Bottle Wars: Hunt for the perfect bottle

[@ridesofjapan]

For those how takes this topic a bit more serious than intended, here a spreadsheet for easy comparison. docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-hx7fvb_zixzwWedJT9SKC5FgJmvuNkEBHoibT3nhnc/edit?usp=sharing Note that it’s in now way meant to be looked at as scientific results… I think the “grip strength of a 4 year old” is not a standardized unit of power ;) Enjoy and had fun… Feel free to drop you favorite bottle in the comments, I’m sure people have some interesting takes :)

[@Graptos]

We are not worthy! I have the Tacx, because it was big, red, and on clearance for $2 - bought a few spares. 😋

[@channelmce]

I find the CamelBaks are incredibly fiddly to clean. Pull that nozzle apart after a few energy drinks and there's a lot of gunk inside.

[@DickKnorr]

Chapeau.

[@LanterneRougeCycling]

Incredible video mate, no one is producing stuff like this

[@ridesofjapan]

You are too kind sir LR! 🙏

[@XX-is7ps]

😂 Amazing, I was laughing out loud but the video production quality was just insane - nice!

[@StopLossLOL]

Tobias, your creativity, humour and editing skills are second to none in this space. I have 0 intention to buy a water bottle but loved the video anyway :)

[@JakeMay]

Completely agree - I couldn't care less about weight weenies or building my own bike but still come back for every video for the humour and the character

[@im-on-youtube]

probably one of the most ridiculous videos I've ever watched ... I love it!

[@seanmccuen6970]

lol, tru dat

[@matthewshaw3747]

Absolutely amazing. There are channels with huge teams of people making their videos that look terrible in comparison. Thank you for putting out the best content.

[@daningram7804]

This may be the most ridiculous and greatest KZbin video I’ve ever seen. I can only imagine how much work went in to that. Great work!

[@bingoberra18]

I have the Camelback one, two large and one smaller. I like that you can shut them with the "switch" so there is no chance of leakage if you transport them filled. Pull-out power is something I see as a positive thing as they sit really rigidly in the holders so no risk of falling out if it gets bouncy. The rubber thing you suck on does not taste rubber or anything else, which is of course a positive thing.

[@ehrenfull]

I love Elite Fly bottles! They are not the most durable but they are very easy to squeeze and also to CLEAN. You can just pull the cap off and give it a thorough cleaning after putting a 200g sugarwatersaltmix in it

[@Nosh_Feratu]

I love them too, the design is classic, the style just looks super clean aswell, i think its the perfectly flat lid, just looks super nice!!

[@art_only]

Elite is my favorite. I like light easy to squeeze bottles. I don't care about insulation

[@pmollbrink]

The Lords comments 6:07 into the video really says it all, you are one sick puppy ❤

[@qoolss]

No one comes close to the production quality and details like you in cycling industry - Incredible. You made bottles an interesting topic!

[@joaotakayama]

Dude, you just made the most interesting video of the year about the most boring thing on cycling industry. MORE!!! MORE!!!!

[@marcelginter209]

now thats applied science, I love it!!! Fantastic production, thank you.

[@industryrule-4080]

While it would most certainly fail your weight test, there are stainless steel bike bottles by Bivo that have a ridiculously smooth and plentiful flow. Bonus is they don't leak at all, can be washed in a dishwasher, and are one less plastic bottle out in the world.

[@caldera99]

One of the, if not the MOST! important video in cycling. Since I'm easily inspired, I quickly measuered my own goto bottles. The 650ml and the 950ml ones from Decathlon. And here are the results for the weight category: Decathlon 650ml Black: Weight: 73g Measuered Volume: 634ml Weight/100ml: 11.51 Decathlon 950ml Translucent: Weight: 92g Measuered Volume: 1004ml Weight/100ml: 9.16 All in all they measure quite well and the big bottle even comes with a dustcap for intense gravelbiking :D I hope this effort further our knowledge in all things weight weenie.

