Ask the experts

[toast2266]

I think this has been covered in here somewhere, but what's the preferred water filter for bike purposes?

This would more or less solely be used for biking, so small and light is key. Don't need to filter huge volumes of water. Mostly filtering water out of alpine streams that are already pretty clean, but also probably using it in Europe where there is sometimes livestock roaming around.

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[natebob]

I think this has been covered in here somewhere, but what's the preferred water filter for bike purposes?

This would more or less solely be used for biking, so small and light is key. Don't need to filter huge volumes of water. Mostly filtering water out of alpine streams that are already pretty clean, but also probably using it in Europe where there is sometimes livestock roaming around.

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I would say either the Katadyn BeFree 1L, Sawyer Squeeze or Platypus Quickdraw. These are all pretty similar - hollow core fiber filter with a soft water bag. A nice upgrade to the stock bag is a CNOC with a large opening, making it easier to fill when you don't have good stream flow, or from a lake. Just be sure to get the right size threaded CNOC for your filter. The Katadyn is the smallest/lightest of the 3 by a bit. Key to happiness with any of them is frequent backflushing or cleaning, even if filtering clear water. I like storing the filter wet. Do the recommended cleaning process, then push a bit of water with bleach into the filter and store in a jar filled with water. Wet storage seems to prevent the fibers from drying out, and will work much better next time you use it. I usually take a few chlorine dioxide tabs for back up, or really sketchy water.

[smmokan]

Yep, I've been using the Katadyn BeFree pretty regularly for the last 5+ years with good luck... by that, I mean no one has ever gotten sick from the filtered water we've drank on our trips across lots of different locations, and I use it a lot. I replaced the filter on mine after a few years last fall and it's as good as new.

[toast2266]

Cool, thanks. And those are preferable to the steripen type things?

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[North]

No experience with a steripen, but I use a BeFree weekly and would chose it over any of pens because it never needs to be charged.

[XXX-er]

The webbing is also nice because it works fine without a seatpost in the frame - just put the webbing around the seatstays. It also means you can work 360° around the bike without a stand in the way.

Biggest downside of the webbing is just that it's not mobile at all. A stand can move around wherever.

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no body has mentioned that when you hang a bike from straps or chains the bike is not held firm it moves around unless you hold it still

[toast2266]

no body has mentioned that when you hang a bike from straps or chains the bike is not held firm it moves around unless you hold it still

Not really though. The straps hold it from rotating, and if you space them out a bit on the ceiling, they mostly keep the bike from swaying forwards/ backwards.

The bike can sway side to side, but most work you're doing on a bike doesn't involve side to side pressure. Knocking out press fit bb's is the one thing I found kind of annoying with the strap setup.

Really, the thing no one is mentioning is that consumer grade mobile repair stands kinda suck. They're tippy and the bike rocks around a fair amount. A pro repair stand that's bolted into the floor (or attached to a very heavy base) is great, but most people aren't putting those in their garage.

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[natebob]

Cool, thanks. And those are preferable to the steripen type things?

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Steripens work great in clear water, which is probably what you'll be treating mostly. Murky water or particulates in the water can sometimes hide the critters from the UV light, which won't kill them all. The charge actually lasts a long time, but I'm with North, still prefer a mechanical filter. One more thing on BeFree and the like - they can be compromised by dropping them on a hard surface, or freezing. I dropped a Platy Quickdraw from about 3 feet onto the concrete garage floor, sure enough, didn't pass the integrity test.

[toast2266]

Steripens work great in clear water, which is probably what you'll be treating mostly. Murky water or particulates in the water can sometimes hide the critters from the UV light, which won't kill them all. The charge actually lasts a long time, but I'm with North, still prefer a mechanical filter. One more thing on BeFree and the like - they can be compromised by dropping them on a hard surface, or freezing. I dropped a Platy Quickdraw from about 3 feet onto the concrete garage floor, sure enough, didn't pass the integrity test.

Gotcha. Good to know. Thanks for the intel!

