Nathan Speed 2 Waistpack with Two 10-Ounce Nutrition Flasks Review

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(More customer reviews)I've struggled with many different hydration packs over the years and have never found one that is right. Prior to purchasing the Nathan Speed 2, I was using the Fuel Belt Endurance 4 Bottle Fuel Belt, which was a pain because the bottles sloshed around and the belt wasn't a true fit. Additionally, it required the use of two hands to remove a bottle.
The Nathan Speed 2 is designed to be worn so that the bottles are on the front of the belt (although you can wear it reversed with no problems). It holds two 10 oz flasks for a total of 20 oz of water. The front pouch has ample room for cell phone, energy gels, keys, etc. Additionally, the pouch is compartmentalized, so you can put your sticky energy tell trash in one pocket and your cell phone in the other. There's also a clip on the inside pouch so you can secure your key ring. While it's very unlikely anything will come out of the velcro-secured pouch, this gives added peace of mind for those who may be doing rigorous trail running or wading through a stream for some reason (I am always checking my keys to make sure they haven't fallen out).
As to the flasks, it would be nice to carry more water, but 20oz is usually enough to get me through a 13 mile run. If you're looking for more, try the Nathan Speed 4 Waist Pack with Four 10-Ounce Nutrition Flasks. The flask holsters are made of molded plastic, which means they are strong and don't move. They sit slightly away from my hips, so I don't have to deal with them banging against my hips and thighs the entire run. The flasks fit securely in the holsters, so no additional securing is needed. With my old Fuel Belt I had to use two hands to remove a flask, one to remove the elastic band holding the flask in place, and the other to take out the flask. The Nathan holster is just tight enough where the flask will not come out accidentally, but isn't too tight to slide right into the holster. The lip of the flask is easy to open with your mouth. Unlike the Fuel Belt, which I had to pull open with my teeth, the Nathan lip easily opens up with gentle pressure from my lips, and closes just as easily to form a tight seal.
The belt is one of the best parts about this product. It is stretchable elastic, which is a must for me after trying to use nylon belts with clips. The velcro forms a strong connection, and the belt fits snugly against my hips. I've found the belt is more comfortable if I wear it very low on my hips, right over the hip flexor muscle. This may seem weird at first, but I suggest anyone to try it for a couple miles and see what you think. The belt will not ride up easily, and it will not slide down your legs either. Try to put it as low as possible, and right on top of your butt. Lastly, the belt is made of breathable moisture-wicking material, so it will not hold sweat easily and is easy to clean. A great product.

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Carries up to 20 ounces of carbo-gel or replacement fluids. Ideal for long road or trail trips with water availability.

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Nathan Nutrition Hydration Flask 10 oz. 3 pk Review

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(More customer reviews)Love Nathan's belt for long runs, as it secures nicely and has adequate storage. The water bottles do tend to leak out of the spout over time, requiring they be replaced. Also, cleaning the bottles and spout system is a bit of a chore. Overall, I prefer Nathan's system to others, but water bottles could be improved.
I was unable to locate just the replacement water bottles at any sporting goods stores or speciality running stores in my area. I didn't want to replace whole belt, hence my reason for purchasing on-line. I was disappointed to see the replacement bottles at a recent expo for a local race. I wish I would have waited, and saved the money for shipping and handling.

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This Nathan nutrition flask can be used to hold your preferred energy replenishing gel.

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nuun Portable Electrolyte Hydration 8 tubes Review

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(More customer reviews)I've always been a sporty person and one of those that buys gatorade/powerade for a ride or run and then I need to dilute it because the taste is too strong and the sugar content is way too high but then I've succeeded in diluting out the electrolytes too! Hmmm. Something better was needed.
I got introduced to NUUN a few months back after I ran into all sorts of issues on a bike ride where I counldn't hold down my usual drink. Since then NUUN's been my saviour for longer rides. I stop, refill bottles with water, drop in a nuun tab and I'm off with a non-sticky and sugar-free drink at the right electrolyte content. Plus using cold water instead of having lukewarm/hot gatorade is SOOO much better! Since getting into NUUN I've never run into hydration issues with NUUN and if it's a hot day then I've always got enough NUUN to keep going. For food I use GU's (for emergencies) and Larabars (for general on-the-go) which means I can manage my calorie intake as needed.
NUUN's also been great for just drinking instead of water at the gym and even at work and the fizzing tab is pretty cool plus easier and less wasteful than all the single serve emergen-c packs I have used in the past. I'm a fan of the Berry flavor most but all are good and the variety helps during longer exercise or plane flights.

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8 Tubes12 Tablets Per Tubeso, what is nuun? we love to ride, run and explore off the beaten path, but to go the distance, we need optimal hydration. rather than hauling around bulky, pre-made & powdered options, we created a simple solution: dissolvable portable electrolytes with zero sugar. we call it 'noon', but once you drink nuun, you can call it whatever you'd like. what if every water stop and drinking fountain contained advanced electrolyte hydration?with nuun, remove the 'what if'hydration is more than water it's about replacing essential electrolytes it's about having a drink that tastes good when you're active it's about being able to drink whatever you areuse nuun while skiing, flying, rowing, swimming, hiking, resting, walking, moshing and mushing, trekking, camping, golfing, laying or crawling, working or hanging out, surfing, running, climbing, spinning, kicking and screaming, boxing, skating, celebrating, adventure-racing, touring, biking, stretching, breathing and living life.

