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2006-11-22 7:16 AM

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Champion
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Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: Bike Hydration Systems...
(I also posted this over at SlowTwitch, so please excuse any redundancies)

I have been going round and round for a while as to how I want to set up my bike's water bottle carriers. I am a big believer of "bring only what they don't have at the aid stations" school of thought. My bike doesn't resemble a rolling buffet, I'll start with 2 bottles, my GU Flsak and if needed a Bento Box with some snacks, but that's it. I'll toss the bottles when empty and grab new ones fromt the stations. I know that there is a slight mechanical advantage to having a behind the seat set up and their is a convenience factor for the between the bars set up as opposed to the two on the frame I run right now.
I was thinking of changing to the behind the seat system like HydroTail but I just can't seem to convince myself it's worth while. For one, I often see bottles get launched out of these racks like depth charges behind a Destroyer. Also, I usually pack a spare tubular and CO2 back their on race day and wouldn't want to commit one of the holders to that. In regards to the between the bar AeroDrink systems, between the awckward set up and constant splashing, that also seems like a lot of fussing. I even considered expensive frame cages but the problem with them is that they don't have a lot of flexibility to hold both standard bike bottles or the thinner Gatorade Endurance or water bottles handed out at aid stations. The cheap frames seem to hold the best.
I do race as a competetive age grouper, so I need to be fast and efficient as much as possible and was curious to hear thoughts on these different set up and their pro's and con's.




2006-11-22 8:20 AM
in reply to: #606039

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Elite
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New City, New York
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
Awkward set-up for Aerobottle? Straw makes for easy drinking and they are simple to refill on the fly. Splashing is not an issue if you use one of these shower poofs:

Edited by rollinbones 2006-11-22 8:26 AM




(poof.jpg)



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2006-11-22 8:26 AM
in reply to: #606039

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Champion
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Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
What I meant by that was having to re-fill it during long course races. I've actrually passed riders who were unscreweing bottle tops and trying to pour into the bottle while riding. They seemed very distracted, that all.
2006-11-22 8:28 AM
in reply to: #606106

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Elite
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New City, New York
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
Don't understand the cap thing. never saw it sold w/ one. again the poof, just pour the water right thru it. works like a charm

Edited by rollinbones 2006-11-22 8:29 AM
2006-11-22 8:35 AM
in reply to: #606039

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Champion
9600
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Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
Sorry, I meant the cap of the water/Gatorade bottle you are handed at the aid station. Again, I only take enough hydration to get me to the first aid station, so I would be needing to re-fill the AeroDrink on the fly so to speak. When you are handed a bottle, it has a cap on, which you need to unscrew and then pour into the vottle while racing. I have seen people having to slow way down to complete that task while I just slam the darn thing into the rack and keep on trucking.
2006-11-22 8:56 AM
in reply to: #606115

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Elite
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New City, New York
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
ah ha. see I was spoiled at Timberman, they took the caps of and even poked holes in the safety cover. Hence I'll return


2006-11-22 10:40 AM
in reply to: #606115

Veteran
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Madison, Alabama
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
bryancd - 2006-11-22 8:35 AM

Sorry, I meant the cap of the water/Gatorade bottle you are handed at the aid station. Again, I only take enough hydration to get me to the first aid station, so I would be needing to re-fill the AeroDrink on the fly so to speak. When you are handed a bottle, it has a cap on, which you need to unscrew and then pour into the vottle while racing. I have seen people having to slow way down to complete that task while I just slam the darn thing into the rack and keep on trucking.


If the bottles are still capped, wouldn't you have to unscrew them as well to drink, regardless of which system you would use? Maybe I am missing something?

Kevin
2006-11-22 10:55 AM
in reply to: #606039

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Champion
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Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
Gatorade Endurance bottles have the twist cap that remains on, so you can drink by just turning it with your mouth. Water bottles, as they are upright on the frame, I just leave the caps off.
2006-11-22 11:07 AM
in reply to: #606039

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Pro
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Melbourne FL
Gold member
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...

Bottles at races I've done with them were either opened or had the pull top.  The aerobar bottles are nice, recently started using one in Sept on the new bike.  Mine (Jetstream NXT) came with the splash foam thingamajig and holds ~28 oz.

I recently read somewhere about a new water bottle cage that has a flex hinge type configuration that holds different size bottles fairly well.  Maybe it was performance or nashbar email ad, not sure now.

Also there is an aero advantage to keeping a bottle on the down tube, so they say!



Edited by DRM 2006-11-22 11:08 AM
2006-11-22 1:07 PM
in reply to: #606347

Veteran
662
5001002525
Madison, Alabama
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
bryancd - 2006-11-22 10:55 AM

Gatorade Endurance bottles have the twist cap that remains on, so you can drink by just turning it with your mouth. Water bottles, as they are upright on the frame, I just leave the caps off.


