At Shop Naturally, we have an extensive range of water bottles made out of various materials, in lots of different shapes and sizes, different volumes, insulated or not and with various mouthpieces. Depending on what you want your drink bottle for, you’ll need a specific type of bottle.

Today we’re tackling the best bottle to use when you’re cycling. Most drink bottle cages are generic in size and we’re going to talk about the best bpa free plastic option and the  best stainless steel option.

The Best BPA Free Plastic Water Bottle for a bike cage (above left)

For the utmost in performance, we’re going to a company who specialise in sporting equipment, Camelbak. While Camelbak made their name originally in hydration packs, it’s their drink bottles now that are popular.

The Camelbak Podium range are a soft bpa free plastic water bottle with a width designed to fit in bike cages. This isn’t what makes it the best bottle for a bike cage though, it’s the lid. The lid on the Camelbak Podium has a self-sealing Jet Valve that allows you to keep the lid of the bottle open while you’re riding. To get water out, squeeze. Then leave the lid open and put it back in your cage. For those who take road bike riding seriously, getting a huge squirt of water on the go without having to slow down or stop is vital, and this is where the bottle comes in to its own.  If you have an old one, they were redesigned last year and the aperature of the lid is larger than before. While they’re easy to clean, we do have replacement lids available to purchase.

The Camelbak Podium range comes in a standard bottle and the Podium Ice which is insulated. The insulation in these bottles does not come close to matching what’s available with a vacuum insulated stainless steel water bottle, but they provide a little assistance.

Camelbak Australia official stockist

By shopping with a Camelbak Australia official stockist, you are covered by their lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects. Overseas sellers and  eBay sellers can't offer this level of service.

The Best Stainless Steel Water Bottle for a bike cage (above right)

If you’re not a fan of plastic and you don’t need the elite performance of the Camelbak Podium with the Jet Valve and squeezable bottle for a jet burst of hydration, your best choice is from Klean Kanteen.  The Classic series Klean Kanteen bottles come in various sizes from 355ml through to a 2 litre water bottle. The size that suits most standard bike cages is the 592ml (or 18oz) size. In our store, they come standard with a Sports 3.0 cap. It can be pulled open and closed while riding, although most casual riders will stop before they hydrate.

While the next size up, the 800ml (or 27oz) is the same diameter and may fit in some bike cages, it is taller and those bike cages that have a curve at the top to hold the bottle in place may prove a problem.

Klean Kanteen official preferred online stockist