The BackBottle

Simon Whiten

Fix It Sticks bring you the BackBottle

Brian Davis is a serial bike accessory inventor and a man who likes to make things – better. If you are wondering who he is, he’s the guy who brought us Fix It Sticks, probably one of the most simple, yet best ideas we’ve seen for a long while. Sticking with that ‘simple is best’, winning format Brian has developed the BackBottle…

 
What is it? Well it’s pretty simple: it is a bottle for your jersey back pocket. as such it is specifically shaped to allow easy transfer from pocket to mouth and importantly – and where normal bottles just don’t cut it – to allow easy replacement back into your jersey pocket, all whilst riding. It looks like half a bottle, with a flat back and ribs to maintain air flow over your back. The base of the bottle is sharpened to aid finding that jersey pocket.
 

 
We are told that the BackBottle is made in the USA, is completely BPA (a potentially toxic component of polycarbonate used in many clear bottles) free, made from and is totally recyclable, dishwasher safe, and holds 18oz of fluid, which is over 500mls. The opening seems a reasonable size given the compressed nature of this bottle.
 
Most people reading this – even those of you in the UK not blessed with the warmest of climates – will have been in that situation where you need more water than your two bottle cages can carry. If you live in the USA or Australia or someplace similar, then you’ll no doubt have experienced this quite often, especially if you are somewhere more remote where service stations and shops are few and far between. Last time I was in such a situation was in Tenerife climbing the awesome but barren Mount Teide volcano. I needed more water but it gets quite remote the further you climb. The BackBottle is meant to provide the answer providing a no hassle solution to carrying extra water.
 

 
Of course it’s also ideal for situations where you find yourself riding a bike that has no bottle cages. Brian himself quotes examples of cyclocross races where no hand-ups were allowed, but there’s also longer triathlons and mountain biking where you don’t want to carry the usual rucksack based hydration system. Brian says, “The BackBottle’s functionality lies somewhere between a bottle and a hydration pack.”
 
Is there a market for it? Well as with everything he does, Brian has been on Kickstarter to see and with 17 days still to go as I write this, he has already passed his target of $7,777, with 361 backers pledging $8,861.
 

 
There are a few long distance cyclists that I can imagine being overjoyed at this invention. Stopping, whilst an inevitable and, if the cafe is any good, an enjoyable part of our sport is not always what you want, especially if you are doing proper training or are alone. Cafe stops are a group thing and there’s nothing worse than being the sole, sweaty cyclist in the corner wolfing down your coffee and cake. And yes I speak from experience…
 
So this BackBottle and a few choice food items might just make stopping unnecessary for even the hardest of mile munchers. Brian says, “The BackBottle is simply one more tool to help you enjoy your ride.”
 
However, I think there’ll be many more riders I know, who’ll be very happy to see this next photo, as apparently the BackBottle makes a great tool carrier. So when it’s not 25 degrees plus and you are not planning a 4 hour monster ride, this will still be a very useful piece of kit. I’m sold if that’s the case, though whether mixing tool holder and drink holder is a hygenic solution I am unsure…
 

 
Only one way to find out, so time to get it out on the road… Check back for a full review soon.
 
In the meantime here’s Brian to take you through the concept:
 

 
The BackBottle retails for $10.
 
If you want to back the Kickstarter project then have a look at BackBottle on Kickstarter
 
BackBottle
 
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