Yeah, I get that, but if you leave the caps off of the water bottles upright in your cages, how did you get them off? For the twist type caps, couldn't you just squeeze that into the aerobottle?

Kevin

2006-11-22 1:18 PM
in reply to: #606546

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Champion
9600
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Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
Kevin_MS - 2006-11-22 1:07 PM

bryancd - 2006-11-22 10:55 AM

Gatorade Endurance bottles have the twist cap that remains on, so you can drink by just turning it with your mouth. Water bottles, as they are upright on the frame, I just leave the caps off.


Yeah, I get that, but if you leave the caps off of the water bottles upright in your cages, how did you get them off? For the twist type caps, couldn't you just squeeze that into the aerobottle?

Kevin



Oh, sure, it's 6 of one half dozen of another in regards to the cap. I suppose I'm more thinking of it like this: You are handed a bottle by an aid station worker, as you pedal away, you take off the cap and pour the contents into the front mounted aero conatiner, and now toss the empty hopefully within the designated drop area. I guess it still seems like a lot of extra effort for not as much benefit, but hey, Norman Stadler likes 'em!


2006-11-22 1:24 PM
in reply to: #606039

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Master
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Frisco, Texas
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
I use the Podium Quest aero bottle system.  It has two reservoirs.  In one I put Perpeteum and in the other I put water with Nuun tablets added.  I also carry one water bottle on the down tube.  I use a Bento box for carrying Gu and/or Cliff bars.  This setup will get me through the bike leg of a 70.3 race.  No stopping at aid stations (or even slowing down).  For IMFL I used the same setup but picked up two additional water bottles on the fly.  The Podium Quest bottle has a different cap to the reservoirs than the Profile bottle.  I don't have any trouble with splashing or filling the bottle or with bottle ejections or poofy thing ejection (how many of those have you seen on the road?).  I'm definitely sold on the Podium Quest bottle.
2006-11-22 1:28 PM
in reply to: #606572

Veteran
662
5001002525
Madison, Alabama
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
bryancd - 2006-11-22 1:18 PM

Kevin_MS - 2006-11-22 1:07 PM

bryancd - 2006-11-22 10:55 AM

Gatorade Endurance bottles have the twist cap that remains on, so you can drink by just turning it with your mouth. Water bottles, as they are upright on the frame, I just leave the caps off.


Yeah, I get that, but if you leave the caps off of the water bottles upright in your cages, how did you get them off? For the twist type caps, couldn't you just squeeze that into the aerobottle?

Kevin



Oh, sure, it's 6 of one half dozen of another in regards to the cap. I suppose I'm more thinking of it like this: You are handed a bottle by an aid station worker, as you pedal away, you take off the cap and pour the contents into the front mounted aero conatiner, and now toss the empty hopefully within the designated drop area. I guess it still seems like a lot of extra effort for not as much benefit, but hey, Norman Stadler likes 'em!


Yeah, I agree that it is 6 of one, half a dozen of another. Don't take my questioning you as a "dig" on you. Just trying to understand. I dont ride with anything but what's on my seat tube and down tube...one race last year was my "1st" real season.

Kevin
2006-11-22 1:37 PM
in reply to: #606039

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Champion
7704
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Williamston, Michigan
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
I use the podium quest too.  I love it.  Yes you have to re-fill it but if you have to unscrew a top every time you take a drink wouldn't it be better to do it once and throw the bottle off?  And if you leave the top off talk about splashing.  For me its infinately easier to refill the podium quest than to have to fumble with a drink bottle everytime I want to sip from it. 
2006-11-22 9:14 PM
in reply to: #606580

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Champion
9600
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Fountain Hills, AZ
Subject: RE: Bike Hydration Systems...
Kevin_MS - 2006-11-22 1:28 PM

bryancd - 2006-11-22 1:18 PM

Kevin_MS - 2006-11-22 1:07 PM

bryancd - 2006-11-22 10:55 AM

Gatorade Endurance bottles have the twist cap that remains on, so you can drink by just turning it with your mouth. Water bottles, as they are upright on the frame, I just leave the caps off.


Yeah, I get that, but if you leave the caps off of the water bottles upright in your cages, how did you get them off? For the twist type caps, couldn't you just squeeze that into the aerobottle?

Kevin




Oh, sure, it's 6 of one half dozen of another in regards to the cap. I suppose I'm more thinking of it like this: You are handed a bottle by an aid station worker, as you pedal away, you take off the cap and pour the contents into the front mounted aero conatiner, and now toss the empty hopefully within the designated drop area. I guess it still seems like a lot of extra effort for not as much benefit, but hey, Norman Stadler likes 'em!


Yeah, I agree that it is 6 of one, half a dozen of another. Don't take my questioning you as a "dig" on you. Just trying to understand. I dont ride with anything but what's on my seat tube and down tube...one race last year was my "1st" real season.

Kevin


Oh, no sorry Kevin, I didn't take it like that at all.
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