Go Metal: Bivo One Bottle (21 oz) Review

My wife is honestly about to lose her mind with all the bike water bottles we have around the house. But, then the Bivo One arrived, she paused and said it was cool. With that, I’ve now had a chance to use and abuse the Bivo One for quite some time and it has an earned a unique place in my water bottle collection.

Bivo One (non-insulated) Cycling Bottle Features:

• Silicone anti-slip exterior on colored bottles
• Single-wall non-insulated stainless steel
• Patented high-flow sport nozzle
• LFGB compliant food-grade silicone components
• 100% recyclable stainless steel
• BPA/BPS/BPF and phthalates free components
• 100% lead free
• MSRP: $39

Let’s get metal

With friends and family hauling around their Stanley mugs everywhere, I think we’re all familiar with the capabilities of double-wall stainless insulated mugs. That air gap is a thing of sorcery as it keeps ice solid and drinks cold for days. Well, we’re not going to talk about that because the Bivo One is non-insulated. Yup, it’s a single-wall design that’s built to maximize the utility, looks and freshness of stainless steel.

I have a 21 oz. Bivo Trio insulated bottle, but let’s be honest, it’s too large for the fast-paced and efficient road, gravel and mountain biking I do. I much prefer smaller and streamlined bottles on the typical 1-2 hour adventures I do. With that, the Bivo One has fit into the mix and also makes or a stylish bottle for everyday use.

The crazy thing about Bivo’s stainless steel bike bottles is that you obviously can’t squeeze them, so how does drinking work? With a NASA engineer on staff, Bivo delivers the best drinking experience I’ve seen from a stainless bottle. I tested the Camelbak Podium Stainless earlier this year and it yields mediocre water flow rates. To get the most out of it, you have to suck pretty hard on the nozzle. Thankfully, that’s not the case with Bivo’s design. Using gravity, the flow rate is mind-blowingly fast.

In the saddle, it’s easy to get a good amount of liquid when refreshment is needed. I can’t force a mouthful like a standard bottle, but there’s always more than enough to quench my thirst. When I want to accelerate the flow, I can tip it further. I’ve found the optimum flow to be at about a 45-degree angle. Anything more extreme doesn’t allow the air to push the water out.

Inside the cap, there is an air straw, which works to maintain air/liquid equilibrium. That bit of airflow, combined with gravity makes the Bivo work.

I’ve loaded up the Bivo One into carbon, nylon and titanium bottle cages and it fits securely in all of them. However, unless you like the sound of metal-to-metal rattling, I’d shy away from metal cages. Sure, a smooth ride is fine, but the Silca Sicuro cages on my gravel bike made for an unpleasant rattling experience over every bump.

With that, I’m also a fan of the natural stainless color because I don’t like my paint scratched. Throughout hundreds of miles and countless days of use, the Bivo logo has worn off the outside and the stainless has natural scratches and marring from regular use. It adds character and reminds me that it is metal after all.

I appreciate the clean, fresh taste of water or drink mixes. And, it cleans out nicely without any lingering tastes or smells. I do appreciate the taste of water out of stainless steel. Since it’s not insulated, my drinks don’t say cold forever, but I’m not too picky. My kids empty the ice tray on the daily and I’m okay with drinking water of all temperatures. Still, the Bivo One does seem to hold temperatures better than a standard water bottle.

When it comes time to unscrew the cap and refill, the smooth cap can be difficult to twist. This is particularly noticeable when wet. I’d like to see a little bit of texture on the cap at some point to make unscrewing easier. Cleanup has been a breeze as I can drop it into the dishwasher when needed.

The locking nozzle is important because one tilt and water can flow right out. I have learned the hard way several times and lost water on the floor or elsewhere. It’s easy enough to push down to lock and up to drink, but I do forget sometimes. Also, the soft, rubber nozzle does tend to capture more “lip goo” and trail debris than other nozzle designs. I would not recommend all that exposed rubber on mountain bike or gravel rides, to be honest. Bivo does sell a dust cap, but that’s a bit of a hassle in practice.

Buy Now: Visit Backcountry.com