Camelbak Podium Steel: Their Take on the Stainless Bike Bottle

Stainless water bottles and tumblers have taken over the world — and especially here in Utah. You can’t go anywhere without seeing the ubiquitous Stanley Flowstate Tumbler. While I’m generally not a fan, I do appreciate how long they maintain temperature. It’s something bordering on sorcery, to be honest.

Camelbak recently launched the stainless version of their much-loved Podium-series bike bottles. And, not to be lost in the shuffle, they are also launching the Podium Titanium for the most discerning riders searching for the lightest metal water bottle. The technical specs are impressive — boasting 14 hours of cold liquids inside the double-wall vacuum-insulated stainless vessel. Available in either 18 or 22 oz varieties, you do sacrifice volume, but get cold beverages as a result.

How does it function?

Well, a stainless bike bottle is a bit of a novelty — there’s no way around it. The typical squeeze process is replaced by a tip and pour. Compared with the Bivo bike bottle, the water flow is a little different. While the Bivo simply needs a tip to pour ample liquids, I’ve found that the Camelbak Podium Steel requires you to tip and suck on the nozzle to get anything more than just a dribble of water. It took several indoor Rouvy rides (outdoor riding hasn’t been possible since the bottle arrived) before I was able to go from “this dribble of water is terrible” to “I think I’ve figured it out.” The difference was the tip-and-suck.

Of course, the exterior of the bottle will get marred with use — especially with Silca Sicuro Titanium Bottle Cages, but that’s why I opted for the plain stainless version. I appreciate the lockout for drip-free stowage.

Initial testing on the road, gravel and mountain biking has been good overall. The bottles are extremely difficult to get in/out of titanium cages like the Silca Sicuro, but are okay with side-entry carbon or nylon bottle cages. Since the metal doesn’t give at all, it’s a tight, but secure fit. With metal cages, expect some rattling on the roughest terrain. And, with other cages, be prepared to use another bottle because the Podium Stainless just won’t fit at all.

As you can see, the nozzle can get a little dirty. And, due to the need to suck on the nozzle, be prepared to put your lips on a lot of dirt. You can try your best to clean it off before each sip, but it’s unavoidable.

Buy Now: Visit Camelbak.com