Portland-based Showers Pass — a company known for their jackets and pants that keep water off you while bicycling — has just jumped into the business of putting water into you. The company announced today what they are calling a “breakthrough cycling hyrdation concept” dubbed the “VelEau™ 42 Bicycle Mounted Hydration System.”
Here’s another shot of how it looks on a road bike:
According to Showers Pass president Ed Dalton, the VelEau promises to “change the way cyclists think about drinking fluids.”
The idea behind VelEau is that it’s less cumbersome than a backpack system and more convenient and safer than reaching for a frame-mounted water bottle. Here’s more from a company press release:
“The unique and innovative VelEau design fits securely under the saddle and employs two patent-pending retractable reels that allow the rider to safely and easily access a hydration tube and bite valve. The VelEau also solves the dangerous issue of reaching for a water bottle while riding, particularly when in a paceline or hammering in a racing peloton. The VelEau’s “Get the Pack Off Your Back” solution alleviates this concern.”
The VelEau’s unique shape allows it to hold 42 ounces of fluids, all in an under-the-saddle bag that also has room for a tool kit, snack, keys, and so on.
One of the two engineers that invented the product for Showers Pass, Frank Bretl, says, “Why carry a hot, sweaty and constricting hydration backpack when you can let the bike carry the water?”
The Showers Pass VelEau™ 42 is set to be on bike store shelves in July 2011 and will retail for $80. More info at VelEau.com.