free material. The samples shown at Interbike were clear and very squeezable. The spout is made from silicon, which is easy to wash and keep clean. The bottom of the bottle unscrews in a manner similar to the Clean Bottle to make it easier to clean and get ice or other liquids inside. This is good because the top opening is narrow and doesn’t lend itself to cleaning.

An ice pack inserts itself into the bottom cap to keep liquids cool. Relaj says it’s best located in the bottom of the bottle as it keeps the contents cool even when there’s just a little left. In most bottles, the last sip can be a bit warm on a hot day.

Originally the Relaj bottle was to retail for $24.99, but to stay competitive, the price is now decided on $19.99. Relaj Water Bottle will be available this spring.

Relaj Official Website

But at the Consumer Electronics Show this year some companies are doing something about it. These include GreenSmart, which is introducing a line of stylish and very eco-friendly computer sleves and bags. The company notes that more than 800,000 bottles have been recycled already – and in all honesty after this year’s show they’ll likely have a lot more. So it is good to see a company like GreenSmart being smart about what can be done about it!

The line includes MacBook and laptop sleeves, backpacks, messenger bags and even wine and water carriers. And the latter ones can even help reduce how many water bottles end up in the ocean!

GreenSmart Official Website

It is generally agreed that riders shouldn’t wear the chain as a sash or even as a belt. Messengers and commuters may do it, but this can be a problem should there be an accident as it can limit access, or even cause a rider to be pinned under a vehicle. On the flip side, many riders simple wouldn’t dream of putting a chain around the bike frame. In other words there has to be a better way, and thanks to the Küat Racks Bottle Lock there is one!

This is a simple 5-foot long, 7.5mm braided steel cable lock that stores within a water bottle, complete with a lockable compartment suitable for locking keys or loose change. While it doesn’t provide any real advantage over other cable locks, and thus isn’t really recommended for daily commuters in cities with higher than average thefts of bicycles, it is good for those who can’t always bring their bike into a building, such as during that quick trip to the drug store or to pick up a takeout order.

Since the Küat Racks Bottle Lock won’t hold water, users might want to consider putting a second water bottle cage on the bike, just in case in they get thirsty – or lock up the bike for a minute while they go buy something to drink!

Küat Racks Bottle Lock at Jam Media Collective
[Via Gizmodo: Küat Racks Bike Lock Camouflages Itself As A Water Bottle]

Ron Andrews has worked for a unique list of manufacturers in the bicycle industry including Fat City Cycles, One Off Titanium, Joe Breeze Cycles, Ted Wojack Cycles and Yeti Cycles. It was at One Off Titanium that Ran was asked by a customer if they could have a water bottle cage made from titanium. After he successfully made the titanium cage, he continued to produce them ever since

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cc5wo0a3yxs

In 1996, Ron started producing stainless steel water bottle cages and later introduced a small line-up of products. Three different water bottle cages, the Top Cap Cage Mount, titanium tire levers and the Behold Tool Pouch – a stainless steel cage that holds a small, nylon tool pouch, make up the complete King Cage product line. This may not seem like very many products, but consider this – all of the cages are still being produced in Ron’s garage in Durango by him with the help of a small part time staff.

All of the products sold by King Cage are made in America using U.S.A. sourced materials. The nylon pouches and Top Cap Cage Mount are produced by other companies, but they are still manufactured in the United States.

Recently, while building up a new bike, I purchased two of the stainless steel King Cages. Surprising they were only about $2 more that the house brand stainless steel water bottle cages being sold by the local retail branch of a well known bicycle catalog company. Those cages were made in Taiwan. The welds of the King Cages appeared much stronger and the tubular framework of the cage is welded closed as opposed to the cages made overseas which typically see that step skipped. I had the chance to take the new bike out on two rocky trails for about 50 miles and the King Cages lived up to their name. The 24 ounce bottles never bounced out of the cages and as advertised, the cages were non-marking.

