To Drink or not to drink: camel hump vs bottle.

When i started cycling one of the things I did was to buy a camel bak as time went by I ran into people that told me it wasn't good for you. They argued that having anything on your back was bad. For a long time I kept wearing the camel bak until i saw a pro rider do a 4 lap race and not once use it. I started experimenting and quickly figured out that water is important and on longer days it pays off to have a camel bak but only if you are going too slow.

Oleta River State Park: To camel or not to camel

When I used to ride Oleta I started first wearing a camel bak but it was a double sided sword. I remember wearing the camel bak would make me hotter because the heavy pack would not let the air blow on my back. The added weight and the constant need to get off the seat to ride over roots always proved bothersome. So I decided to start carrying a bottle. Oleta without Gilligans can be done under 1 hour. So when my friend asked me on a weekend to ride with them I said "sure, that's not a problem" I simply put my one single water bottle and went off.

I am not particular the fastest nor the lightest guy but among them the pace was not really that bad and I didnt see the need for water. It wasn't until I realized 2 hours into the ride that we had only gone half way through the park. By that time I did have run out of water. My friends with camel baks had done so too. It was no surprise because we were stopping at the end of every trail.

My tip for everyone today. If you are not riding in a secluded area like in the mountains, please leave the 20 lb camelback at home. It is much better to carry a bottle in the back of your jersey. You will fill much better and get faster.