[@stuartmarshall4073]

Best review EVER! Note: the bottle that is harder to pull out of the holder would be may favourite - not the easiest. This is because I have behind the seat holder that keeps ejecting bottles! Thanks for a great review!

[@Kermitonwheels]

OMG the squeeze test slow mo is pure 80s wonderfulness! Brilliant, and actually really informative video. Wow

[@Ben_Eagle]

your production value always blows me away.

[@Gamblor24]

50 seconds into this video and you got me cracking up with the absolute stunning effort you put into this video. Love it. Perfect timing too as I was looking for a new bottle.

[@Gamblor24]

omg, i commented too soon, laughing out loud at the 20% slow motion replay!

[@pigeonpoo1823]

Sweating the small stuff is what separates the hobbyists from the dedicated over obsessed addicts! I have much to learn from you my friend

[@alexpowell3429]

Never thought I would find myself cheering in a drinks bottle!!!! Come on Elite !!! It's been good for me the last year !

[@mohamadjamil3164]

I would follow this guys cycling advise blindly. He so funny and the attention to details is unprecedented

[@ridesofjapan]

Dear god! Don’t do that 😂 Cheers mate!

[@Jinedan]

That was fun. I recently became addicted to the small Eilte Fly bottles - placing them in my 2 Arundel Mandible cages for XC mountain biking. I concur with the ease of removal test as they are the first bottle I have ever ejected. I'll still use them though. It's a sickness.

[@lenolenoleno]

Hooooly shit, this is years of internal my monologue put into one super entertaining video. Love your work Tobias. I've owned 5 of those 6 bottles in search of the "best bottle". My favorites: For large volume (within 10% or so of 1L) is the Polar Breakaway. Perfect for max volume on an Enduro MTB (only one bottle mount) or bikepacking/big days as they come in a 30oz/900mL size. They're stiff enough to not rattle/eject (unlike the 950mL Elite Fly which ejects way too easily) or the Zefal Magnum (which is fragile/breaks when dropped). The Polar nozzle is the best valve too (easiest to clean and has a lock function). For smaller bottles (sub 700mL or so): The Purist MoFlo as it's lighter/comes in more fun/custom non-boring colours/patterns. The MoFlo valve is go as it's easy to clean/easier use than a push/pull valve. Bottles are less squeezable/stiff than the Camelbak squeeze valve (but they're a pain in the ass to clean and not 100% leakproof). Purist has no lock function though but they don't leak/don't get easily compressed in a bag. Despite the weight, wouldn't recommend the Elite Flys. The Elite bottes mar/look ugly too quickly and eject too easily (especially as I ride mostly gravel and MTB). The valve also wears over time and starts to totally pull off the bottle with enough use (unlike the other 5 on test). The other push/pull bottles aren't as "good" to use on the bike (who doesn't love a squeeze and squirt function?!).

[@flavforpar]

Best video on KZbin

[@kevinthomson6324]

I have the fly Tex or a cousin of the model. It was the lightest I could find that was a good fit for my cages. I don’t bother with the insulated bottles. They don’t make up for the loss of volume or weight penalty. Barely notice any real world difference in temp on a long ride.

[@dominicbritt]

Absolutely bloody brilliant. Soaring to new heights RoJ 👍👍👍 I can only like this video once unfortunately!

[@vromaka]

I have two Camelbak Podium Chill (7xx ml) bottles, and they have a large removable rubber/silicon? cap covering the nozzle from the inside. This cap can keep an unpleasant odor for a very long time, and it is not so easy to get rid of those smell and taste. Especially, if you carry some sport nutrition (sweet) inside. The nozzle itself has four legs and after a year of usage and regular cleaning (one needs to disassemble the whole cap) I see already a crack on one of them. The positive side of this bottle - you can easily buy a new replacement cap (the whole part) for ~6 Euro.

[@FantaconeBoxWorksCBG]

Creative real worldish tests. Just bought some elites last week, fine on the road bike, will be trying them on mtb this weekend.

