There is nothing worse than drinking lukewarm liquids during a hot day on the bike. Several outdoor companies have come out with insulated plastic bottle alternatives to keep you sipping cooly throughout your ride. Hydrapak joins others, such as Polar Bottle and CamelBak, with their new Wooly Mammoth Insulated Bottle.
The Wooly Mammoth Insulated Bottle features Primaloft Insulation inside a double wall construction. Liquids remain at a consistent temperature and the outside of the bottle does not sweat, leaving you less at risk of dropping your bottle mid ride. During Levi's Granfondo, I came across over a dozen dropped bottles, which is not only a bummer for the rider, but a road hazard to the rest of the group.
The Big Gulp valve makes it quick and easy to squirt a large amount of liquid into your mouth. The insulated plastic bottle is BPA and Phthalate free and as a bonus, dishwasher safe, making for an easy clean up post ride.
I used the Wooly Mammoth Insulated Bottle as my second bottle for Levi's Granfondo. By the time I finished the first bottle, which took quite awhile after a cool morning start, my lemonade and water mixture was still very cold.
I also ran an experiment with the Hydrapak insulated bottle versus a normal plastic bottle. I filled both bottles 3/4 full with ice and topped them up with water. I then place both outside in the sun and waited to see how long it took for the ice to completely melt in each bottle. The regular plastic bottle took 1 hour for the ice to melt, while the Hydrapak bottle took close to 3 hours for the ice to completely melt.
Bottom Line: The Hydrapak Wooly Mammoth Insulated Bottle will keep your liquids cold for hours, even on those long hot rides.
The Wooly Mammoth Insulated Bottle retails for $15.99 and will be available in time for your Spring 2012 training season.