I’d been resistant to make the transition from my usual bike/sports plastic water bottle to the popular stainless steel containers. Part of me had been holding onto the old school look of a good ol’ plastic bike bottle – one that had seen racing and training, been through snow and rain, mud and sun. It displayed these battle scars with pride; in most cases the prints were so warn off you couldn’t tell if this was from a bike shop in Moab or triathlon swag from Maui. When it was brought into a more ‘normal society’ (i.e. work, the gym) it was met with stares that indicated hygiene prejudices and perhaps even some avoidance of using the same water receptacle as my poor old bottles.
We’ve all been made aware that BPA could be a risk to our health; BPA which stands for stands for Bisphenol A. It is a chemical used in the production of plastics and resins, such as some water bottles and the coatings of some food cans. While the FDA’s research has never shown any evidence of human risk associated with low levels of BPA it doesn’t exactly scream safe either. When you consider how many hundred swigs you might take out of a water bottle per week coupled with the leached-in plasticky aftertaste it makes you wonder.
I took my first swig out of a Nathan stainless steel bottle about 2 months ago and was amazed at the lack of “flavor” it contained. It was water – and it tasted clean and simple. Because it was contained in metal it also stayed cold longer. After doing some research I found out it was 100% recyclable, made from food-grade stainless steel and (of course) 100% BPA free. It also came in various diverse graphics and colors.
I’m finally convinced there is a better way to store water on the go. I’ll keep my old dirty water bottles for the bike but for anything else I am going with this. Water tasting like water from a bottle – imagine that?!
Nathan stainless steel water bottles can be found here and at your local Running Free store.