Water bottles cages are a fairly low tech item, but are sure needed during these sweltering summer days in the saddle. If you lose a bottle on the trail, you could be in serious trouble if you are miles away from home. At $60, the titanium cage may be out of reach or need of most cyclists, but at $17, the stainless steel cages fit within the budget of most avid cyclists. King Cages can be found at better bicycle shops or they can be purchased direct from their website. Either way it is a cage fit for a king.

King Cages Official Website

Originally designed to conserve space while backpacking, the Platypus bottle was introduced to the outdoor market back in 1996 as a lightweight option to the bottles that were then available . Over the years the line of bottles have grown to include three different types of bottles; three different bladders for hydration backpacks; a number of reservoir packs for transporting larger quantities of water while camping; and a wine preservation bottle – all made in America. Each of these products store flat for transportation when empty, are BPA-free and typically weigh 80% less than a hard-sided bottle of the same volume. The bottles start at a suggested retail price of $7.95 and top out at around $35 for the largest Platy Water Tank.

Since the Platypus bottles are essentially flat, flexible, durable bags, they can actually be frozen and used as ice packs. As they start to melt, the user is treated to ice-cold water, but remember that these bottles should only be filled up halfway with water as expansion occurs when the liquid becomes ice causing a possible bottle burst if they are overfilled.

Not all of the products that Platypus sells are made in America, but the do a very good job on their website labeling where each product is made. Platypus bottles are easily available from local retailers, online retailers and directly from Cascade Designs.

Cascade Designs Official Website

CamelBak has taken its Better Bottle design and added an internal filter to create the Groove. This bottle is made of CamelBak’s BPA-free Tritan plastic, and also available in stainless steel. The Groove uses the CamelBak Big Bite Valve where you bite down on a silicon seal and sip from the straw inside. It doesn’t let water out if the bottle falls or is left on its side. The filter is a cylinder of charchoal that’s placed in the straw.I’ve used water filters at home. I’ve had a few Britta pitchers with charchoal filters, and currently have a filter installed in my kitchen sink. I know that sometimes water takes a while to go through the filter, somehow it takes longer as the filter ages. When I saw online video about the Groove I wondered how the water would come up the straw through the filter. Would I have to fight resistance to get hydrated? Then the bottle showed up and I got some hands on time with the bottle. It’s like drinking from the Better Bottle and Bite Valve. Just bite and sip.

Out of the box the Groove is easy to put together. All the pieces except the filter can go in the dishwasher. I put everything in for an initial wash. The bite valve and two straw pieces went in the silverware caddy so they’d stay put during washing. When everything came out I ran the filter under water for about 15 – 30 seconds. I put the filter in the straw and snapped the two pieces of the straw into the bottom of the lid and then filled the bottle with tap water.

Bite and sip. There’s nothing more to it. Water tasted like clean water. The manual said the first few sips could contain little pieces of the charchoal filter, but that didn’t happen. The charchoal is a filter and not a purifier. It improves the taste of water by reducing chlorine in potable tap water at levels far exceeding NSF 42 standard. It works for three months or about 300 refills. The bottle comes in a .6 liter size in the Titan plastic for $25 and stainless steel for $35, each bottle comes with one filter. Replacement filters are available for about $10 for a two-pack or a six pack for $25.

One concern I had was that with some charcoal filters you don’t want the filter to dry out. With this filter, because it’s solid and made for intermittent use, you can let the filter dry out and then insert it back in the bottle and fill with water for use. You don’t need to run the filter under water another time or anything. You still should replace the filter about every three months. If you last used your filter a year ago, you want to replace it before putting your bottle back in action.

While you may get more use out of the Groove in warmer months, the practical nature of the bottle will probably keep it in action throughout the year. It’s great for outdoor activities, but just as good to tote along for other activities.

