Drinking Water

[Baalzamon]

I can recommend the BBB fueltank as well
Much more secure than the flimsy topeak one

[il padrone]

I have the rather excellent Blackburn cage, which is very robust but sadly no longer manufactured.

This is the B52 Bomber cage. I don't need it - but there is one listed on eBay. Shipping cost is as much as the cage though.

Ahh, yes this is it!!




Hmm.... on ebay you say. Shall check it out.

[edit] This lot have one, NOS, but for a heck of a price premium . Oh, it's the same ebay one from the US

[Baalzamon]

Crikey $52 for the bomber cage... I paid $15 for my BBB fueltank from Elite Racing cycles. They ordered it in for me.

[il padrone]

Just discovered this,as an option for large bottle carrying - the Bike Buddy



Reviews of it are found here:

http://2cycle2gether.com/2010/06/review ... TrySjf-JnB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://b1ke.wordpress.com/cycle-touring ... e-carrier/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



And there is also another called the Monkiicage which can be used for a wide range of sizes and is also a quick-release design. Available in the UK here on ebay - not sure about other retailers.

[RonK]

Just discovered this,as an option for large bottle carrying - the Bike Buddy



Reviews of it are found here:

http://2cycle2gether.com/2010/06/review ... TrySjf-JnB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://b1ke.wordpress.com/cycle-touring ... e-carrier/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, I saw the Bike Buddy but had doubts about the durability of the mounts so didn't bother to post.

I also discovered several complaints about breakages of the Salsa Anything, although some complainants seemed to be putting rather unrealistic loads on them.

[il padrone]

Reviews of it are found here:

http://2cycle2gether.com/2010/06/review ... TrySjf-JnB" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://b1ke.wordpress.com/cycle-touring ... e-carrier/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Yes, I saw the Bike Buddy but had doubts about the durability of the mounts so didn't bother to post.

That second review is based on 4 years use - seems to be very favourable. It has a strong stainless steel construction. I am very tempted to get one or two for our bikes.

[Cheesewheel]

I've often thought that it would be good to have a frame bag mounted bladder. Played around with a MSR bladder and also an insulated camelback but didn't have much success (mostly due to running out of patience ..... or more specifically, swapping into the recumbent scene for touring so now I can quite easily mount 3 Litres behind the seat of my bachetta (with the insulated camelbak - or even double that -if need be - behind the ice trike seat )

... that said though, I think the frame mounted bladder on a wedgie is a doable option if you have a moderate bit of finesse in handiness).

BTW I recall reading that the salsa mounts are a lot more reliable if you actually mount them on a salsa frame (ie take advantage of the three fastening points to the bike frame instead of the standard two)

[Peter Corcaigh]

I wish I had posted my query a long time ago and had this wealth of information. Since I 'm running out of time before my departure I've rushed off and ordered the MSR 10L bags and looks like I'll be drinking tainted water during my visit to Australia. At least I'll be drinking something and sure it wouldn't be good if everything was perfect.
I've read that some of you, as a rule of thumb, allow 6L per day for water and this doesn't include cooking water. Some of my journeys might require us to carry 3 days of water (e.g. Nanutarra Roadhouse to Tom Price). How much cooking water do people suggest per day? Would anyone consider asking someone at Nanutarra RH to drop off some water for us along the way or is that just ridiculous?
You are all fantastic.
Peter

[il padrone]

Time of year is everything with water use and availability. Riding north in WA , in the southern hemisphere winter, is the coolest time to travel.... but also The Dry. Very little water about, but nothing new there. We travelled the Mereenie Loop Rd in Central Australia last September - 25 degree days - so we didn't have to drink huge amounts through the day. We camped out for three nights before we got to Kings Canyon, and still rolled in there with water in the bidons. This was using two 10L bags each and 3L each in our water bottles.

So a three day ride between water supplies is quite doable. Another point - though one you cannot rely on. You will probably be offered water by some passing travellers, especially if you are travelling solo. It is just something that may assist you.

Water is really heavy, so more than this becomes a great penalty to carry - very heavy stress on your panniers and racks. Be sure you have the best.

[polishbiker]

Better still, the top catch of the Fueltank XL cage is easily removable, so it can then be used to carry a 1.5 litre Nalgene Silo.

Topeak also do something similar which I cannot recommend ... way to fragile in my experience for touring.



Regards
Andrew

Yep, broke on all 4 of mine last tour, i simply replaced it with a cable tie, works even better now : P

[il padrone]

Yep, broke on all 4 of mine last tour, i simply replaced it with a cable tie, works even better now : P

Yes, I did the same with mine for that. Too easy


But then the alloy frame broke off at the weld It's really not strong enough, especially if you mount it underneath the downtube with the weight pulling it off.

[Cheesewheel]

Hello everyone, this is my first post. I will be arriving in Perth from Ireland at the end of March to cycle to Darwin with my wife. I expect that I will have little need for a water filter until after Broome as I understand that there is no surface water available before then (apart from Karajini Park). I am reluctant to endure the weight of a water filter (we are not young) if there is another way. My question is, 'What would Australian cyclists bring for treating water to make it suitable for drinking.

You can bring a koala to check if the water in your bidon is suitable for drinking or not