Any alternatives to plastic that aren’t cumbersome? I’ve not found any so far.
Been pretty happy with Bivos. Everything disassembles easily for cleaning and they sell spares.
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And CamelBak has some great stainless steel bottles too, and they even have a titanium bottle too. It’s $100, but for the weight weenies, it pays for itself! 
Comparing the Bivo I have to the CamelBak, well there isn’t much to compare. IMO, the CB large bottle is the best, so far… I bought a 22oz in Pacific, and it’s smooth and no issues drinking, plus double insulated. I saw one at the local bike shop and bought it. Used to use their Podium bottles when I rode outdoors a lot. Never had a problem with them. This steel bottle has a thick paint finish, seems like it’ll be very durable.
I got the ‘nekud’ Bivo, but would pass on their silicone coated finish as when it goes bad over time, it’s going to be a sticky mess until it can be removed.
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Does anyone know how bad are the standard bidons in terms of harmful chemicals, microplastics etc? I use the standard pro-issue ones a lot, on the commuter, in the office and around the house…
Yeah, but researchers were finding microplastics and microfibers direct from the tap too! You can’t seem to avoid it now. The filters at the water department introduce lots of crap into the water. I’m surprised there aren’t microplastic filters for sale yet. To be effective it’s likely it would take time to pass that much water through a filter that could remove those small particles. It’s probably been a problem ever since plastic bottles were invented, and I can’t imagine that sodas and anything else in a plastic bottle don’t have microparticles in it. And since they are being found in human blood samples, we’re just too screwed to be able to fight it at this point. I mean until people start having kidney failure because they are filled with the stuff. (Wouldn’t that be a kick in the head: Find out that some people that have high blood pressure is because their kidneys are filled with microplastics? Yippee…
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On the bike, I need bottles that are squeezable and easy to drink from while underway. Steel or other hard bottles wouldn’t cut it for me. I figure using brand name bottles like Camelbak or Specialized probably minimizes the amount of chemicals. IDK about microplastics though.
These are BPA free and very easy to squeeze.
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I read an article recently that said the average person has about a credit cards worth of microplastic in their brain.
I think it’s a justifiable concern, but there’s a LOT of things to be changing. Baby steps..
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These are also plastic. Just because they don’t leak BPA, doesn’t mean they don’t leak other things.
OP
I’m a huge fan of the Elite Syassa Race bottles. 160g without the cap (I got rid of it because it’s annoying and breaks anyway) is only 60g more than a plastic bidon (96g for a Tacx 750ml). Flow rate is superb (as good as the average plastic squeeze bottle and better than some). Dropped them a few times and they dent a little but not much. Lid is replacable. Not super expensive (like 1/3 of the price of the Bivo bottles in the UK).
I’ve literally replaced all of the bottles I use with them, and my old plastic ones are now just kept for races where they might get tossed.
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How does that work? Is there a separate inlet for air to replace the fluid you suck out?
Yes; but it’s got a small silicone tube in a U shape, so it doesn’t leak if upside down. It’s a bit like those “any-way-up” cups you give to toddlers.
You can properly gulp water as if you’re drinking from a glass - I could probably chug a whole 750ml in under 10s.
If I had to find a downside - they’re a little more slippery than a plastic bottle so you need a decent cage and a good grip. If you did drop one on a group ride you might take out another rider.
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I used to think that too. I didn’t understand that with a Bivo there is no need to squeeze because the water pours into your mouth effortlessly. You may have a reason for not using them that I haven’t thought of, but I’ve found the water flow to be impressive.
One downside I’ve thought of is that you can’t squeeze a shot out at a chasing dog, but that’s the only one I’ve come up with.
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The only issue I can see with free flowing metal water bottles is over spray. If the contents free flow, someone could be covered in seconds.
For dogs, I once shouted ‘NO!!!’ at a particularly nasty looking dog, and he dipped his head and went running home. Sometimes just a strong commending voice is all that is needed. But spitting a mouthful of liquid would work too possibly… One local biker was sued for macing a dog, but the judge threw the case out saying that they should be glad that was all that the biker did, apparently insinuating they might have been armed? (It’s supposedly illegal to shoot a gun from a bicycle in this county for some reason 
)
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I’m not following you. Are you suggesting you’d be drinking without the nipple in your mouth? If so, that’s not how it works.
Aren’t these caps and nozzles still plastic so you will still get microplastic from the thing that you put in your mouth? And with tubes inside the bottle, they will more likely get moldy too.
The only bit in constant contact is the silicone tube and the steel bottle.
With cold fluids, the majority of micro plastic leeching is over time. The short transit time through the nozzle reduces this a lot. Like everything, you’re not going to totally eliminate everything - the idea is to reduce stuff as much as possible.
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Also, the tube is very easy to scrub and comes with a brush
I thought most of the plastic would come from the part you are putting in your mouth and bite on. I don’t see how microplastic going to be generated when it’s just water sitting inside a bottle. Have you seen any research on this?
Do any of these bottles have silicon nozzle’s? All the bottles I’ve seen have specced plastic.
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Ah. That explains it. I can see where that could work well.
A lot of the nozzles are silicone, and the tubes are often hard plastic but some brands use silicon plumbing as well. Depends on the brand and possibly the model.
But considering there are microplastics in tap water, avoiding them entirely isn’t likely completely possible, sadly. That filters putout particles isn’t exactly earthshaking news, and I’m sure its been put out by the plastics council, but we should do better… If swapping to metal bottles removes a large part of bottled water users exposure, it’s still a positive.
Just that if the liquid free flows as the top angles down, getting drenched with a sugar laced ‘energy’ drink is unfortunate. Yes I heard the complaints of the early solid bottles: can’t squeeze, having to suck really hard to get anything out; but free flowing isn’t the perfect fix for that either, but better than the earlier complaints. (I had a hard plastic bottle that made getting liquid out a chore, spending time with one hand on the bars while trying to suck the hell out of the ‘nipple’ to get something out. I remember the plastic Podium Camelbak bottles, and the nipple sealed but it was really easy to get liquid out by either sucking, biting, or squeezing the bottle. I’d think that same operation would make their stainless/titanium bottles ‘leak proof’ as well)