Camelbak Podium Chill 700ml Bottle - White/Black

I have this in the dusty purple color that matches my bike! I enjoy using it and it fits in my bottle holder just perfect. You can easily squeeze the bottle to squirter water in your mouth while you ride which is convenient when you don't want to stop. It beats bringing a basic plastic water bottle or the other non squeeze styles. I will say for this being insulated...it doesn't keep the water color or maintain ice for too long. I would say at about an hour being outside in the heat, the water has no ice and is cool, not cold. Not a bad option but I'm used to the performance of my hydroflask...I just can't bike with it

Camelbak Podium Water Bottle

Camelbak claim that their antimicrobial treatment prevents 'plastic-tasting' water. I have only used this bottle for water, and not yet in hot weather (when 'plastic-taste' tends to be more of a problem). After a full day, the bottle smells slightly of polythene, but the water tated OK. The smell will probably go away with more use. Water bottles made by Specialized use a different, 'mineral' treatment to prevent plastic taste - this sounds as if it would be longer-lived than antimicrobial coatings, which usually have a finite life. Containers made of glass appear to be the only type that deliver totally taste-free water - stainless steel produces a metallic taste, which may be masked by flavouring in the drink, but the 'leaching-out' of the metal is probably ... MoreCamelbak claim that their antimicrobial treatment prevents 'plastic-tasting' water. I have only used this bottle for water, and not yet in hot weather (when 'plastic-taste' tends to be more of a problem). After a full day, the bottle smells slightly of polythene, but the water tated OK. The smell will probably go away with more use. Water bottles made by Specialized use a different, 'mineral' treatment to prevent plastic taste - this sounds as if it would be longer-lived than antimicrobial coatings, which usually have a finite life. Containers made of glass appear to be the only type that deliver totally taste-free water - stainless steel produces a metallic taste, which may be masked by flavouring in the drink, but the 'leaching-out' of the metal is probably accelerated by acidic-type fruit juices or flavourings - decide!

Excellent in Summer Heat

I most often bicycle to and from my full-time place of employment 15 miles each way. Afternoon temps are regularly 105-110 degrees between 3:15 PM - 4:15 PM as I ride home. I fill the bottle about 75% of ice cubes before I leave and the rest with cool water. This bottle keeps my water cold the entire trip home as about half the ice melts by the time i get home and i have used about 1/2 to 3/4 of the water to drink & squirt myself to stay hydrated & guard against over- heating. This bottle has been a great purchase.

Good replacement, just be aware of differences

I used to have the older 25oz bottles (big chill), so I know firsthand the differences that others have already mentioned. I’m just confirming that this new design is slightly different, especially in the bottle design itself. It is slightly thinner, and because I was using the former big chill, this new podium chill bottle is just slightly loose in the bottle holder, but that’s only because the big chill stretched it out over the years of use. It’s really not problem, the new bottle still fits in the holder, it’s just barely noticeable on how snug the bottle fits. The cap was redesigned and yes it’s true, less water sprays out compared to the previous design, but again, it’s not enough of a difference to cause any major concerns. I like the new design of the bottle ... MoreI used to have the older 25oz bottles (big chill), so I know firsthand the differences that others have already mentioned. I’m just confirming that this new design is slightly different, especially in the bottle design itself. It is slightly thinner, and because I was using the former big chill, this new podium chill bottle is just slightly loose in the bottle holder, but that’s only because the big chill stretched it out over the years of use. It’s really not problem, the new bottle still fits in the holder, it’s just barely noticeable on how snug the bottle fits. The cap was redesigned and yes it’s true, less water sprays out compared to the previous design, but again, it’s not enough of a difference to cause any major concerns. I like the new design of the bottle because the important things still work (water stays in the bottle, except when you squeeze it out, and the bottle stays in the cage, even when you hit a bump in the road, as long as you’ve adjusted for the slightly loose fit that wasn’t as snug as before). Honestly, it’s just easier to get the bottle out of the cage now.

Great bottle, don't use cheap cages

The maroon color of this bottle almost matches my bike perfectly. Very good bottle, is lightweight and easy to clean. There is also no need to pop up the top when getting a drink, just leave it unlocked and squeeze it. No leaking over bumps like cheaper bottles. My only gripe, which isn't really related to the bottle, is that it does not fit my cages very well. I have super cheap aluminum cages from walmart, so I kind of expect that, but probably add on some wrap around cages instead of the U shaped metal ones for a smoother fit.

