Last summer I struggled to keep my fluids cold on my long ride days. When I do my long rides over 2.5 hours I can’t seem to keep my water cold. I’ve frozen my bottles, tried insulated bottles. Short of stopping at a store or tape to refile how are you keeping your fluids coldish on your long rides?
Living in Arizona where the summer temps can hit over 100 even at 8 or 9 in the morning some days, I can tell you I’ve just accepted that if you’re going to be out that long that it’s going to get warm.
A hydration pack filled with ice has been the best for me to keep things cold as long as possible. Some packs have more insulation than others, but even a lighter pack still has done a pretty decent job. If you’re on the road I know many don’t like to carry a pack, but if it means you have cold water then that’s the trade off I suppose.
I had one of those with me for Hotter’N Hell (6 hours peaking over 100F) and that bottle was almost problematic because the ice in it wasn’t melting enough to effectively drink it.
I just get used to drinking hot water - sometimes in a race it’s the only option and if you can’t stomach it you can be in a tough spot - better to train your stomach and your palate on training rides
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For hydration, I prefer my water at the temperature I am riding at. Cool water is a nice temporary relief but interferes with my whole DI system on longer rides, especially when trying to fuel. I guess I just don’t get the idea of cool drinks, a few of my riding friends go through the effort and I don’t get it. Is it a mental thing? I just make sure to keep hydrated.
I normally fill my water bottles half full of water and put them in the freezer the night before i ride with the top off. In the morning i fill it the rest of the way up with whatever the flavor of the day is. the big think ice cube seems to keep things cooled down for at least most of the ride. on Really hot days i use insulated water bottles that also seems to help a little
Try white coloured bottles
I used to live somewhere warm, always froze mine and they defrost slower in white bottles.
The darked the bottle the warmer the drink gets, clear weren’t much better
Got me dreaming of warmer days now! I’ve been having the opposite problem lately, been mixing up drinks with hot water to try and stop them becoming so cold they become painful to drink!
Have you tried any of the double walled bottles? Elite ‘Iceberg’ for example. I haven’t, but might be worth looking at. That one has a reflective liner as well I think.