KineticShift.com continues our hands on test of water bottles.
Hydrapak is the bottle to pack if you’re looking to carry water and an energy gel. It can help you keep fueled up and hydrated at the same time.
Hydrapak Gel-Bot Product Description: No more sticky fingers. No more wrestling with foil packets. Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials in one easy-access bottle. Load the chamber with energy gel, fill the bottle with water. Gel-Bots patent-pending technology lets you fuel or hydrate without slowing down. The Gel-Bot delivers two performance essentials, fuel and hydration, in one easy to use sport bottle.
To USE:
Load the inner chamber with energy gel.
Fill the bottle with water/fluid.
When the nozzle is pulled open, you get water and water only.
With the nozzle pushed down, squeeze to get the gel out of the center valve.
This patent-pending design lets you fuel or hydrate with just one hand. Perfect for racing or total gel addicts.
Bottle Sizes: 20oz and 24oz
Plastic: Polypropylene
Country of Manufacture: Taiwan
Retail Price: $13.99 (20oz) & $14.99 (24oz)
Basic Standards (two bottles were tested – Bottle #1 was from Interbike & Bottle #2 was shipped a a replacement for that bottle):
- Bottle #1 had a very small leak between the cap and bottle, but this bottle was still usable in both the gel and water functions. Bottle #2 did not leak at all and that actually allowed the gel to flow out with less effort than Bottle #1.
- Both bottles did not leak when turned upside-down. Only Bottle #1 leaked when squeezed.
- BPA free
Taste test and manufacturer’s claim test: Truth be told, this was one bottle that I was truly excited about testing when I picked it up at Interbike. It had been about a month since I had raced in the Leadville 100 mountain bike race and I had wished that I had at least three of these bottles to use in that race. For those of you who use gel packs know that tearing off of the tops, sucking down the gel and properly disposing of the foil can be a pain.
The first day that I was to test this bottle, I filled the ‘gel chamber’ with chocolate Gu, filled the bottle with water, twisted the cap tight and squeezed. To my dismay, water started creeping around the bottle threads. I decided to just use it as-is and went on my ride.
During the ride, I switched back and forth between using the water and gel functions. The Gu I chose to use was a little thicker than most other gels and with the loss of pressure around the threads, it took considerable force to get the Gu to flow. To help with the flow of the gel, I sucked at the same time as I squeezed the bottle – I helped the gel flow considerably. The water function worked as described and no noticeable plastic or ‘off’ tastes were noticed.
When I arrived back at home, I contacted Hydrapak and described the leak around the threads of my first bottle. The representative responded very quickly to my e-mail and sent out a replacement bottle. Upon receipt of the second bottle, I followed the same procedure except I switch the Gu for Clif Shot which is much thinner. I was pleasantly pleased when the replacement bottle did not leak. I took the bottle out on a similar ride; and with a combination of the thinner gel and no loss of pressure, this bottle preformed much better. It took considerably less pressure to get the gel to flow, but sucking on the gel portion while squeezing, allows more control over the amount of gel that comes out.
After arriving home both times, I inspected and cleaned the bottles. The gel chamber had very little gel residue left inside which means that there is very little waste with this system. The biggest issue that I noticed with the bottles was cleaning. There are a lot of little parts that need to be cleaned to prevent the growth of mold. The area most difficult to clean is the bit valve. The soft rubber bite valve can be removed, but you have to be careful not to tear the ‘stops’ of the valve (like I did). There are videos on the internet detailing how to clean this bottle – those links can be found on Hydrapak’s website.
Overall, I was very pleased with the performance of the bottle. Any downside is greatly outweighed by the gel chamber system, especially in a race situation where every action or second counts.
Likes: The ‘gel chamber’ and large, soft bite valve
Dislikes: The difficulty in thoroughly cleaning the bottle and soft bite valve which can tear easily while removing.
Kinetic Shift Recommended Use: All water bottle uses… cycling, hiking, running, fitness classes, etc.