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[XXX-er]

Not really though. The straps hold it from rotating, and if you space them out a bit on the ceiling, they mostly keep the bike from swaying forwards/ backwards.

The bike can sway side to side, but most work you're doing on a bike doesn't involve side to side pressure. Knocking out press fit bb's is the one thing I found kind of annoying with the strap setup.

Really, the thing no one is mentioning is that consumer grade mobile repair stands kinda suck. They're tippy and the bike rocks around a fair amount. A pro repair stand that's bolted into the floor (or attached to a very heavy base) is great, but most people aren't putting those in their garage.

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I think it was warren miller who said " if you don't get proper repair stand tomorrow you will just be another year older when you finally do "

so I got the prs-4

[toast2266]

I think it was warren miller who said " if you don't get proper repair stand tomorrow you will just be another year older when you finally do "

so I got the prs-4

Warren Miller doesn't know shit about bikes.

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[VTskibum]

Question for the experts here. I have an older 29er XC bike (Salsa Mamasita) I want to convert to a 1x setup for local Cyclocross and XC evening races. Would a group set like this https://www.universalcycles.com/shop...4&category=321 be the easiest/cheapest way to make that change? Do I need to swap out my bottom bracket too since it's currently a GXP standard and this appears to be DUB? I have the bottom bracket tool and a decent set of hex keys, are there any other tools I would need to pick up to make this change?

Thanks all

Doesn’t look like you got a reply. That’s not a bad way to do it, but you likely don’t need to get a new crank. You’re almost certainly going to be able to find a single narrow/wide chainring to fit your current crank that should work. Some 2x systems from about 10 years ago have a wonky BCD, it for the purposes you’re talking about probably fine. You’ll still probably want clutch derailleur, but even that will depend on how bumpy these cx/xc courses are. I ran 1x for this purpose pre-clutch. The setup you listed though should work fine.


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[XXX-er]

Warren Miller doesn't know shit about bikes.

he wouldn't have believed in straps either

[toast2266]

he wouldn't have believed in straps either

One thing Warren definitely wouldn't do is recommend a $400 prs-4 to someone who specifically requested a cheap option. Warren loved the dirtbag.

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[teledad]

I think this has been covered in here somewhere, but what's the preferred water filter for bike purposes?

This would more or less solely be used for biking, so small and light is key. Don't need to filter huge volumes of water. Mostly filtering water out of alpine streams that are already pretty clean, but also probably using it in Europe where there is sometimes livestock roaming around.

Haven’t tried it for real yet, but I recently picked up an MSR Trailshot for this use case and it seems pretty nice. Small, light, pumps well enough with my tap water.

[LC]

I think this has been covered in here somewhere, but what's the preferred water filter for bike purposes?

This would more or less solely be used for biking, so small and light is key. Don't need to filter huge volumes of water. Mostly filtering water out of alpine streams that are already pretty clean, but also probably using it in Europe where there is sometimes livestock roaming around.

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I did a lot of research and picked up Hydrapak's 42mm filter recently. I'm using it for touring combined with their Seeker bladder but it fits their soft bottles and normal size bike bottles too. Works well for me and their warranty is legit.

[Roxtar]

I think this has been covered in here somewhere, but what's the preferred water filter for bike purposes?

This would more or less solely be used for biking, so small and light is key. Don't need to filter huge volumes of water. Mostly filtering water out of alpine streams that are already pretty clean, but also probably using it in Europe where there is sometimes livestock roaming around.

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The Sawyers look pretty sweet. Very small and seem to be effective & easy to use.

[XXX-er]

One thing Warren definitely wouldn't do is recommend a $400 prs-4 to someone who specifically requested a cheap option. Warren loved the dirtbag.

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I just slipped shop bro some cash and got my PRS-4 cheap when the store closed but before that I just lay the bike on the floor or against the wall and it was cheaper than buying straps

except the bike moved

[Boissal]

The Sawyers look pretty sweet. Very small and seem to be effective & easy to use.