[@aaronweigerber5313]

Amazing video! The pulling-test just killed me😂😂

[@leandervanschaik8819]

Brilliant Video! One other important element to the best bottle is also the ease of cleaning. The Camelbak for example is pretty terrible to clean, whils I find the Elite to be a lot easier.

[@changrenyong7616]

That's what I was going to suggest too. Unless you are replacing the bottles every few weeks, sooner or later the nozzle - the hardest part of the bottle to clean without being taken apart - will get moldy. The nozzle on Specialized's Purist bottle can be taken out of the cap but it's very easy to snap off the retaining tabs on the cap and when that happens, you'll need a new cap. I started using Polar's Breakaway bottles a few years ago and their nozzle/cap design allow them to be easily taken apart many times. To properly clean the Breakaway bottle nozzle, I also remove the membrane piece of the nozzle. Prior to removing the membrane, I thought I was doing a pretty decent job of cleaning the nozzle. I was shocked - and disgusted - at the mold I saw when I removed the membrane from the nozzle for the first time! How easy is it to take apart the Elite bottle nozzle for a thorough cleaning?

[@Gravel-Cult]

Always highlighting how over serious most cyclist are and poking fun at oursleves beautifully. I always looks forward to what insanity you focus the light on next!

[@therealpill23]

Loved the video 😁 Ever heard of "Keego"? They make squeezable water bottles that have an inner titanium coting (fancy tech), eliminating the plasticy taste on long rides. Might be interesting for a follow-up: a taste test 🤣

[@jannejkarjalainen]

The best kind of nerdery. Love it!

[@erbringas]

This is why im subscribed to your channel. Loved every second of it!

[@PedroDusso]

Valeu!

[@ridesofjapan]

Thank you sir!

[@hockysa]

production so good! and the retro song choice! this is my favourite video to date! also i bed to differ, i definitely need a youtube video from lord weenie to tell me what i need!

[@dennisstempher9684]

Brilliant! Kind of wondering why this much needed research hasn't BIDON before ;-)

[@anderstorger3211]

The Elite Fly Bottle is my favourite, it works fine and why have something heavier? However, there is on reason - if on a budget and you have a plastic bottle holder you need a stiffer bottle. My experience is that the fly bottle requires a good carbon holder to have a secure hold on the bottle. Riding on gravel with a 750 ml fly bottle with a plastic bottle holder can lead to dropped bottles (been there done that), but with a carbon holder with a secure grip like Arundel Mandible it works fine.

[@yeti575lt]

What a production!!! Best bottle test ever 🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻🤟🏻

[@RandumbNam3]

This channels editing just went NEXT LEVEL

[@susannebattegay6410]

I am really surprised you did not test the Keego titanium bottle, only 86gr for 750ml and available in the dark matter colour ;-) But I must say, the price isn't worth it . Thanks for the laugh!!!

[@zaphod_beeblerox]

quite possibly the greatest thing i've ever watched!

[@bujinkan_japan]

Quality production! You can make the most mundane interesting and watchable my friend! You have a talent!

[@ridesofjapan]

Cheers mate! Good to hear from you!

[@The2808erik]

The production quality is amazing.

[@tfortabby]

This is the best cycling related piece of content I’ve ever watched. Absolutely first class. Chapeau and thank you. Personally, I rate the Fly. It’s a cracking little bottle and better than both the Specialized and Shiva.

[@facingup1624]

Haha, love it! I have 4 of the polar breakaways. 2 of the size you show and 2 of the larger ones. Insulation is great on both hot and cold days. Retention is definitely a 'use case' one. On gravel I want high retention, but on road especially when racing, low is nicer for fast access.

[@RedshiftDougal]

Excellent stuff as always, Tobias. Funny *and* informative. Also, am relieved to see data backing up my choice of Elite Fly Tex. Despite them feeling like the flimsiest bidons in existence.

[@jochenkraus7016]

@@InconnuGlitterBoy Is it really that bad? I have Elite Fly MTB bottles in different sizes: I don't expect too much durability because of the soft and thin material but I can see how much is inside and the valve has a cover so it's protected against dust.

