ChrisVT
friend
Reged: 01/08/04
Posts: 38
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In the tri geometry thread there was a group bash-fest of the curiously controversial bento box. Rather than post my defense of the beloved bento in the depths of the thread, I thought I'd start anew and allow the wrath of the roadie world to be heaped upon my head with appropriate focus.
For those who are not familiar with the bento, it is a small nylon and mesh "box" that sits on the top tube and attaches via velcro straps to the top tube and just below the stem. It's used mostly by triathletes to hold food.
I like the bento. Yes, you can carry food in your bike jersey pockets, but have any of you seen the pockets on most tri jersey's? Until recently, they were pretty teeny. Maybe good for a gel or two, but that won't get you far in a long course event where the bike leg may take between 4 and 10 hours. Also, when you get out of the water your jersey is very wet, and trying to stuff food, gels, e-tabs etc. into your back pockets is not so easy, particularly when precious transition seconds are ticking away.
Once on the bike, the bento allows me convenience and comfort that a back pocket cannot rival. With back pocket storage, I have to remember where I put which fuel item, then hyperextend my shoulder reaching back to find it while trying to hold my aero position. The bento lets me see what I'm looking for and grab it. For larger items, like the peanut butter sandwich that gets me through hours 1-2, I can cut it up into little pieces, put it in a sandwich bag, place it in the bento, and then graze as I please, all the while staying pretty close to aero. Nice.
Does the bento box enhance the look of my bike? No. It looks slow and ugly. Does it help me finish sooner? I think so. Does it save energy, both physical and mental. Again, I think yes.
So, there you have it. My name is Chris, and I ride with a bento box.
Post script: I also swim in jammers and run with a fuel belt.
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skuke
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 323
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Quote:
ChrisVT wrote:
My name is Chris, and I ride with a bento box.
Sounds like you're familiar with 12 step programs :-)
Chris, you obviously have valid reasons for riding with a BB. To each his own. Just know that if I see you on the road, I'll be thinking "what a dork!" :-) But you shouldn't care in the slightest what I think of you. That you're happy and secure riding with a BB is all that's important.
Peace, and enjoy your miles (Bento Box and all). :-) :-)
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Skuke
95 Carbonframes Tetra Pro
92 Bridgestone MB-1
90 Moser 51.151
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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Skuke, what do you know? You only ride old bikes and Bento Boxes are for folks on 'cool' bikes!  My wife and I use Bento Boxes on our longer rides. They're perfect for 3 packs of large Fig Newtons and a container of Hammer Gel. We don't have to go digging around in our jerseys or butt bags for a quick munch.
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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skuke
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 323
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Quote:
Dave_Thompson wrote:
Skuke, what do you know? You only ride old bikes and Bento Boxes are for folks on 'cool' bikes!
Actually, I too have a 'cool' bike (two of 'em) but unfortunately, I don't get to ride them much anymore. I've ridden about 200 miles so far this year. :-(
I guess not riding a old bike is better than not riding an new bike :-)
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Skuke
95 Carbonframes Tetra Pro
92 Bridgestone MB-1
90 Moser 51.151
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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.........so little riding time? 
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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BikerDoug
friend
Reged: 12/29/03
Posts: 88
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My condolences on the loss of riding time.
I'm going through something similar this spring with only 500 or so miles behind me.
As far a the bento boxes... who cares what you put on your bike as long as it makes you ride more (or at least want to... kids and career sometimes come first)
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skuke
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 323
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Quote:
Dave_Thompson wrote:
.........so little riding time?
Nursing school.
And as Madonna del Ghisallo would have it, most of the weekends when I had a little time to spare, it rained hard.
Most of the ~200 miles came in the two centuries (metric) I did: Tierra Bella and Grizzly Peak centuries. TB was a spontaneous sorta ride (friend had registered and couldn't go) and the rest of the miles (aside from GPC) was my "training" rides for GPC. I am surprised that with my lack of preparation I didn't just fall over at mile 18 into a pathetic pile of lycra begging for a SAG wagon.
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Skuke
95 Carbonframes Tetra Pro
92 Bridgestone MB-1
90 Moser 51.151
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skuke
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 323
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Quote:
BikerDoug wrote:
My condolences on the loss of riding time.
I'm going through something similar this spring with only 500 or so miles behind me.
As far a the bento boxes... who cares what you put on your bike as long as it makes you ride more (or at least want to... kids and career sometimes come first)
Thank you.
Sometime you gotta do, what you gotta do.
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Skuke
95 Carbonframes Tetra Pro
92 Bridgestone MB-1
90 Moser 51.151
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superunleaded
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 223
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Quote:
Sometime you gotta do, what you gotta do.
Soooooo true.
I'm with you on this one.
Can't ride that much anymore but I have to get my fix almost every weekend. So for the love of biking, I switched to just messing around with my bikes. I play with them like lego pieces except for the Calfee and the Spectrum. Everything else are like lego toys and I just picked up a nice VItus 979 that is barely used by previous owner. And then there's this Miyata 712 that was really dirty but when I was done messing around with it, It came out nice and clean. Barely a scratch on it and it rides smooth.
Skuke, you might want to give it a try. Just get your hands dirty with bike grease and you still get the satisfaction of being around bikes. Its just that the lungs won't get that much exercise.
And yeah, most of my saddle time is commuting to work which is only 10 miles. Short I know but there are times when I play hookie and leave work a little early and just do a 40 miler.
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***Regular Unleaded - 4.99
***Special Unleaded - 7.99
***Superunleaded - Arm & a Leg
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superunleaded
captain
Reged: 12/22/03
Posts: 223
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top left on your screen.
more Bento Boxes.
http://www.all3sports.com/index.php?manufacturers_id=73&jsenabled=1&osCsid=3788710cde4041d4bc52fa4d8e7ef6f4
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ChrisVT
friend
Reged: 01/08/04
Posts: 38
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I don't need a bento box to look like a dork. :-)
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Dave_Thompson
prophet
Reged: 12/19/03
Posts: 717
Loc: Spokane, Washington
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Quote:
ChrisVT wrote:
I don't need a bento box to look like a dork. :-)
I don't either, but every little bit helps, eh?
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Steel lover, but then I like Ti with carbon too.
Licensed bike geek.
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Insightdriver
captain
Reged: 03/07/04
Posts: 472
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I want a Bento box. When I want to go on a long ride it's a great way to stash enough food to get me back home. It's perfect when I want to carry a stash of food with me.
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