One thing to note. While the bottle prevents spills through the straw, if you don’t close the cap securely it will leak. I set the bottle down in my car and water spilled onto the car seat even though I had screwed the bottle shut. I’ve checked a few other times and the water stayed sealed inside. Though in general, it’s probably best to keep the bottle upright rather than throwing it in a bag and expecting all its contents to stay dry.

CamelBak Groove bottle

KineticShift.com concludes our hands on test of water bottles.

All good things come to an end, including our hands on test of water bottles. We wrap things up with the Nalgene bottles, which use Tritan copolyester plastic. The line includes the All-Terrain Bottle made from low density polyethylene, the On the Fly (OTF) and the On-the-Go (OTG). Here is our test.

Nalgene Bottles Made from Tritan Plastic Description: Each of the bottles tested (unless noted) are manufactured using Eastman’s Tritan copolyester plastic.

Everyday Tritan
BPA-Free High impact resistance
Resistant to staining
Won’t retain odors
Withstands sub-freezing to boiling temperatures
Dishwasher safe away from the heating element
Max temperature: 100 degrees C/212 degrees F
Min temperature: -40 degrees C/-40 degrees F

Bottle Sizes: Varies - 16oz to 32oz
Plastic: Eastman’s Tritan copolyester
Country of Manufacture: USA except for the flip tops - those are made in China
Retail Price: Varies – $6.75 to $14.99

Basic Standards:

1. None of the bottles leaked
2. Again, no leaks when turned upside down
3. BPA free

Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: All of the other bottles that I have evaluated up to this point were cycling specific including the Nalgene All-Terrain Bottle made from low density polyethylene. When I spoke with the Senior Business Manager at Interbike and mentioned that I was going to evaluate a bunch of cycling water bottles, he suggested that I also look at the main line of outdoor bottles containing Everyday Tritan. This is a more rigid type of plastic similar to polycarbonate, but is BPA free.

Nalgene has been manufacturing the infamous HDPE wide mouth bottles since the 1970’s and have always been a favorite of hikers. During my first multiday hike through the Grand Tetons in the 1990’s I carried a few of the classic wide mouth bottles manufactured from polycarbonate. In the last few years with the discovery that BPA may be a health hazard, most bottle manufacturers have switched to BPA free plastic. Nalgene followed suit and dropped polycarbonate in favor of Eastman’s Tritan copolyester.

Though the narrower bottles from Nalgene will fit in some bicycle water bottle cages, I decided to evaluate these bottles for non-cycling activities. Nalgene has a proven track record for producing bottles that do not leak and this was true with all of the bottles that we evaluated.

I say ‘we’ because my wife grabbed the green capped On the Fly bottle in exchange for her older N-Gen bottle (the light blue capped bottle). She has used her N-Gen bottle for years in fitness classes and while we hiked. She loves the large loop on top of the cap which she would feed a long piece of webbing through so that she could throw it over her shoulder like a purse. This would leave both of her hands free for negotiating sketchy sections of trails. Her only complaint with the N-Gen was that she would have to stop walking or working out to get a drink. If she did not stop before she drank, water would often splash out and sometimes up her nose. Other than that, this N-Gen bottle has been dropped on rocks and thrown around without ever leaking. The only disappointing issue with her N-Gen bottle is it is made from polycarbonate, not the new Tritan material – we are not sure that it is BPA free. This is not a concern with the current N-Gen bottle as those are made from Tritan. We would not hesitate to buy another N-Gen bottle as our current one has proven itself during the past few years.

She has been using the new On the Fly (OTF) bottle for a few weeks now in her fitness classes. She immediately fell in love with the flip-top lid that positively locks closed with an audible click. With the push of a button the lid unlocks and she can get a drink. With the smaller opening of the OTF lid, she does not have to stop working out to get a drink – the water simply does not splash out of the bottle. The flip-top lid has a rubber gasket inside that keeps water from leaking when the lid is snapped closed. As an added security feature, there is a little metal loop that can be used to lock the lid closed.