[@jochenkraus7016]

@@InconnuGlitterBoy Preparing the evening before might make a difference. I usually put in warm (not hot) tap water when starting. I think the only difference of the MTB and the Jet Plus is the valve cover so access is slower but there's no dust and dirt on it.

[@dalewebb7566]

I've used the elite fly bottles, other than the weight, I find that they are the most compact for their capacity . Makes it easier to fit with a half frame bag and still be able to access them.

[@cpopte]

I take the time to enjoy and apreciate the OUTSTANDING editing and scripting of theese videos. You are an artist my friend.

[@williamhoag7181]

Loved it! I also like the new style Fidlock and trek bottles!

[@davidbidwell250]

That was great, I totally enjoyed that, well done.

[@avibank]

You had me hooked at the intro because I've been going through so many and that's always the first thing I do, and unfortunately always my reaction to the smell🙈 Love the Captain Disillusion level of effort and quality (and humour). 10/10

[@koltface]

Best 7 minutes of my life! Side note, I've really been enjoying using the new style of bottles like the Fly Tex. Shout out to Fizik for giving me my first one at Sea Otter last year.

[@andrewengland781]

Absolute overkill and hilarious. I wonder if the favourite "insulted" was intentional 😂 When can we expect "Rides of Japan - the movie"?

[@nimamoini6469]

I don't have enough vocabulary in English to qualify this video. But overall best cycling related shit I've seen since KZbin is KZbin. And that was about cycling bottles.

[@matheussiq8]

Best cycling edited video on YT!

[@carvinganish]

Insanely great video on such a seemingly banal topic. Production value is through the roof!

[@ayatsubame]

Fantastic production! Thanks for sharing

[@JetJackson24]

This video is utterly stunning. Brilliant. Love so much. Retention test is the best thing ever seen on KZbin. 🤩

[@colinswan786]

Absolutely cracking video - gave me a good laugh between work meetings. I use Elite Fly and love them, they just don't last too long.

[@plixplux]

Finally, this really has been keeping my up at night lately... super great vid =)

[@jasperaerts]

Congratulations with yet another stellar production! Lol all the time. You the best. And to be honest, after doing Unbound I need tinfoils a bit more on bottles which is all indifferent to me on the road. For gravel it does matter so it’s not such a stupid topic to explore after all! I like it! Keep keep up the good work

[@MrValthier]

hands down the most epic water bottle video on internet ... ever !!!! just amazing !!!!

[@discodave6153]

Love the analytical approach! Fantastic video

[@Evaldasd]

Thats some next level video production 👌

[@lolbubs11111]

This is amazingly overkill and I love it

[@Torschlusspanik108]

Since few years I’m using camelbak podium chill and lately after getting ‘lost’ in the mountains and running out of water I got myself Woho filter bottle - perfect for alpine adventures 👌🏼 Great video btw ❤️

[@andrewbardwell1763]

You’re flippin brilliant

[@sofiaorsic]

How can someone complain to you, you are so funny to watch, and I believe you are a real nice person! I envy you so much because you live and ride in the country I most love and respect! 🤙🏻🤙🏻 Keep play byke bro!

[@treyquattro]

another classic production! You're brilliant, man.

[@wimnell]

Bästa pryltestfilmen jag någonsin sett! 😂

[@palichserge]

The best video on the whole KZbin!

[@veriest1]

That was more entertaining than I expected it to be and I expected it to be quite entertaining.

[@jcw5002]

Truly unbelievable production and editing. Absolutely ridiculous and AWESOME! ❤

[@Jamobrasidsch]

This video is just amazing. Thanks for this nerding out about bottles. I felt a bit weird talking to my brother a few weeks ago explaining him I actually have a favorite bottle from all the ones I tried so far for similar reasons as in your video. Glad I'm not the only one. And yes, its actually also the Fly one, but 950ml for me :)

[@lemonshire1]

I switched to Elite a couple of months ago, the main benefit is the weight, ease of squeezing and high flow. All of which are backed up from the video. In the 550ml type.

