full frame bag and bladder OR half frame bag and bottles

[Asposium]

Pondering (no ladders involved) how to carry water on the gravel bike for Le Jog.

I had considered using a half frame bag and two water bottles

However, came across a suggestion of using a full frame bag and a 2 (or 3) litre bladder.

Anyone opinions of either method?

[Bearbonesnorm]

Usually there's not a massive difference in capacity between a partial and full frame bag - so, for my money, I'd go partial bag with bottles as they're easier to fill and monitor.

[ScotRoutes]

Usually there's not a massive difference in capacity between a partial and full frame bag - so, for my money, I'd go partial bag with bottles as they're easier to fill and monitor.

And if they leak your stuff doesn't get wet

[Moder-dye]

2 bottles fit on my bike with a half frame bag, but accessing them while actually riding isn't really possible as its a tight fit. Guess it depends on your frame and bag size though.

I find it better with a bottle on my tri-bars or a stem cap bottle cage on road for drinking when I have a half frame bag, and a spare in a normal bottle cage if needed.

Love mud bheesty
https://www.alpkit.com/products/love-mu ... HzEALw_wcB

[ZeroDarkBivi]

Have used a bladder in a full frame bag on my MTB for sometime as it has very limited carry capacity and too small to fit 2 bottle cages. Works OK, but I am hoping my new gravel bike will take 2 x bottles (side-pull cages) plus a partial bag for less re-fill faffing and better visibility of water left.

[ScotRoutes]

Can you fit a bottle on the underside of the downtube? Use one with a full lid and decant it into another bottle as required

[Asposium]

Can you fit a bottle on the underside of the downtube? Use on with a full lid and decant it into another bottle as required

Yes.

Have space for two in triangle and one under downtube.

Forks blades also. Not sure whether to carry water bottles or stuff on forks.

[ScotRoutes]

I can't see you needing to carry more than 1.5L of water for that ride.

[lune ranger]

I like to use a full frame bag for kit and have bottles under the downtube (1L with screw top) and mounted on the stem (500ml for drinking from)
If you have a horizontal divider in the frame bag heavy stuff can go low, tools, tubes, fuels etc and the top section can be used for lighter things you want regular access to or long things like poles.
I'm very happy with a custom frame bag from Alpkit but it did come a bit thinner than the quoted size.

[BigdummySteve]

I’d go for bottles, if for no other reason that they are easier if you have to knock on a door. Handing over some empty bottles while asking for water just works. Don’t forget while doing this you will be dressed in a very strange fashion and most likely smelling bad.
Give them a break

[slarge]

I went for a half frame bag and 500ml bottle with side entry cage for the HT550 last year. As I was not sure about the weather etc I also carried a 500ml disposable plastic bottle on my top tube held in place with elastic straps. This worked really well as I used the frame bottle, refilling as required, then the reserve bottle was the top tube one. When I started on the top tube bottle it was time to start looking for water.

[benp1]

Half frame and bottles here, don't have a full frame bag

For the recent rides with a rucksack I could use a bladder in there but the frame seems a good place to carry water. Low and central. I'd drink more from a tube on my rucksack strap though, than stopping to get a bottle out. With two bottles and a half frame bag on my large Solaris it needed careful positioning to make it all fit, but fits great now

[ianfitz]

Like Steve I took a half frame bag and a 500ml bottle, but no spare, on the ht550 last year. And the year before. Only once ran a little dry for a time (but finished that year )

For road riding I like two cages. There aren’t as many places to fill up!

I’ve used mount skidmore adapters and elite band-ons on all my bikes to move my single in-frame cage as far down as possible. This means a ‘half’ (custom) frame bag can occupy the wasted space.

[Adventurer]

Or

Full frame bag and bottles

https://instagram.com/p/BgL6nbTDgau/

[Asposium]

Well, bought a half bag for the Sequoia, fits the bike perfectly.
Water bottle space is very cramped and very much non-ideal.

So, going to send back the half frame bag and get a custom full frame bag from Alp kit and use a Camelbak bladder.

Expect to change my mind again in a few months.

[Asposium]

well, didn't take a few months for a change of idea

if the water bottle cage is in the way for a half frame bag (not the one in the photo, that is the 5L version) then simply move the water bottle.

will suggest to specialized they add two more holes

Untitled by Asposium, on Flickr

[BigdummySteve]

Another option is a water bottle in a stem cell, I often carry a 500ml mineral water bottle in my revelate stem cell. I put my ti mug in first and the bottle in the mug. With the one handed opening/ closing it’s easy to use on the move and very secure

https://www.flickr.com/gp/147258524@N05/r1W7v9

[Asposium]

Another option is a water bottle in a stem cell, I often carry a 500ml mineral water bottle in my revelate stem cell. I put my ti mug in first and the bottle in the mug. With the one handed opening/ closing it’s easy to use on the move and very secure

https://www.flickr.com/gp/147258524@N05/r1W7v9

Unfortunately GPS is on stem
And not exactly small
I did see SIS have one litre water bottles
These might work well on bottle of down tube
Ideal if were to fit on top of down tube in the repositioned cage location

[Jurassic]

I go for the water bottle in stem cell option as well. It works fine, the bottle is very easy to access and out the way of flying sh*t. Downside is the weight is higher up than other options.

[GregMay]

Half bag is also a lot less of a sail in a crosswind.

[NorwayCalling]

Half bag is also a lot less of a sail in a crosswind.

Just about to say that myself

[benp1]

Stem cell would work if you could fit them. My bike is smaller and a stem cell hits my knees when I stand to pedal. Being able to carry stem cells does up the load carrying options considerably

[Jurassic]

Stem cell would work if you could fit them. My bike is smaller and a stem cell hits my knees when I stand to pedal. Being able to carry stem cells does up the load carrying options considerably

I've posted this before but I had this problem as well and ended up fitting the stem cells in front of the bars instead (between the bars and my bar bag). This sounds daft but works quite well and serves the dual purpose of spacing your bar bag to save squashing your cables/hoses.