Article by Jeff Valliere
Camelbak Podium Titanium 18 oz Insulated Bike Bottle ($100)
8 oz/ 236 grams
Camelbak was kind enough to throw in a pair of the Podium Ti 18oz Bike Bottles. I have used plenty of plastic bike bottles over the years including several years as a pro cyclist in the day. (exclusively plastic bottles) and always have somewhat recoiled at how quickly the water gets warm, in fact as warm as tea on those hot summer days, usually creating an unpleasant plastic taste. For the past few years, I have been using plastic Camelbak Podium bottles, which are much better than any others I have used and do not put off an unpleasant taste, but water still warms fast in them.
Enter the Ti Podium bottle, which features Double Wall Vacuum Insulation to keep your drink cold for up to a (claimed) 7 hours.
While I have not yet had a chance to fully test on those hottest summer days, I have been able to test in temperatures in the 80’s and my drinks stayed cold, or at least surprisingly cool for many hours.
The lid is a no squeeze style high flow lid (you obviously cannot squeeze a metal bottle), has a leak proof lockout, is BPA free with the bottle fitting most bike cages. These bottles are also easy to clean, with a wide mouth and cap/straw system that is easily disassembled and is dishwasher safe.
The lid is very easy to drink out of, just simply tilt the bottle back and water will dribble out at a reasonable rate, or you can suck on it for a greater flow.
I will note however that metal bottles require a non metal cage, as it is exceptionally unpleasant trying to slide the bottle into a metal cage (nails on chalkboard type of sound) and even if you can get past that, I found there to be a lot of choppy rattle and terrible resonance. I remedied this by buying a pair of $10 Blackburn plastic cages at my local bike shop, but I think just about any plastic, resin or carbon cages would suffice.
If $100 per bottle is beyond your budget, Camelbak alsos make both an 18 oz and 22 oz Stainless Steel version that are much more affordable ($40 for the 22oz and $35 for the 18oz), although they of course weigh more (11oz/300g in 18oz).
To offset the weight however, they claim a 14 hour cold time, which is double the claims of the Ti version and they also come in a wide variety of colors. For the gram counters and weight weenies, you might justify the added expense for the Ti, but for most, the Stainless is the best value. If you are still a die hard fan of plastic bottles for their weight and affordability, the Podium plastic bottles are the best plastic bottles out there.
Jeff Valliere has been around bikes his entire life, as a toddler following his dad to bike races and bike shops, BMX racing as a kid, working in bike shops as a mechanic for 14+ years (10 at U-Bikes in Boulder where he met John) and racing as a professional road cyclist for several years. Jeff no longer races, but still loves to ride as he introduces his daughters to the joys of cycling. In addition to being obsessed with cycling, he runs mountains daily and has been reviewing running shoes/gear/tech for RoadTrailRun since 2015 and for other publications/companies since 2005.
All Podium Bottles are available at Camelbak HERE
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