When she was picking the On the Fly bottle, she also had the choice of the On-the-Go bottle (the red colored bottle). Both of the bottles are the same size, use the same plastic and have the same size openings. The two differences are the price (OTF is about $2 more) and the locking mechanize of the flip-up lids. Though both bottles did not leak, we both agreed that the On-the-Go bottle was more difficult to open. For this reason, she took the OTF bottle for her fitness classes and I took the On-the-Go bottle to evaluate its use with a sports drink.

The sports drink that I chose to use for this evaluation was orange flavored Accelerade. This is a powder that is mixed with water to create the sports drink. Residue is often left on the side of most water bottles and I expected the same from the Tritan based bottles like the On-the-Go (OTG). I dumped in two scoops of Accelerade mixed with water and drank over the next hour. When I was finished, there was residue left in the bottle. The difference with the OTG bottle compared to other bottles (including the Specialized classic bottle) is that all I had to do was add water to the OTG bottle, close the lid, shake and dump the liquid – the OTG bottle was clean and there was no noticeable orange smell!

During my discussion with the Senior Business Manager, he suggested trying to mix a protein shake inside the bottle. He mentioned that this was not an idea advertised by Nalgene for use with their bottles, but that the Tritan plastic would not retain the taste or smell. This is a great idea for those of you who drink protein or other nutrition drinks on the go. The Nalgene bottles seal well, so the powder and liquid could be added and the bottle could be vigously shaken without risk of leaks. I thought that I would evaluate this suggestion with both the 16oz and 32oz wide mouth bottles. I first tried mixing milk with Jarrow Fomulas Whey Protein (chocolate flavored) inside the 16oz bottle. The total volume was 14oz inside the 16oz bottle. The remaining 2oz proved not to be enough space inside the bottle to dissolve the powder completely when shaken. I tried the same test with the 32oz bottle and had much better results. The powder was completely dissolved since I had 18oz of free space inside the bottle to shake up the mixture. This was actually better results than I have had with a hand blender and much easier to clean up. As a bonus, these bottles both are graduated, so no measuring cup is required when adding exact amounts of liquid.

The last bottle that we had from Nalgene to evaluate was the MultiDrink bottle (the purple bottle). This bottle features three ways to drink – the 63mm wide mouth opening, a 24mm screw top opening (cap connected to the black loop) and a pivoting straw for sipping. There were no leaks detected from any of the openings even when vigorously shaken making this bottle perfect for those of you who like to carry a water bottle around with you at work, school or just about anywhere. There was only one small issue that I had with this bottle. When sipping through the straw, I noticed a slight plastic taste – no worse than a Specialized classic bottle, but it was still there.

Overall, these bottles performed as advertised. Besides the MultiDrink bottle, these bottles do not have a plastic smell or taste when new; plus they do not retain the smell of sports or protein drinks. These bottles are much better suited for general use and activities that both hands can be used when opening.

Likes: The Tritan plastic which does not retain tastes or smells. The graduated sides of most of the bottles for measuring.

Dislikes: None

Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: For years we have liked to use Nalgene Tritan type of bottles for hiking, indoor fitness and general carrying around since they are rugged and do not leak. These bottles really do not work well for competitive cycling or other activities where both hands can not be used to open a bottle; this is due to the need to use both hands when opening these bottles (one hand could be used, but it is difficult). The screw-top models are excellent for all around general water use, hiking and running when you can stop to unscrew the cap and drink. The flip-top models are good for general water use, fitness classes, fitness equipment, hiking and running – activities that you can still use both hands to open, but the liquid does not splash out as easily when drinking.

Nalgene Outdoor Official Website

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

Time for another dash to the finish line, and this one might just be the water bottle to help you on the long ride to the podium and beyond. And we hear it’s good for the casual group ride too.

CamelBak Podium Description: Step up to the Podium. The New CamelBak Podium Bottle incorporates Jet Valve, a revolutionary self-sealing valve into a taste-free bottle with a high flow rate.

