Elite Mia & Mia Thermo Water Bottles
by Robert Thorpe, Executive Editor
It seems a long time since cycling water bottles were metal. Likewise, since general bottles were glass, and as kids we would earn extra money by taking them back to shop. Yes, recycling was a thing carried out by us late 1960s and early 1970s kids. It’s quite refreshing to see then, world leading brands like Elite bringing back the ‘Full Metal Jacket’ cycling water bottle, with no plastic used in its construction. Following on from their Bio Green water bottles, this dynamic Italian brand are using their technical knowledge and expertise to help us older cycling kids to be greener.
Welcome then to the new Elite MIA and MIA Thermo water bottles. The new bottles come in 2 iterations; the smaller MIA bottle holds 650 ml of cold fluids in a stylish modern urban look and a variety of colours.
It’s strong, made from stainless steel, and personally reminds me of those strong steel flasks I’d use frequently on climbing trips back in the day, safe in the knowledge that if dropped, they wouldn’t leak or drip fluid – and neither does this super strong bottle from Elite. There’s no plastic at all, making these bottles as green as possible, as Elite utilise the excellent properties of stainless steel. Yes, the new MIA and MIA Thermo are totally plastic-free – including their cap – and are made in AISI 304 stainless steel. One of the greatest advantages when using steel is that it maintains the organoleptic features and liquid taste unaltered so your drinks are always safe and healthy. Steel is an inert material with great resistance from corrosion coming from the drinks it contains.
It’s perfect for filling with cool spring water on a summer ride, or in winter for carrying a refreshing juice or some fresh milk to add to the coffee in your accompanying MIA Thermal.
The 2 different but similar bottles go together like… well, like coffee and milk 😉 . On test it proved its worth superbly, and I’ve been using this for general mountain activities and cycling. Best of all, the simple screw top design, where the insulated lid fits into the top opening, works perfectly and seals things tight, meaning that it won’t leak if you decide to pop it into your mountain pack instead of a bottle cage.
Onto the Elite MIA Thermo bottle then; the slightly bigger relation to the MIA. The new MIA Thermo holds 550 ml of hot fluid in the double skin body, using vacuum technology to produce an insulated stainless steel design that works to keep hot fluids not for up to 12 hours, and cold fluids nicely chilled for up to 24 hours.
On tests here at home, the temperature of the fluid did stay hot for a number of hours, even when taken out into the cold high hills in a storm. Albeit made of stainless steel, Elite have taken safety seriously, and the bottle is constructed to control the conductive properties, having a thermal insulated sleeve designed into the bottle, making it safe and easy to handle – viola! Fluids also remained tasting fresh, without that horrible aftertaste that we often get with thermal drinks containers. And, from a green perspective, and let’s remember that there’s absolutely no plastic in these bottles, steel is one of the most recycled material globally. Thankfully too, this bottle is so well made that it’ll last you for many years.
Boiling water stayed boiling for the full day, and hot chocolate was a welcome treat on cold mountain bike rides out into the Yorkshire Dales National Park. Best of all for us here, having a personal phobia of flasked coffee and tea, using the MIA and MIA Thermo bottles together, they’re ideal for caring fresh milk in one and hot coffee in the other, catering also for that riding buddy who simply wants a coffee without milk. Personally I go for hot chocolate every time, and the MIA Thermo was superb, fitting easily into the Elite Cannibal XC mountain bike bottle cage on my Yeti Full suspension bike, and being easy to retrieve on stops.
Once again, like it’s partner the MIA bottle, the Thermo version comes in a sleek plastic free, stylish urban design in a variety of colour options, making it eco friendly. Testing something new like this is sometimes difficult, as you’re constantly looking for what the brand has set out to achieve. In this instance it’s been easy, and Elite have produced 2 great eco-friendly additions to their already superb range of hydration products. We’d happily give both the Elite MIA and MIA Thermo bottles a full 5 stars for the technical aspects, design and performance. I’ll definitely be enjoying a lot more hot chocolate out on a hike or bike this winter 😉 .