Ineffective Insulation

As I already have a (several years old) Camelbak bottle and wanting an insulated one to keep my drinks cooler on long rides, I bought this one.I like the twist-to-seal spout and the bottle appears to be robustly made.Sadly I am disappointed with the insulated feature. I filled this bottle and my old uninsulated one with chilled water. Two hours into my ride (on quite a warm day) and I found that the contents of both bottles had warmed up by a similar amount. It also appears that Camelbak have changed the shape of their bottles slightly. The old one fits securely in the various bottle cages on my bikes, but the new one is quite a loose fit - it actually fell out of one of them on a bumpy section of trail.Sadly I cannot recommend this bottle - save your money ... MoreAs I already have a (several years old) Camelbak bottle and wanting an insulated one to keep my drinks cooler on long rides, I bought this one.I like the twist-to-seal spout and the bottle appears to be robustly made.Sadly I am disappointed with the insulated feature. I filled this bottle and my old uninsulated one with chilled water. Two hours into my ride (on quite a warm day) and I found that the contents of both bottles had warmed up by a similar amount. It also appears that Camelbak have changed the shape of their bottles slightly. The old one fits securely in the various bottle cages on my bikes, but the new one is quite a loose fit - it actually fell out of one of them on a bumpy section of trail.Sadly I cannot recommend this bottle - save your money and buy a standard Halfords one instead.

Insulation works

Comparing this 21 fluid ounce variant to the 24 ounce variant. The do hold different volumes, and this one uses those 3 ounces of volume for thermal insulation. In testing water from the same starting temperature on the same day, the 21oz unit kept the liquid appreciably colder than the 24oz variant; the 24oz's water had equilibrated to ambient temperature after about 2hr cycling outdoors (~20°C, mildly sunny), while the 21oz's water remained cool.It fits well within my Specialized water bottle cage, securely but also easy to remove from the correct angle. The nozzle is easy to clean, including the inner faces of the spout jet. The inside of the lid is a simplified design over CamelBak's design from 10y ago, and is markedly easier to clean. There is a removable ... MoreComparing this 21 fluid ounce variant to the 24 ounce variant. The do hold different volumes, and this one uses those 3 ounces of volume for thermal insulation. In testing water from the same starting temperature on the same day, the 21oz unit kept the liquid appreciably colder than the 24oz variant; the 24oz's water had equilibrated to ambient temperature after about 2hr cycling outdoors (~20°C, mildly sunny), while the 21oz's water remained cool.It fits well within my Specialized water bottle cage, securely but also easy to remove from the correct angle. The nozzle is easy to clean, including the inner faces of the spout jet. The inside of the lid is a simplified design over CamelBak's design from 10y ago, and is markedly easier to clean. There is a removable element that greatly eases cleanup. The twist-to-seal function works as expected, and I am satisfied with it.Both this and the 24oz. variant are good products; one holds more water, the other holds its cooler.

No leaks, no fuss

I have the black version and can say it looks a bit more glossy IRL (see the "Smoke" colour to see what I mean), the picture here gives the impression it's a matte black finish.Other than that, it's perfect for cycling. Even when the bottle isn't locked, unless you are squeezing the bottle, it's very hard to get it to leak. Easy to clean and seems durable. No plastic smell at all from day one.

Overall a good design

I've had previous CamelBak insulated water bottles. I bought this because I could no longer remove the mold from my previous bottles. In one respect this one is a notch lower than the older ones I had. The knob to open the valve is stiff enough that it sometimes unscrews the cap instead of opening the valve. However, it does a tremendous job of keeping the contents cold so am accepting that deficiency. Perhaps in time it will loosen up.

Too fancy for its own good

I normally get your basic bicycling water bottles, but they were out of stock when I bought this one. 90% of the time I use these is just for every day water drinking. The anti-spill works well, but it is kind of distracting how the bottle will slowly over the next 15-60 minutes 'creak-creak-creak' as its pressure comes to equilibrium. Sometimes it startlingly comes out of the blue after an hour of being quiet. The twist-to-lock feature is effective, but because of how hard it is to twist, I am unlikely to use it except for deep-in-the-backpack-on-a-long-hike storage - leaving no more casual 'lock' mechanism. So I think I'm likely to stick to the basic pop-and-squirt bottles for future purchases.