Showers Pass Hydration System
by Andy Johnston
Always a fan of new bike inventions or applications I spotted this little water dispenser quickly. OK, the first thing that intrigued me was the string reel that holds the water tube. Currently on my water pack I have a magnet that holds the tube to my shoulder strap so it does not flop around while riding. At times, and especially on rough descents, it can be hard to get the tube to mate up with the magnet. This is why the string got me so excited, constantly attached all it has to do is reel the string back to home position. No more flopping tubes when the trail gets demanding.
The Showers Pass dispenser is a big plastic saddle mounted bottle inside a nylon saddle bag that also has a compartment for your tools or tube, so you don't entirely lose use of a saddle bag for your stuff. There is a hydration hose that runs over the seatpost and back down to the top tube and up to your bars where the mouthpiece sits. It is all attached via the string reels and one magnet.
First question you may ask is, why? Well, I am reviewing this as a mtb rider, but can see it being very useful for triathletes and even road events, but will let you use your imagination for that. When I saw this I first thought, 'where can I use this?'
The mtb rider who regularly sets out on long adventure rides may not be asking that question. Water is important and when it runs out the ride is near an end. My answers are bike packing (camping trips made on bike), super long epic rides, team relay races and races that will require 42 oz of water and have no place to refuel.
Bike packing may not be familiar to most, but know that holding enough water is something almost impossible, so an extra 42 oz on the bike is always welcome. There are many inline water filters that work with the hydration tubing and one could easily be mounted to this system allowing dirty water to be stored in the Showers Pass unit, filtered and used for drinking and cooking. The tube easily unclips from the string reel so gravity filtration would be very easy at the camping spot. This would be ideal for the bike packing I do but I am not able to fit the rear rack and the shower pass on my full sus camping bike together.
Team relay races usually offer short laps that riders do one at a time, and time for drinking is limited when trying to maximize every opportunity to pedal faster. While the SP might be overkill for a short lap it does allow you to drink hands free the same as a hydro pack, and take the weight off your legs. Any coach will tell you that by taking weight off your body you reduce the weight your legs have to carry when standing, and this translates into less fatigue. Over the course of a 12 or 24 hour event this might be worth considering.
If you have a race that require 42 oz of water (or less) and no feed zone, then why not try this unit? You will not lose this bottle, and the hands free drinking might mean you stay more hydrated.
These are all just the thoughts I had when looking into this product.
After riding it I have no complaints. The container attaches very securely and there was no rattle, wiggle or other annoyance. Drinking out of it is slightly different from a backpack because the string reels are pulling slightly on the tube. Yo need to hold it firmly in your mouth so some bite-valves might work better than others. This stock one did fine.
Only standing up on pavement rocking the bike could I feel it back there. I'm used to having nothing on my bike. On the trail I did not notice it at all. I tried to notice it but could not. The tube is constantly there, but it stayed put. If you drop it out of your mouth it may not always reel back in place, but that is nothing a little nudge wont fix. I used a 3rd reel to hold it to my bar, but I think the tube can be cut at the headset and still be plenty long to reach my thirsty mouth.
I am preparing for The Pisgah Stage Race, but do not think I can use this. Later in the event I may give it a try. During the stage race we have access to 3 or 4 feed zones each day so only want to carry enough liquid to make it to the next feed zone. The SP is attached so would be dead weight after it got emptied. Having a pop-top lid rather than the screw on lid might make quick pit stops possible (or better yet, a screw on lid that has a pop top built into it). If your a more laid-back racer and don't mind taking a few extra seconds at the pit then this is ideal as you can just refill it and head out.
This unit will be invaluable for my bike packing and my epic training rides.
Check back for updates as I take it to the races for a trial by fire.
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