Subtle improvements to the standard bidon with Abloc’s Arrive S bottles

Written by Cory Benson Oct 28, 2015 7:45 p.m. ET

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At first glance the Abloc Arrive S bottle don’t look that different than any other bottle on the market. But their slightly altered shape vs. a traditional water bottle is designed to make them easier to use, especially in small frames and for those who carry a bottle in a jersey pocket. Add in the embedded anti-microbial tech in the bottle and cap and a high-flow, self-sealing silicone valve, and these look to be a great alternative bottle option, and a reasonable value. Find out more, including pricing after the break…

As the first product from the young San Francisco company, the Arrive S uses its tapered shape to make it easier to slide into bottle cages and jersey pockets. The taper especially helps cyclists get the bottle in ad out at steeper angles, as is often necessary on small and sloping geometry frames, and the bottle shape claims to be compatible with all standard cages.

The Arrive S claims a weight of only 65g for the small volume euro-sized 18.5oz/550ml bottle. Its shiny plastic cap comes in seven colors for the ever important bike and kit matching, and the body gets a clean face without logos so they will look new longer. The antimicrobial technology is actually a material characteristic, not a coating that will wear or wash off, and is in both the main body and the cap to resist growths and smells. Even then, the bottles are tested BPA-free and phthalates-free. Its silicone valve promises to be leak-free, and easily can be taken apart for hand or dishwasher cleaning.

Retail price is $12 in the US and 11€ in the EU. The bottles are available now for global delivery, with shipping in the US from $5 and in the EU from $10.

Abloc.com

Cory Benson

4,153 articles

Cory Benson is the EU Tech Editor of Bikerumor.com.

Cory has been writing about mountain bikes, enduro, cyclocross, all-road, gravel bikes & bikepacking for over 25 years, even before the industry created some of these names. Prior to Bikerumor, Cory was a practicing Architect specializing in environmental sustainability, has designed bike shops & bike components, and worked as a bike shop mechanic.

Based in the Czech Republic for 15+ years, he is a technical mountain biker, adventurous gravel rider, and short & medium-haul bikepacker. Cory travels extensively across Europe riding bikes, meeting with key European product developers, industry experts & tastemakers for an in-depth review of what’s new, and what’s coming next.

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Volsung

8 years ago

Too tiny. I sweat like (deleted) and need 24 oz bottles.

Matty

8 years ago

They look to be awfully close to slipping out the bottom of those cages…

kbr

8 years ago

@Matty – you’re absolutely correct. Loaded with water, rough road and cages with minimal support on the lower tab and you’ll go back to your old bottles next ride. I speak from experience having bought some bottles traveling in Asia with similar design, one ride was all it took to put them into the recycle bin.
As for small frames, search “side loader bottle cage” and you’ll get a much better solution than the one being offered here in addition to being able to carry more fluids. I race XC and use the Arundel Side Loader, never lost a bottle – NEVER.

Kevin

8 years ago

Just wait till you try to clean them and take the cap off….

ABLOC

8 years ago

Thanks for the feedback! In response to people’s concerns:

18.5oz is actually 2 gulps less than a 22oz, especially as our bottle allows more of the liquid at the end to come out, so it’s pretty much a wash. Regardless, we will have a larger version coming out in the spring.

We’ve tested hundreds of bottles with all different kinds of cages and have only 1 bottle come out, under extreme conditions, where a regular bottle had the same problem. We back our product 100% and offer a money back guarantee if you’re not happy for any reason. No one has a design that’s remotely close to ours (please show us,) and the taper and ease of entry/exit is worth the virtually non-existent risk.

Side-loader cages are great and our midsection design makes it even easier to slam in. If you don’t have one, we’ve got you covered too.

As for the cleanliness issue, our AntiMicrobial tech is leagues ahead of anyone else’s surface-level coating which will eventually wear or wash off. If you dump your bottles within a few days, you won’t have any issues and won’t need to clean them. If you’re terrible about hygiene, we have a modular 3-part design which is easily serviceable like any high-end component.

But above all, bottles have fundamentally been functional objects forever, and untouched by design. The chunky, engineering-driven cylindrical shape and scratched-up paint doesn’t belong on certain people’s bikes.

Our ethos is Beautiful Performance, which is award-winning design (Good Design, International Design Award) and high-performance. We appreciate everyone’s feedback and consideration, and hope to show everyone a new vision.

David

8 years ago

ABLOC, thanks for the update. I’d love to try one of the larger sizes when they come out. As one who often carries 3-4 bottles on long rides, every sip does count.

Wheel Fan

8 years ago

ABLOC: I think what Kevin was referring to was the narrow opening (and neck), making it much harder to clean the bottle..

Pit

8 years ago

I’ll try any bottle, they are fairly disposable if you ride a lot. For me the only concern with bottles is leakage. Worst in this department are Tacx. Best are specialized but they are inconsistent. Cameltoe podium is ok but gets gross in the tip way too fast. I have some Spec big mouth tops that are awesome and others leak. The purist is over-rated and sometimes those bottles taste like toxins. 500ml is the best size for bottles imo. Smaller could be ok especially in cooler weather, short rides, rides within range of cooler, hose or stashed bottles.

So bottom line for me, if this bottle has a great tip I will buy it.

Tom

8 years ago

@ABLOC please consider a one-liter bottle. I ride a lot with Zefal Magnum bottles for the extra capacity. Love the size, but the quality is so-so.

I would love to see a higher quality alternative, especially from a U.S. co.

Kevin

8 years ago

@Wheel Fan Yea that’s what I was referring to. Should have been clearer in my comment. Aesthetically I do like the bottles, but I found it very difficult to clean them because of the small opening. Soaking them for a bit works I guess.