[@markusseppala6547]

They're great but I find the valve starts leaking after a while.

[@vladimirdolezel4016]

I love the Elite Fly bottle because it is easy to clean (made from 3 parts only - easy assemble).

[@Ninja_Revenge]

Elite fly are the lightest and very easy to squeeze. Also quite durable, I am using pair for 3 years and still going strong, and no smell at all. Only scratches.

[@robertb208]

I loved it! Thanks again for your time and effort!

[@sugarcyclist6526]

Jackie Chan style soundtrack is awesome 😊

[@ephboulder]

@ridesofjapan We need 1 more metric! The amount of water left after you squeeze it all out. Some bottles (like Specialized) leave a good bit of water behind that you can't get off without taking the cap off.

[@gilbeir]

As always, great video! The focus on visual appeal of your video's makes you in my opinion the Wes Anderson of cycling-related content on KZbin. As a scientist however, I should comment you could make your data more reliable by measuring in triplicates (especially given the precision of your numerical data). But that probably goes beyond the intention of this video 😉

[@nicolorebellato3101]

the fact that this superbly produced&edited video with such an epic 80ies theme is all about the best cycling bottles makes it even nerdy-er and funnier. awesome ! just awesome mate!!!!!

[@nicolorebellato3101]

for me ELITE is the best.... its so easy to activate the valve and the flow is unmatched....no competition

[@brynlewis7175]

Love it. An even higher standard than your normal crazy levels of production! And funny as f*%k too. Brilliant. I think it's nuts that you only have 90k subscribers - work at this level should have 10 times that and more.

[@aidenworth8186]

Amazing quality!!!! Love this!

[@jonathanzappala]

I’m all about the elite fly 750. Pair it with the elite vico carbon cage, your not losing your bottle. The cage doesn’t play very nice with others though. The free ones are definitely worth putting in the rotation though :)

[@paulpfeiffer4949]

I totally agree, I use that cage as well but with the 950.... all other bottles get chewed up in this Italian beauty. I guess like so many things Italian....hahaha

[@RickRolling-tc7vb]

That was ridiculous, and I loved it. Thank you. You have set the bar very high.

[@ThomasDaley100]

awesome work man, as always. i usually like the specialized bottles, the trek branded bottles (i dunno who makes them) are my new favorite.

[@MirceaCatalinPopescu]

Kudos mate! Funny, amazing production, informative. Who the fudge ever though a bottle video would ever be interesting 😂

[@donwinston]

I use Elite bottles. They deform easily but are super light.

[@mlegrand]

You do know these videos are pure brilliance don’t you? 👌

[@kingearlie]

This is a sick video - all to test water bottles! Top quality! 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽

[@mitchrich5015]

For what it’s worth, I stopped using Elite bottles and will never use them again. I kept getting weird black goo coming out from inside and I realised that it wasn’t the bottle being dirty or mouldy - which was my first worry - but actually * the plastic was degrading and peeling off itself every time I washed the bottles * And it wasn’t anything harsh, just hand washing with a silicone brush. I dread to think how much in microplastics I drank before realising this. The weight loss they achieve is by making the sides too thin, imo. Yuck. My preference now is the camelback due to the easy pour action and the firm retention in the cages. Plus of course the insulated ones have that bonus feature.

[@vromaka]

Very cool video+music, watched over and over again!

[@pavelsynek2049]

This is the best bike-tech-related video ever, amazing

[@Stefanosinf]

Dude this was insane!!!! LOVED ITTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!

[@wiladam]

You put so much effort in your videos. Quite impressive, especially considering the subject matter ;). Much respect. Very nice.

[@elchram]

This video is the best video about cycling gear since a while! 🤙

[@tmswfrk]

Dude this music is giving me vibes of playing street fighter at the arcade and watching the original Karate Kid! Now all I need is a slice of pizza, some coke, and more tokens.