I’ll be starting on an insulin pump next month and am looking for some form of belt to wear underneath my jersey to hold it while maintaining a good level of comfort. Need for both road and mountain biking usually ride 25-40 miles at a time so room for some type of carb and phone would be nice also. So far I’ve looked at Spibelts and Amphipod belts. Was wondering if anyone had any recommendations on either or another alternative.
I usually clip my pump up on the side of my bib shorts (say, 6-8" under the armpit). Then, it is covered by my jersey. If I need to access it, it’s not a big deal to pull up the side of my jersey. Haven’t had any issues with it there.
I found that my bib was tight enough to hold the pump in place above my hip. Or I’ll keep it in the jersey pocket, but then part of the line is exposed to sunlight and my sugars would then get thrown off.
SPI belt
I was looking at those Spibelts last week perhaps to replace my current hip pack which I use to hold my MP3 player. Whatever works well & doesnt cost a ton is what I would look into. Would also help if it wasnt hideous to look at.
SPI belt, Amphipod, and FlipBelt all are good but differ. SPI belt and Amphipod have adjustable cinches to tighten how close they hold to your body, so they don't bounce. FlipBelt is sold in different waist sizes. FlipBelt and Amphipod have wide waistbands so they don't roll as much as the SPI belt does (manufacturer says it doesn't roll, but not true). SPI does have an "Endurance" model with a wider band, PLUS that model has loops for holding race bib, PLUS an extra elastic band for 6 gels on the outside and room for 8 on the insize. The normal SPI doesn't hold that much, maybe a cell phone and your pump and sunglasses if you don't mind possibly breaking the glasses. Amphipod looks orthopedic. Right now my experience is that the Amphipod bounces less and holds more, but I haven't tried teh SPI Endurance.
FlipBelt goes all the way round your waist, so it's easiest to adjust placement of load.
I've been T1 since 1942 and pumping since 1995. I have had 4 different pumps, and I have worn each of them clipped to the waist band of my bike shorts, with 100 mm tubing tucked inside the shorts. I have never felt the need to have a belt for the pump.