As the warmer weather is approaching and I am trying to fall in love with 5+ hour rides I am looking for a suitable hydration vest for road cycling. I am a fairly avid cyclist and and dreading thinking of the feeling of a hydration vest for road, but the long loops I normally ride do not have stops to fill up. Any recommendations on a vests that could double my liquid capacity (2 bottles on the bike, equivalent in a vest) that feels ‘ok’ riding and doesn’t cover up the rear jersey pockets? I don’t mind spending the money for something that is good.
2L USWE are nice and don’t move around.
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+1 for USWE. The one to go for is the Race 2.0 which has a 2L bladder, minimal extra capacity, but leaves your pockets fully accessible. I got it for a 5hr/50mi XC race and it was super stable.
+2 for the USWE. I use mine in ultra gravel and road events up to 12 hours all summer long.
Boring anseer but +3 for the USWE 2L. Love it for rides in the winter when public water stops are out of order, long rides. I used it for ultra race. I also had a salomon race vest, but the whole system of USWE feela so much better.
I was very happy with the Rockrider vest from Decathlon. Didn’t really notice it moving around, carries 2l of water, gives choice of straw routing (from bottom up or top down, left or right), and a decent amount of storage for other things in the back and on the front. Fair bit cheaper than pretty much all others too.
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Another happy USWE user (Outlander Pro 2L, which is pretty much the same as the Race 2.0) - love it. My poor MTB can only hold 1 x 600ml bottle, isn’t fun running out.
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…aren’t there rules against road cyclists wearing hydration vests?
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Have you considered behind-saddle bottle carriers? I’ve never used them, but have seen them on triathlon setups. These are a couple of examples.
I’ve also done frame bags with hydration bladders stuffed into them along with bottles. You potentially lose some bottle capacity but gain with the bladder.
I could fit 2x 550ml bottles with carb mix and a 5L frame bag with a 3l bladder with water in it.
Vs just bottles I’d max out at 2x1L bottles
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I have the cycling specific hydration pack from camelback. It works well. I also sometimes use camelback’s frame bag bladder.
I’ve just done a bunch of research on this as well and settled on the EVOC Hydro Pro over the USWE, largely because the front pockets can carry more gels, phone etc. There are some on good discounts at the moment, so ends up being good value
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This looks ideal for the purpose, but won’t be ready until August/September:
I’m very firmly in this camp, though:
Restrap have this one, and another lighter weight one coming next month I believe.
2 liter USWE. I prefer the fit over camelbak packs. The camelbak packs put pressure on the front of my shoulders. The USWE design pulls the load away from my shoulders. The USWE also allows easier access to my jersey pockets because it rides higher up on my back. The downside to the USWE, is that the buckle sits over the center of your chest. On a very hot day, it feels like it interferes with cooling by blocking airflow over your heart. I live in Texas so this is a real issue for me. The USWE has limited adjustability and may not fit larger riders.
I have a camelbak 3L pack called a Skyline/Lowrider. It sits much lower on my back and so it’s more comfortable. It covers my jersey pockets. The Skyline is a bigger capacity pack and might be a good choice for longer days on the bike where water stops are scarce. It’s worth consideration if you want to carry more water. It also has lots of space to carry other items.
In my experience, hydration packs tend to concentrate the weight more to a specific area, and move around more. Vests are generally much broader all round, and also sit higher to retain access to rear jersey pockets.
I’ve tried many. Drink >1L / hour in Texas heat. I’ve settled on a 2L USWE
My second favorite is a 3L Fanny pack for the extra storage. Yes I look dorky, but it also means I don’t have to stop on a 4hr ride
Do you find that the water stays cold in the 2L USWE?
I’ve been using the Salomon Adv Skin 5 this year after getting one for trail running. Very comfortable and breathable, especially compared to the Camelbak vest I was using before. The house routing is a bit less good. But if you just want to carry water and fill bidons when stopped it works perfectly
No. But it’s also 80-90+ degrees
An hour into the ride my frozen USWE and insulated polar bottles are just a different version of “warm”
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