CamelBak is the official hydration sponsor of Team Garmin-Transitions, and proud to support the team’s 100% Clean initiative for untainted sports performance.

Bottle Sizes: 21oz and 24oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: China
Retail Price: $8 (21oz) and $9 (24oz)

Basic Standards:

1. Both bottles did not leak when squeezed
2. Both bottles did not leak when they were turned upside-down with the Jet Valve ‘unlocked’
3. BPA free

Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: I had recently evaluated the CamelBak insulated bottles mainly focusing on the amount of time ice would remain frozen inside the bottles. I only used water during those evaluations, but I thought that I would now focus on the TruTatse polypropylene to see how it could handle the Accelerade sports drink.

Though I have used the CamelBak Hydration Packs since they debuted years ago, this was the first time that I used a CamelBak brand bottle. CamelBak Podium bottles use the self-healing Jet Valve which is always ‘open’ unless the Lockout feature is used. The Lockout is designed to ‘close’ the bottle during transportation…just twist the Jet Valve 90º and it is ‘closed’. This always open, self healing or self closing valve is now being featured on more bottles, but since CamelBak’s lockout feature twists shut instead of pushing the valve down, it took a few uses to adjust my habits. By the time I had gotten around to testing the Podium bottles, I was use to the Jet Valve through the evaluation of the CamelBak insulated bottles and had broken the habit of trying to pull the bite valve open with my teeth.

For this evaluation, I filled the 24oz bottle with orange flavored Accelerade and the 21oz bottle with water. I headed out on a ride lasting about two hours. Following their insulated brothers, these bottles functioned without incident…the valves functioned perfectly and no leaks were detected. The water in the 21oz bottle tasted the same as if it was drank from a glass and the valve on the 24oz bottle was not fouled by the Accelerade. When I arrived back at home, the typical Accelerade residue was left on the inside of the bottle.

I cleaned the 24oz bottle out with dish soap and a soft bristle brush, and the residue was easily removed. To my dismay though, the smell still remained in the bottle – as bad, if not worse than the Specialized classic bottle. I then proceeded to use a sanitizing solution to try to rid the bottle of the smell and now the bottle has a minty, orange smell. This does not seem to affect the taste of water, but I will probably just use this bottle now exclusively for sports drinks.

For water uses, all of the CamelBak bottles worked great, but when Accelerade was used in the bottles, there was residue from the sports drink visibly left in the Jet Valve. The Jet Valve is difficult to clean especially when CamelBak recommends not disassembling the valve. I really did like how these bottles functioned and will continue to use them, I just have to make sure to take the time to clean these valves after each use with a sports drink.

CamelBak does manufacture a product called Elixir. This product is an effervescent tablet that the user drops into a bottle filled with water to create a drink full of electrolytes. Since Elixir is sugar-free, no residue is left behind. I was able to taste-test the Elixir at the Dirt Demo during InterBike and it did live up to the residue-free claim. This is probably a better choice for the CamelBak bottles that have the Jet Valve to avoid the issue inside the valve.

Likes: The Jet Valve.

Dislikes: The Jet Valve has tight areas that are difficult to clean the residue from sports drinks.

Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: All water bottle uses…cycling, hiking, running, fitness classes, etc.; but you may want to think twice before adding a sports drink, other than Elixir, to the bottle.

CamelBak Official Website

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

It is time to come clean about a sad fact about water bottles. Some bottles just never get clean when used with energy drinks, and even water can transform bottles into something that you’d never want to drink out of – but the Clean Bottle might just have the solution.

Clean Bottle Description: Flat tires. Getting dropped. Bad drivers. Stinky, moldy water bottles.

We can’t help you with the first three, but we can 
do something about the fourth.

Introducing Clean Bottle, with a patent-pending, leak-proof , screw-off bottom. Gone are the days of trying in vain to wash out that funk at the bottom of your bottles. With Clean Bottle, cleaning and drying are easy.