I have a Sawyers and really like it. I replaced the bag with a flexier one that packs smaller and has a wider opening, it's the perfect combo. Weighs almost nothing, packs really small, filters fast, not many downsides unless you're dealing with super murky water and it slows down a lot. Most of the time I filter alpine stream or lakes so it's a non-issue. The filter lives in my hip pack and has saved my ass on a couple occasions, definitely worth having.

Edit: mine's a microsqueeze. Comes with a few accessories but I only every carry the filter and the pouch.

[singlesline]

The Sawyers look pretty sweet. Very small and seem to be effective & easy to use.

Sawyer squeeze is pretty sweet. The new Micro Squeeze might be ideal for biking--bit more compact, but still plenty of flow rate for biking. Only need to carry a flat-pack "dirty" bag and the filter. Don't need the backflush syringe unless you are gone for days, and you've already got your water bottle/bladder to filter into.

Just do NOT let them freeze. A wet filter (and they will never be dry once you use it once) will be destroyed if it freezes... and the worst part is that it may not even show obvious signs of failure, it will just not effectively filter and you might not know until you are shitting yourself.

Probably not an issue when biking, but don't store them in a bin in an unheated garage in the winter.

[XtrPickels]

I think this has been covered in here somewhere, but what's the preferred water filter for bike purposes?

This would more or less solely be used for biking, so small and light is key. Don't need to filter huge volumes of water. Mostly filtering water out of alpine streams that are already pretty clean, but also probably using it in Europe where there is sometimes livestock roaming around.

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I'll drop another vote for the BeFree.
Its a little slow in silty water, but a couple of shakes and it keeps working.
I had one spring a pinhole leak in the bag - likely from over-squeezing. I still used it.
Otherwise, no issues at all.
Packs small, is light, can be used to store extra water.

[Phall]

I have a befree/hydrapak bottle (Hydrapak branded) for single use squeezing/extra bottle.
Hydrapak has 28mm inline filter that has QR (plug and play) adapters and also screws on to any/most 28mm adapters. I carry a 1l platypus bag with that in my running vest on longer trail runs, and will probably do so on longer MTB rides as needed.

I have had a sawyer Mini, and the Hydropak is superior in every way. Lots of modularity.

[bagtagley]

Haven’t tried it for real yet, but I recently picked up an MSR Trailshot for this use case and it seems pretty nice. Small, light, pumps well enough with my tap water.

That's what I use and would recommend. I have several filters and the Trailshot is the one I landed on for ease of use, convenience, and maintenance.

I also have a Sawyer. It's is a good cheap option, but kind of a pain to fill and transfer compared to the MSR, PIA in shallow pools, and clogs more easily because no pre-filter. Also more potential for cross-contamination, which I never considered until I gave myself a parasite.

[mildbill.]

Haven’t tried it for real yet, but I recently picked up an MSR Trailshot for this use case and it seems pretty nice. Small, light, pumps well enough with my tap water.

+1 for the trailshot - lives in my alpine-ride pack. Specifically down in the camelbak sleeve. Break it out both in times of need, and just when I'm up high in a nice spot with some cold water rushing by.

Now for the "ask the experts" part of the post:
- A few weeks ago I went on a big alpine ride, took a couple of salami sandwiches, couple of pbjs, tub of gummy bears and 2x bananas. Finished the ride and unpacked the trash - "funny - I don't think I ate the second banana but it is nowhere to be found?"
- 2 weeks later, I pull the bladder to fill up for the next ride - "gee, why is this all slimy?"

Turns out, the banana had fallen into the bladder sleeve and decomposed, smearing itself all over and in every nook and cranny of the trailshot...

How do I clean this thing without damaging its water filtration capabilities?
a. Soak it in ... bleach solution?
b. dish soap?
c. just crazy hot water over and over again?
d. Mechanical cleaning with toothpicks / qtips?
e. Nuke from orbit and buy another?

[bagtagley]

On mine the filter is enclosed and can be removed. Can you pull the thing apart set the filter aside and clean the parts?