Nau x Klean Kanteen

Over a year ago, I caught wind that Civia Cycles was coming out with a more affordable version of their Bryan belt-drive commuter bike. It was to be called the Kingfield and they removed some features like disc brakes and switched to a cheaper internal gear hub (IGH) to drop the price a few hundred dollars. I spoke to my local bike shop (LBS), Wheelhouse, and promised I’d have them build the bike as soon as it became available. Fast forward to a few months ago and I was able to piece together my dream bike. It has a sort of modern yet classy look and I was careful with each component and accessory, making sure they fit the theme. I often chose leather over nylon, brass over plastic.

At first, I decided to keep a water cage and bottle off the bike altogether. I wasn’t planning on taking long trips with it anyway and I couldn’t imagine any sort of bottle & cage setup that would be aesthetically pleasing. After looking at some commuter builds online and perusing the Velo Orange website, I saw some nice looking steel wire cages. I picked one up and installed it right away. I still had the issue of the bottle, though. Luckily, around this same time, Nau collaborated with Klean Kanteen on a water bottle and I was asked if I’d like to take a look. I really thought it was just a regular Klean Kanteen bottle with some Nau branding. I was about to pass but at the last minute, I saw what looked like wood on the cap. I asked if it was actually bamboo and I was told it was.  I had to see for myself.

The bottle is a beauty. It’s the same stainless steel bottle Klean bottle you are familiar with but some some fun refinements. Like I said, the screw lid utilizes sustainably harvested bamboo. Food-grade silicone lines the threads for a water-tight seal and in keeping with the no paint, no plastic, and no rubber mantra, the logo is laser-etched. I’ve been bringing the bottle to work on my commute and it holds enough water for multiple days (I have a very short ride). The one thing I didn’t like about the bottle is the strong smell from the factory when you first open it. It smells like a mix of plastic and metal. It’s not bad, per se, but I think like with any new bottle, it would benefit from a few thorough washes with warm and slightly soapy water.

The bottle holds 27 oz (that’s over 3 cups!) and fits in a standard bottle cage just fine. Luckily for me, I don’t have any of the rattling issues I’ve read so much about. As far as I am concerned, this bottle has a permanent place on my bike.