Clean Bottle is made with 100% non-toxic, BPA-free plastics, making it safe to use over and over. Clean bottle is also top-rack dishwasher safe, so you can run it in the dishwasher without fear of it breaking down.

Bottle Sizes: 22oz
Plastic: Polyethylene (body) and Polypropylene (caps)
Country of Manufacture: China
Retail Price: $9.95 (22oz)

Basic Standards:

1. Neither cap leaked
2. Again, no leaks
3. BPA free

Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: The Clean Bottlemade a big splash this year at the Tour de France with the infamous ‘Bottle Boy’ running around multiple stages and a few mentions on Versus during the TV coverage. There are two unique features of this bottle – the cap on both the top and bottom to allow easy access to both ends of the bottle and this bottle uses rubber gaskets to seal both caps from leaking. Though in my 20 years of cycling I have never had a moldy bottle, I can see how this could be an issue for those cyclists who do not routinely clean their bottles after each ride.

For my evaluation I once again chose the Accelerade Sports Drink. I rinsed the bottle before the first use, filled it with water and tasted. No plastic taste or smell was present so I proceeded to finish the water and refill the bottle with orange Accelerade. Then I was off on my ride.

I took this bottle out along with another Specialized classic bottle for the ride that lasted a little over two hours. The Clean Bottle performance was very similar to the classic bottle. The bite valve is made from a semi-rigid rubber which was easy to bite, but it did not collapse under the pressure of a bite. I preferred the Clean Bottle bite valve over the Specialized classic bottle’s bite valve. There was no leaks from either cap, and though the plastic was a little more rigid than the Specialized classic bottle, that did not seem to impact the performance.

When I arrived back home, there was the typical Accelerade residue on the inside sidewalls of the bottle. I filled the bottle with water, gave it a vigorous shake and dumped the water…unfortunately, most of the residue was still there inside the bottle. Out came the scrub brush and dish soap. After the residue was scrubbed, the bottle did still retain a little of the orange smell, but eventually disappeared with the use of a bottle sanitizing solution.

Overall, the Clean Bottle performs as advertised. To clean the residue out of the bottle, it was a little easier to be able to scrub from both ends of the bottle. I have two concerns with this bottle – the number of crevasses on both of the caps and the use of rubber gaskets. These are areas that may prove to be difficult to clean for some individuals especially if somehow sports drink gets under the gaskets. The gaskets seem like they are difficult to remove and could possibly be damaged when removed. I am not sure that the unique features of this bottle outweighs the use of a good bottle brush for your normal water bottle…I guess only time will tell.

Likes: Access for cleaning through both ends of the bottle and the rubber bite valve.

Dislikes: The rubber gaskets on both the top and bottom caps. The number of crevasses that may collect debris.

Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: All water bottle uses… cycling, hiking, running, fitness classes, etc.

Clean Bottle Official Website

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

The Polar express is up and running. Polar Bottle returns with its latest insulated water bottle that is thinner, making it easier to squeeze, yet still keeps water comfortably chilled.

Polar Insulated Bottle Description: Polar Bottle is the original insulated plastic sport bottle. It keeps liquids colder longer than other water bottles. We innovated the industry back in 1994 by creating a bottle that would actually keep water cool during any outdoor activity. The bottle has evolved in the years since with brightly colored foil liners and patterns and an innovative removable valve system. Made in America, Polar Bottle is popular throughout the world.

Bottle Sizes: 20oz and 24oz
Plastic: Low Density Polyethylene
Country of Manufacture: USA
Retail Price: $10.99 (20oz) & $11.99 (24oz)

Basic Standards:

1. This bottle did not leak when filled with water and squeezed
2. This bottle did not leak when filled with water and turn upside down
3. BPA free

Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: A few years ago I received the original Polar Insulated Bottle for a Christmas gift and have been using ever since while hiking or cycling in hot weather. I would fill the bottle about 90% full with water and freeze the bottle solid overnight. In the morning, I would top off the bottle with water and head out on my ride or hike. After two hours of use, there would still be a little bit of ice left in the bottle. Typically while cycling I would carry this bottle along with a classic Specialized bottle. When I was finished drinking the Specialized bottle, I would still have ice cold water to drink… especially nice in 90ºF heat.

