Life In The Saddle

I was touting the benefits of stainless water bottles long before the 'war on plastic'; read posts from 2016 , and you will note praise for better taste, sustainability and hygiene. My latest carry is the ZOKU Insulated Stainless Steel Water Bottle. The 18oz ZOKU Stainless Steel Bottle is a vacuum insulated water bottle that promises to keep cold drinks cool for up to 40 hours, and hot beverages warm for up to 12 hours. It is made from high quality (heavy gauge) stainless steel, and has a super solid drop proof feel to it. I have adopted the ZOKU as my every day carry for the last month; taking it in bike bottle cages and clipped to my rucksack using the integrated (but removable) paracord lanyard. It has stood the use and abuse very well, and does indeed do a great job of keeping hot things hot, and cold things cold, without a hint of leakage. I opted for the plain black colour way, but you can get an array of ten different colours. The ZOKU Insulted Bottle is well m...

Last week, I wrote a post on the Benefits of Stainless Steel (Link) ; considering how plastic-fantastic bike bottles might not be your best option, for a number of reasons. As a continuation on the theme, I have been experimenting with different stainless steel bottles over the last month, from a variety of brands; searching for the best design for on-the-bike usage. My testing has considered how robust the bottles are, their weight, design, and how well they work with bicycle bottle cages. After much deliberation, I think I have found the best result, and it comes from Italian based brand 24Bottles . The Range The range from 24Bottles contains four great sizes, in a wide variety of snazzy colours and designs. The largest in the range is the 1 litre Urban Bottle, which is fantastic for long days, and for water carrying whilst touring. Below this, there is a 500 ml version, with the same lightweight metal design and screw-top lid. Also available at 500 ml is the Thermo Bottle...

If you read health articles and magazines, you have probably heard of BPA. Bisphenol A is a synthetic chemical compound, found in many plastic food and drinks containers; in low levels it is most likely harmless, but some research suggests that continued exposure could have medical risks. Some studies have linked BPA exposure, which can occur inadvertently through leakage into food sources, as increasing the risk of cancer, thyroid problems and oxidative stress. Whilst most of these studies were on factory workers exposed to the chemical (in far higher dosages), there are still potential negative effects for your average plastic container user. The studies on BPA are not completely conclusive, and I remain to be fully convinced. However, reading the papers on the topic got me thinking... Your typical cyclist does use plastic bottles and containers a lot, so perhaps there is scope to reduce that usage, with several notable benefits, in addition to the reduced BPA risk. So, I beg...