Apidura frame bag bladder - quick review

[JohnClimber]

I tried my new Apidura frame bag bladder in North Wales the other weekend, here's my quick review

A bit of a faff to fit in the frame bag when full, but well worth the effort as it gives so much more room than an oval water bladder, with a nice flat platform for gear to go on top of the shaped bladder.

The hose is more than long enough

The bite valve took some getting used to, but once I realised that I have to really dig in my teeth in to the top of the bite valve with quite a bit of force to open up the valve correctly the water flowed quickly and efficiently and stopped any drops too.

I never ran out of water and used my new MSR trailshot to top up up only once at Pont Scethin

£37 isn't cheap, but it's not that expensive when you think how much you spend on bikes and bits

Link here https://www.apidura.com/shop/frame-pack ... n-bladder/

10/10 from me

[Bearbonesnorm]

Much of a faff to top up? Did you have to remove the bladder or half empty the frame bag to do so?

[JohnClimber]

Much of a faff to top up? Did you have to remove the bladder or half empty the frame bag to do so?

Yes.......

I emptied the kit out above it (so load up with this in mind) and took it out to fill it up.
But I was in no ITT so time wasn't an issue

[fatbikerbill]

@john,

Did you buy direct from apidura.com?

[JohnClimber]

@john,

Did you buy direct from apidura.com?

Yes when it was first launched before it went to the shops

[belugabob]

Much of a faff to top up? Did you have to remove the bladder or half empty the frame bag to do so?

Yes.......

I emptied the kit out above it (so load up with this in mind) and took it out to fill it up.
But I was in no ITT so time wasn't an issue

How feasible would it be, to remove the bite valve, and refill through the hose?

[lune ranger]

I guess it depends on how you intend to fill it.
I have a Camelbak adapter for a Katadyn filter. It uses uses quick release connectors to mate the Camelbak drinking tube and the filter outlet tube. Click to together then pump away.
I used it a few times to fill a bladder in a framebag, it worked very well as long as you could park within about 1.5m of the water source. Ultimately it wasn’t a system I stuck with though.
I’m not sure you’ll get it to work satisfactorily without a well thought out connection to the drinking tube and the ability to fill under some pressure- rather than say, relying on gravity to fill from a tap.

[slarge]

I have one also. I don't like the bite valve - you have to bite too hard and if the valve isn't closed when not sucking then the tube empties back into the bladder. Will replace with a camelback one.
Plus I found that the bladder half emptied itself into the frame bag, but I think I maybe didn't close it properly with the snap lock strip thing.
Also I had to put a (spare) inner tube under it so the tube outlet is at the bottom of the reservoir otherwise I couldn't empty it, but that maybe because I don't have an apidura frame bag (I have a custom alpkit one for my small mtb frame.). Overall I find it OK, I really got it for extra storage for the Tour Divide, and will use it for that, but I prefer bottles or camelback for normal riding.

[fatbikerbill]

Informative review here. https://bikepacking.com/gear/apidura-fr ... er-review/

Especially regards the bite valve and hose quality. Refilling is clearly easier with an apidura bag or similar design.

Still tempted but need to do some measuring

[JohnClimber]

How feasible would it be, to remove the bite valve, and refill through the hose?

Very easy I would say, although the air needs to be able to escape somewhere as you pump water in.
So maybe not as the inlet is at the bottom of the bladder

[Bearbonesnorm]

Still seems like quite a lot of faff for what is not that much additional water - especially if you don't use a dedicated frame bag.

[redefined_cycles]

I have this (from Luke, thanks) but also the other standard type from one of the big manufacturers. That goes from 3 to 2 litres, bite valve is ace as is everything else including the way it closes shut.

In a two word comparison/review between the Apidura and my other (I forget the name, someone remind me, got it after recommendations on here and comes with lifetime warranty!) bladder. I would say 'it's rubbish'. Sorry Apidura... Always feels like its gonna leak and has done so the once. The tubing is not as good as my other cheaper one and just generally don't enjoy using it...

[redefined_cycles]

Sorry Jon... I know you like yours. It's ok but I think I'm comparing against a different type maybe and possibly had higher Hope's on tubing, material and closure

[lune ranger]

How feasible would it be, to remove the bite valve, and refill through the hose?

Very easy I would say, although the air needs to be able to escape somewhere as you pump water in.
So maybe not as the inlet is at the bottom of the bladder

If you don’t pump any air in, it doesn’t need to escape.
The Katadyn/Camelbak connection I have doesn’t add air during the filling process.
I just searched for it online, it’s Camelbak branded but doesn’t look like it’s sold any longer.
You can get this thing:

https://www.camelbak.co.uk/shop-c35/mil ... apter-p403

Which looks like it’s used for attaching directly to a tap.
You’re going to need to get the bike very close to the tap though.

[JohnClimber]

I guess if you suck the air out of it to collapse it should be able to refill.
But the weight of the gear on top may not be able to refill with water if its not going in under pressure.
Plus you also don't know when it's fill so you hope it won't explode

[psling]

What you could really do with is a smaller version of the Cranktank4, one that is designed as a rigid water container within the (bottom of the) frame bag; may be a bit heavier but would hold its shape thus overcoming some of the problems of the squishy* bladder.

[*technical term]

[Bearlegged]

squishy*

[*technical term]

"Vertically and laterally compliant."

[lune ranger]

Unless you have a frame bag with a section you could dedicate to the bladder you would be better off with a traditional style - long/thin - bladder that can sit on top of the rest of the bag contents imo.
Also, having owned an Apidura bladder for a short time, I would say that most other bladders I’ve seen are better quality. I’d rank it below Camelbak, Platypus and Osprey in terms of ease of drinking, filling, closure and general’feel’
For the money you don’t even get a magnet or clip to hold the tubing out of the way.

[sean_iow]

If only someone could come up with a way to carry water in the lower part of the frame and gear above and be able to get the water carrier in and out without having to remove the gear, provide easy access to the water, enable you to see how much you have left, allow for easy filling and it only cost a few £s for the water carrier - or even free as they might chose to give them away at events



I made a full frame bag and have used it but it always seems to create more problems than it solved. Apart from finding somewhere else to carry the water (which you can still get to when riding) it also was a nightmare in cross-winds. Works well of you are a camleback user as your water is on your back. I find it much easier to find another way to carry the stuff that would have been in the bottom of the framebag than to find another way to carry the water.

Having said all that, perhaps I'll give it another try as nothing says 'bikepacker' more than a full frame bag

[lune ranger]

There is that option Sean, well spotted. It’s my preferred method too having tried various bladder in frame bag set ups.
I mostly use half frame bags and can carry at least 1L of water on all my bikes. If I slung a bottle under the down tube and used the fork legs I could double or triple that if I wanted/needed.

[TheBrownDog]

I bought a Moosetreks framebag off Amazon last year, which has an internal horizontal divider and the bottom sections fits an Apidura bladder as if it was designed for it. Mine is the large and it has a bit of room to spare which I fill with other squishy things. They're not expensive, not waterproof and while the zips are not brilliant it's otherwise very well made.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Moosetreks-Bik ... B07KQMW7RQ

[TheBrownDog]

[Bearbonesnorm]

I was thinking about this earlier and wondered whether a frame bag with an external bladder pocket (down one side?) might make more sense?

[lune ranger]

I was thinking about this earlier and wondered whether a frame bag with an external bladder pocket (down one side?) might make more sense?

Maybe, but it could end up pretty wide - one for the bow legged cowboy types…. unless a custom thin bladder is employed that is.
Best sticking to bottles.