While at Interbike I stopped by the Polar Bottle booth and inquired about the current Polar insulated bottle that they were displaying. They explained that not much had changed except for the current bottle was actually thinner making it easier to squeeze. They gave me one to test when I arrived back home in Colorado.

For my evaluation of this bottle I decided to full the bottle with 1-1/2 cup of water and freeze it overnight. The day of the ride that I used this bottle it was 85ºF. I did use this bottle along with a Specialized bottle. The ride lasted about 3-1/2 hours around the foothills of Boulder County. I used both bottles making sure to always jiggle the Polar bottle listening for ice chunks. About 2 hours and 15 minutes into the ride, the ice had completely melted, but the water was still cold. The temperature of the water did warm a little by the time I made it home, but still nice and cool. Best of all, there was no ‘off’ or plastic taste to the water.

The thinner sides of this bottle did make it easier to squeeze while in use. I would recommend removing the supplied carrying strap while cycling since it will probably rub against your leg. The strap is very helpful while hiking, so do not discard the strap.

Likes: Insulated bottle, removable bite valve and carrying strap for all non-cycling activities

Dislikes: None

Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: All water bottle uses… cycling, hiking, running, fitness classes, etc. Remove the strap before using this bottle on your bike.

Polar Bottle

Hydrapak is the bottle to pack if you’re looking to carry water and an energy gel. It can help you keep fueled up and hydrated at the same time.

Hydrapak Gel-Bot Product Description: No more sticky fingers. No more wrestling with foil packets. Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials in one easy-access bottle. Load the chamber with energy gel, fill the bottle with water. Gel-Bots patent-pending technology lets you fuel or hydrate without slowing down. The Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials, fuel and hydration, in one easy to use sport bottle.

To USE:               
Load the inner chamber with energy gel.
Fill the bottle with water/fluid.
When the nozzle is pulled open, you get water and water only.
With the nozzle pushed down, squeeze to get the gel out of the center valve.
This patent-pending design lets you fuel or hydrate with just one hand. Perfect for racing or total gel addicts.

Bottle Sizes: 20oz and 24oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: Taiwan
Retail Price: $13.99 (20oz) & $14.99 (24oz)

Basic Standards (two bottles were tested – Bottle #1 was from Interbike & Bottle #2 was shipped a a replacement for that bottle):

1. Bottle #1 had a very small leak between the cap and bottle, but this bottle was still usable in both the gel and water functions. Bottle #2 did not leak at all and that actually allowed the gel to flow out with less effort than Bottle #1.
2. Both bottles did not leak when turned upside-down. Only Bottle #1 leaked when squeezed.
3. BPA free

Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: Truth be told, this was one bottle that I was truly excited about testing when I picked it up at Interbike. It had been about a month since I had raced in the Leadville 100 mountain bike race and I had wished that I had at least three of these bottles to use in that race. For those of you who use gel packs know that tearing off of the tops, sucking down the gel and properly disposing of the foil can be a pain.

Water and gel remain in separate containers in one bottle

The first day that I was to test this bottle, I filled the ‘gel chamber’ with chocolate Gu, filled the bottle with water, twisted the cap tight and squeezed. To my dismay, water started creeping around the bottle threads. I decided to just use it as-is and went on my ride.

During the ride, I switched back and forth between using the water and gel functions. The Gu I chose to use was a little thicker than most other gels and with the loss of pressure around the threads, it took considerable force to get the Gu to flow. To help with the flow of the gel, I sucked at the same time as I squeezed the bottle – I helped the gel flow considerably. The water function worked as described and no noticeable plastic or ‘off’ tastes were noticed.

