Product Description Step up to the podium! The New CamelBak Podium Bottle incorporates a revolutionary self-sealing valve into a taste-free bottle with a high flow rate. Ideal for road cycling, spin class, running or cross-training
Lightweight yet sturdyNovember 19, 2008 Perfect for bicycling. Fits perfectly in bicycle's bottle holder. No caps to remove or misplace. Lightweight yet sturdy.
Best Sports Bottle everNovember 10, 2008 Awesome Sports bottle. It has an easy twist valve. Even if the valve is open, it still will not leak..even if you turn it upside-down. There is a 2nd valve that only opens if you squeeze the bottle. Best part is it is non-BPA so it is safe to drink from. You don't get that plastic taste either like other bottles.
It comes in several colors but I recommend one of the transparent ones so you can easily see inside. It fits perfect in a bicycle cage.
Over ratedNovember 5, 2008 Purchase three sets of the three different colors and they work as advertised and definitely no leaching from performance drinks. The bottles appears to be of good quality. Don't know how many uses the self sealing valve will last but I hope it'll be years.
The only problem I have with these bottles is that they don't have a good fit in any of my carbon cages thus making it difficult to insert and remove. They fit really tight. If the top part of the bottles have a rough surface and not smooth they would be much easier to remove and insert especially during hot sweaty rides. They are not good for use in crit races with my setup.
One less distractionOctober 23, 2008 3 out of 3 found this review helpful
This bottle is designed to eliminate the messes created by normal water bottles. Normal bottles have a valve that pulls open and pushes shut. Often it is loose and doesn't stay open, or it leaks around the sides and the residue eventually runs down the sides of the bottle. That's not too big a deal if all you carry is water, but any sports drink will soon make a sticky, dirty, insect-attracting mess on the bottle, your hands, and the bike frame.
The Podium bottle replaces the normal valve with a membrane that has a tiny "x" cut in it. It won't let fluids out unless there is pressure applied by either squeezing the bottle, sucking on the mouthpiece, or both. The mouthpiece is not the typical CamelBak bite valve; think of it as a short straw. When you drink, the fluid goes through the mouthpiece and into your mouth -- not onto the bottle. You don't have to pull it open with your teeth. You don't have to shut it with your hand (or by pounding it against your chest). It's simple and it works.
There is one moving part: a cutoff valve that will seal off flow even if you squeeze the bottle. However, under normal circumstances, it can be left in the open position. The membrane is enough to keep the contents in, even if the bottle is inverted. For that reason, it also works well for use when running. The plastic is more rigid than most bottles of this type, but I didn't find that to be a problem. These are 2-3 times the cost of a typical water bottle, but you can eliminate the distraction of messy bottles for under $20 (for two), and that's a good deal.
Not easy enough to useOctober 22, 2008 4 out of 4 found this review helpful
I wanted to like the CamelBak Podium water bottle because I'm a big fan of my several CamelBak backpacks. However, I'm retiring this product after a couple attempts to use it while cycling.
Hydration while cycling is best when it's effortless. The largest problem is that the bottle is made of too rigid plastic. This is a problem for me because unlike the Better Bottle by CamelBak, this bottle has no straw and thus needs squeezed. Instead, you tilt it up while squeezing and then you bite the valve to cause the water to flow. Using this bottle will illustrate instantly why most cycling bottles are made of flimsy soft plastic. After several hours on the saddle (heck even on a strenuous part of a short ride), the last thing you want is to strain your hands while biting and trying to squeeze a too rigid bottle.
On top of that, the bite valve that we have come to love of CamelBak's is not part of this product. The biting serves no purpose in a bottle without the straw. In conclusion--I don't recommend this bottle for cycling. It would be better to consider the Performance Bottle which appears to integrate the best elements of this bottle's shape with the best elements of the Better Bottle straw and bite valve.
Too rigid. No straw. Bite valve is not the normal one and besides is not needed on this design. Too hard to use.