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Profile Design Aqua Rack 2-bottle Aero Bottle Holder Review

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(More customer reviews)I bought this product somewhat on a lark after riding a century with horrific headwinds. With two bottles on the frame and my pump sticking out to the side of the downtube cage I felt like I was pulling a parachute. In combination with a Fi:zik seat with integrated rear light, a hard-shell(flaccid shell ?) Topeak seat bag, a Topeak pump and a custom mounting system (described in my review of the Topeak medium seat bag) I can carry up to 96 oz of Polar-protected fluids, my pump, light and seat bag with nothing on my back, shoulders, or wrists. Since all of this is in the wind-shadow of my body, it is very aerodynamic. It is somewhat redundant because the bottles are behind your torso and legs, but the bottles are also laid back in an aero position.
A very cool benefit of having the weight of your water on the seat post is it damps vibration noticeably. This seems to be true even if the mount is butted right against the seat post tightening collar. A couple of other benefits not immediately obvious are moving the center of gravity backward on your bike - very nice when braking hard going downhill - and the cages that come with the system have a hi & low mount so you can stagger the bottles if you wish. My left cage bottom is within 1/4" of my brake cable, but I could move the right one down if I wanted to. It might help in some circumstances to accommodate a large seat bag. Oh, and the cages hold the bottles with a death-grip. No way those bottles are coming out. I have ridden stuff as bad as cobblestone and they didn't budge. Finally, when the cages are populated, if you lean your bike against a wall, the bottles will touch before your seat does, so no more scuffed up seats.USES:
If I know I am going to be facing a stiff headwind, and have adequate hydration support, I will put one small bottle on the downtube and two small or large bottles on the AquaRack. If you pick the bottle cage on the seat tube to be aerodynamic when empty (not by weight), this will get you a nice aero profile with lots of water ready at hand. You CAN reach back on the go and get bottles out and into the AquaRack, but I still prefer a bottle within easy reach on the downtube.
The AquaRack opens up a whole new world of hydration management. For example, I recently did some serious mountain climbing with poor hydration support, and also wanted to bring lots of Gatorade but didn't want to fool with the powder as it can make a total mess of your bike - sticky and dirty too. I filled one of 3 bottles with a 4x concentrate of Gatorade and water which will make a gallon of Gatorade at normal strength. Using the other two bottles I mixed up 1x Gatorade at each hydration stop and sometimes left one bottle straight water. Gatorade, juice, water, concentrate. Water, Gatorade, CytoMax, concentrate. Use your imagination, but you can't do this with a CamelPac.
CAVEATS:
1.) This could be made lighter IMHO. It is over-speced in the metal work near the bottles I think, but I do find myself slid back against the bottles on high-speed descents on occasion, so maybe the strength is needed. I do know there are MUCH lighter systems available for Cervelo's seat tube mount system so I think a CF version would save some serious weight. In any case, it is still a fraction of the weight of a CamelBac.
2.) You have to pull the seat post up out of the seat tube to R&R this. A system that hinged on the front side of the seat post would eliminate this. Just look at how your front dérailleur attaches around your seat tube. The same design would work here. The problem with the current system is the seat post clamps on CF frames don't like to be worked a lot, and this works them a lot if you take it off and put it on all the time. If it weighed less this would be a non-issue, but as it is, it kind of is an issue.
3.) It would be so easy to integrate a real pump holder into this design. Please, please, please.
4.) At very high speeds (50mph for me) I noticed that changes in leg position can lead to some side to side movement. If you anticipate it, its not bad, but there isn't much margin for error when descending at these speeds so keep it in mind.
5.) When climbing out of the saddle the weight of the system, especially when full of water, will tend to rock the bike side to side a bit more.
(see attached pics above)
Topeak Aero Wedge Pack DX Bicycle Seat Pack with Fixer (Medium)

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FuelBelt Helium 2 Bottle Belt Review

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(More customer reviews)If you ask any experienced runner what belt to use, most of them will say "Fuelbelt". The Helium 2 belt is a fairly new line, and I bought it on a hunch - I didn't know anyone that had this exact model previously. It's comfortable, fully adjustable, sturdy. It breathes very well - much better than I thought - and it doesn't seem to hold the sweat in the belt. Or at least it airs out quickly. To 8oz bottles (16oz in all) is a good medium range volume. I'm comfortable running around 10 miles or so with this belt. Any further - or if running in extreme heat - and I would suggest getting "plus 1" bottles (also from fuelbelt) to add volume as necessary. The ability to add bottles/pouches is actually quite a nice feature.
The pouch included is perhaps a little small for my Gu Gels. I have to fold the tops over to fit them in. This is fine for now, but in the long run, I might get a deeper pouch (several sizes available) to fit more.

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As the number one hydration belt in the world, Helium has been put to the test at some of the toughest endurance events around. Craig Alexander placed first overall at the 2008 Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii with his Helium 2-Bottle Belt. In fact, four out of the top five men used Helium, which says a lot about how the design performs under extreme conditions. You won\'t find a more proven hydration belt than Helium.

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