When I arrived back at home, I contacted Hydrapak and described the leak around the threads of my first bottle. The representative responded very quickly to my e-mail and sent out a replacement bottle. Upon receipt of the second bottle, I followed the same procedure except I switch the Gu for Clif Shot which is much thinner. I was pleasantly pleased when the replacement bottle did not leak. I took the bottle out on a similar ride; and with a combination of the thinner gel and no loss of pressure, this bottle preformed much better. It took considerably less pressure to get the gel to flow, but sucking on the gel portion while squeezing, allows more control over the amount of gel that comes out.

After arriving home both times, I inspected and cleaned the bottles. The gel chamber had very little gel residue left inside which means that there is very little waste with this system. The biggest issue that I noticed with the bottles was cleaning. There are a lot of little parts that need to be cleaned to prevent the growth of mold. The area most difficult to clean is the bit valve. The soft rubber bite valve can be removed, but you have to be careful not to tear the ‘stops’ of the  valve (like I did). There are videos on the internet detailing how to clean this bottle – those links can be found on Hydrapak’s website.

Overall, I was very pleased with the performance of the bottle. Any downside is greatly outweighed by the gel chamber system, especially in a race situation where every action or second counts.

Likes: The ‘gel chamber’ and large, soft bite valve

Dislikes: The difficulty in thoroughly cleaning the bottle and soft bite valve which can tear easily while removing.

Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: All water bottle uses… cycling, hiking, running, fitness classes, etc.

Hydrapak Official Website

KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.

California Bike Gear puts an interesting spin on water bottles with the PROx, which are made from 20 percent post industrial recycled plastic. But more importantly these bottles will be gone in two years. Not because the company won’t continue to sell them, but because these can biodegrade in about that time. Talk about planned obsolescence.

California Bike Gear’s Product Description: These enhanced plastic bottles biodegrade in landfills and are the most environmentally responsible product you can buy. They offer the following benefits: Biodegradable – BioGreen Bottles with EcoPure additive are unique in that they biodegrade in an active microbial environment which are present in landfills. EcoPure is a non-toxic additive that actually helps the environment. The final product left behind with EcoPure is humus and methane. Humus regenerates the soil.

Recyclable – The BioGreen Bottles are also fully recyclable in the normal recycle stream.

Reusable – These bottles have the same long useful life as normal LDPE plastic bottles Light, heat or humidity do not activate the degradation process unlike corn/starch based plastics.

Made with Recycled Materials – BioGreen Bottles are made with at least 20% post industrial recycled plastic.

Isn’t “Recyclable” Enough? Recycling is always the best option and BioGreen Bottles are 100% recyclable. The sad truth is over 90% of recyclable bottles wind up in landfills and will remain there for 1000 years. BioGreen Bottles will completely Biodegrade in about two years. Now, that’s Enough!

Bottle Sizes: 26oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: USA
Retail Price: $6.99 (26oz) 

1. This bottle did not leak when filled with water and squeezed
2. This bottle did not leak when filled with water and turn upside down
3. BPA free

Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: This was the only bottle that we picked up that had the claim of being completely biodegradable. While we would have loved to test this feature we lacked the time and proper equipment to conduct this test, but if this bottle does act as claimed, it would be a great bottle for those of you who often lose your bottle while cycling. We tested this bottle with water while cycling to evaluate its performance. The bottle was rinsed prior to the ride and filled with ice water – there was no smell from the plastic and no off-taste. This was also the result through the entire two hour ride and in reality, it performed just like the classic Specialized bottle. The only noticeable difference between the PROx bottle and the Specialized bottle is the PROx bottle uses a more rigid plastic…it takes a little more effort to get your liquid out of this bottle.

Likes: Biodegradability of this bottle

Dislikes: Plastic is more rigid than the Specialized classic bottle

Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: All water bottle uses…cycling, hiking, running, fitness classes, etc., but just try not to lose too many of these bottles on the trails as they will still be there for two years.

California Bike Gear