Sat-Ganesha Khalsa

8 years ago

ditto, the Zefal Magnum size option

ABLOC

8 years ago

We appreciate everyone’s constructive feedback greatly. We’re not a hydration company, but we’ve learned an incredible amount over the past 2.5 years of development and testing.

Below are responses to some questions:

Cleaning- for the perceived difficulty due to the smaller opening, a toothbrush, bottle scrubber or soaking should work great. Most of our users have been dumping out the bottles in a few days at worst, so we don’t really encounter this situation. That said, we’ve come to the conclusion that no material or design can make something that contains liquids completely immune to bacteria, mold, odors, etc., over prolonged periods of time. If you find such a product, that’s foodsafe, please let us know!

@Kevin – If you have a minute, please email us at hello@abloc.com and let us know more details about what led to needing to the clean the interior already. We can’t locate your order, so we can’t contact you. We’re guessing you left a specific powdered drink (with protein) inside for a few days in a warm climate, as we’ve only been on the market for a month. We really want to continue improving our offerings for people like you.

Leaking and Nozzle Hygiene- we don’t have any leaking issues, as long as the cap is sufficiently closed. Our nozzle uses a modular construction, and can be removed easily from the cap. It can be thoroughly cleansed, if necessary. We view our bottle like any other serviceable part like a BB, so it can be disassembled and serviced.

Capacity- we’ll have a +24oz bottle in the spring. That said, each 18.5oz bottle lasts most seasoned riders about an hour, so 2 hours with 2 bottles before needing to stop. We’re working hard and look forward to getting the larger size out.

If anyone has any further perceived concerns, constructive feedback, thoughts, etc., feel free to email us at hello@abloc.com, so we can respond directly, or post here. Otherwise, get out for a ride today!

fap master flex

8 years ago

Two things.

8 years ago

Can they fit ice cubes that are not the small restaurant size? Like from my freezer?

matt m

8 years ago

i won one in a race. i had trouble getting ample water flow out of the nozzle compared to a camelbak. what am i doing wrong?

ABLOC

8 years ago

@JM- Smaller ice cubes fit, but otherwise, you would want to freeze the bottles when 3/4 full.

@Matt M – You’re not doing anything wrong, and we apologize for your experience. We should be close to Camelbak, but we actually dialed down our flow rate due to feedback during the prototype stages. Flow rate is very subjective, and dependant on drinking and riding style (some people sip throughout, others wait and need big volume at once.) Flow rate through a valve design is also connected to rebound speed, and our bottle should rebound quicker than Camelbak, so it’s ready for another squeeze.

Regardless, we’re currently increasing our flow rate for those seeking the absolute highest amount of liquids. We are rolling out the tweaked design as a running change, and appreciate your feedback.

NG - MTBiker

8 years ago

Would like to try one on my MTbike to see if can handle .. jump´s and big bumps….

Darryl

8 years ago

Too small and will rattle or fall out.
Way too small, If you are only going to carry that much you may as well just swig it before you ride.
Bottles need to not leak, why is this so hard nowadays, I havn’t found a single one that doesn’t leak sports drink on my frame.
Will this one come with a money back guarantee if it leaks?
Must hold secure in the cage, this looks like it will likely rattle or fall out.
It certainly doesn’t fit in the cage shown and will likely rattle.

smp

8 years ago

I have been using the Arrive S on Blackburn carbon cages, that are an open cage design, and aren’t particularly snug. I have had zero issues with the bottle’s bouncing out, and this is riding super hard packed, bumpy dirt on a gravel bike (no suspension). I can’t vouch for other cages, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how easily these bottles go in, and how well they stay, regardless of looking like they may be “small” for the cage.

As for flow rate, I like to take big gulps, and they work nicely for me. Quick rebound and fit nicely in the hand. Easier to use without taking eyes off the road than most other bottles.

Joe C

5 years ago

I purchased a small bottle to fit into a tight full suspension frame. The bottle fits loosely in the cage and it leaks through the threads of the cap when you drink. It was a total waste of money that will end up in my recycling, it can’t be used for drinking unless I want to wash the front of my shirt every time I take a drink.

fixingbrussels

4 years ago

Long time mini review here. I’ve been using the Abloc bottles for over three years now and I’ve still got mixed feelings about them.
I love how they look. In my opinion there is no better looking bottle on the market. They “taste” fairly neutral, but especially in warm weather (think Alps in summer, on the sunny mountain side) there is a slight plasticy taste noticeable. However, I also have a SPC Purist bottle and here I experience the same.
Cleaning it is easy enough. The black nozzle you can just pull out of the cap. Inside is a white membrane that pops out if needs cleaning. I destroyed one trying though, so I rather just pop them in the dish washer, works fine.
Biggest drawback though: I lost 2 bottles completely, one during a cyclocross training, another on a cobblestone ride. I’m using Tacx Deva cages now, but also dropped bottles with a King cage and Specialized cage. This issue could have something to do with the bottle, or maybe with the cages I used. I’m actually considering asking for a custom King cage to fit them properly.

At Abloc: consider a bigger opening for a better flow. My girlfriend refuses to use the bottle because she finds it hard to drink from. Also, especially in grimy weather, it’s nice if the nozzle is flush at the top so no dirt can enter the hole. With a Tacx, Elite or Specialized bottle, dirt can just be wiped off. Then last but not least: the nozzle is quite large in diameter, making it difficult to drink “from the side”.

That’s about it. I’m still quite pleased with them, despite their drawbacks. But I won’t be riding cobbles before I get some custom cages. They’re too expensive to lose.