Similar to what others have said, if it’s below 60F I can usually get by with 14-20oz per hour, so with 4 bottles (tri bike: BTA, downtube, two behind the saddle) that could in theory get you 8 hours, but I’ve never ridden that long that early in the season (when it’s that cool). ON my roadie I would typically top off with a glass at home before the ride so that first hour I wouldn’t need any water. For extra long rides I’ll make an extra concentrated bottle of infinit (can get up to 5 hours in a single bottle) and refill the water bottles at a gas station and keep trucking.
That I do not. Summers get over 100F/38C so quite toasty. Though I try to get out early morning those days. And I’ll ride in mid-90sF if that’s all I can do. But even at 75-80F (23-24C) I sweat buckets.
I’ve stashed bottles on the route before.
On a hot day, I’ve stashed frozen ones so that they were nice and cool when I picked them up. Then it’s just a matter of seconds to grab them
Not coasting and not stopping are very different things.
Stopping generally only happens a few times per ride anyway.
Coasting can happen hundreds of times throughout a ride and add up to over an hour over a 4-6 hour ride.
I think consciously eliminating coasting is what’s yielding gains. Very doubtful that you’ll see any additional, meaningful gains by eliminating water stops.
1 liter soft flask in the middle back pocket adds quite a bit of range. Like the kind they sell for running packs, but bigger volume. Added benefit is that as you drink it, it squishes down to almost nothing so you don’t have to carry the extra bulk of a water bottle for hours.
Also make sure you’re super hydrated as you leave the house. Z2 you’re probably not going to experience stomach discomfort, so you can really fill your own stomach bladder up right before you leave and drink nothing for the first hour and a half.
The most simple option, and very effective, is a hydration pack. If you’re coming from a road background, it takes a mental shift to accepting that things strapped to your body or bike are OK
I have a 1.5L and 3.0L pack and I’ll use whichever one makes most sense depending on my ride.
The 1.5L is low profile, and works well if you’re concerned about aero impact. Along with 2x25 oz bottles, this is enough for 4 hrs under most conditions.
The 3L bladders are for great for longer rides. When I rode White Rim last fall, I had one in a pack (along with a can of coke), one in a frame bag, and a bottle. About 7L for 10 hrs total time.
One thing to look for in those seat attached water bottle mount is that they need to be as vertical as possible. I have one that puts the bottles at a 45 degree angle and it’s unusable because the bottles eject over any little bump. This is even with new, tight fitting cages. It’s because at the backwards angle the bump applies force up and back and momentum keeps it moving that direction after your bike comes back down.
So I would suggest the Wolf Tooth B Rad system over the seat mounted stuff because the angle is the bottles will be normal and they will stay put easily.
There are also strap on bottle cages as well as frame and handlebar bags.
If you have an aluminum or steel frame you can even just use simple hose clamps to add bottle cages.
Hydration packs on your body are a double edged sword. They can carry lots of water. But they also block air flow and therefore evaporation. They will also warm the water faster than an insulated bottle. Some are better than others, but it’s still going to happen to some extent. And they are by far the least aero option.
During spring I can do 5h with 3 * 750bottles if the elevation is around 5000ft or lower and I’m not pushing threshold too much. But I’m going to start carrying some water purification system just in case.
Weird…Almost every triathlete would tell you the exact opposite…it is the vertical mounts that are ejection modules and having the cages angled will keep them in the cages. I’ve never lost a bottle out of a angled mount and a Specialized Rib Cage.
Stop at anywhere that sells liquids, buy 1 or 2 bottles of water or liquid of your choice, and refill your bottles. Wear a mask when you go in. Your risk of Covid is not increased over your normal daily activities, assuming you haven’t stopped doing all trips to shops, petrol stations, etc.
I take 2x 1L bottles and just refill at a public park or wherever I can find water. Some of our dedicated cycling infrastructure here has water fountains which makes things easier. Don’t stress the stopping to fill up, it takes no longer than being stopped at a traffic light. Coasting a lot is going to have more of an effect than a brief stop to refill water.
