Great bottles, love the higher capacity. They definitely have a faster / higher volume flow per squeeze which makes it much easier to grab a quick drink. I like the clear bottles so I can easily see how much I have in there. The caps can be a tiny bit leaky. A few drops here and there are irrelevant outside, but can add up during longer indoor rides. I'll certainly take light-weight over unnecessary extra weight, but the weight of the bottle is a pretty minor factor when you consider you'll have almost a whole kg of fluid in one.
I got the brushed stainless insulated version. You definitely lose a little bit of capacity for the insulation.
My Arundel Mandible carbon cages hold them very securely on my gravel bike over rough technical sections. Not one bottle eject after hundreds of gravel miles. The stainless is abraded a bit by dirt and the cages but they still look great to me.
Great flow. Like seriously great. If the flow seems slow, and the bottle has water in it, pull the nozzle a little with your teeth while riding to make sure it's open.
I have several of these on multiple bikes. They securely hold any bottle I have. My mountain bike has never lost the bottle over some pretty bumpy terrain. And when we put the bikes on the car rack the bottles are still there when we get home if we forget to take them off when we get in the car.
The tightening knob on most recent two I bought is a little harder to turn so it is a more difficult for my wife to use on her bike due to arthritic hands. Hopefully they will loosen up and it will get easier to use as it wears in. Overall these are the best holders I have found for our use.
Comparing this to the USWE packs I've been using for many years now, I'd say overall this is decent hydration pack that's fairly stable in aggressive or chunky riding conditions. Not much bounce like other packs with traditional shoulder and waist straps designs typically have.
The back panel breathes fairly well, in no small measure because of the frame rods that move if off one's back, and this has solid, easily accessible organizing areas for small MTB items like inflators, levers, snacks and such. Takes a spill with ease. Good space for shoulder season layers.
The one noticeable drawback I found with it is the torso length is a bit short for anyone that's 6ft or taller, causing the waist straps to ride up a little. Would be better with slightly longer shoulder straps, which would solve the hip belt riding up issue.
I wish the padded portion of the waist belt and its pouches came farther around an adults hips, so you can see what is in the pouches when looking for any quick stash items. As it is, the pouches are a bit of a pain to access and get at what you put in them.
Candidly at full MSRP this pack is overpriced. Worth it when on sale.
