Throwaway bottles

Peter Noyes

For those that use on course nutrition such as perform, I am assuming that you start the race with your own bottles with perform that you brought yourself, and then at some point you discard those bottles and pick up course provided bottles. First of all, is this correct? Second, if so, where do people get really cheap bottles that they toss. The bottles I have all tend to be around 10$ each and I would rather not lose.

Carlo_Tangonan

Everytime I stop by my local bike shop, I make it a point I pickup a free water bottle or two. 

richmiani

@Peter - I use the 24oz Gatorade sport bottles to put my perform mix into, they fit snugly in my bottle cages and have never launched (yet) :-)

 

John Bayone

Others suggested what I did. So I started with perform in speedfil A2, one empty cage on seat tube, and a 20 something oz. bottle of poland spring water with the sport top that I had put perform mix into.....that way by the first aid station, used it to top off the speedfil, then ya have two empty cages to get whatever you want. Perform to drink, water to dump on self...etc.

That way you are not throwing away a bike bottle that you really bought. since that poland spring bottle is shaped a little funny, I had a rubber band around the top of it just to help hold it in and by 1st aid station it was gone anyways.

Al Truscott

Yes, free bottles abound, especially at race expos.

Consider this: if you intend to use the course provided Perform, why start with any more weight than you actually need. The first aid station is usually 30-45 minutes into the bike course. Its probably not a good idea to drink much during the first 15-20 minutes any way. So why not start out with just 10-12 ozs of water or gatorade or perform or whatever, then load up when you get to the buffet. But again, don't take more than you'll need until the next aid station, which is usually only one bottle.

It should be possible to do an IM with just a down tube bottle cage for Perform, which you pick up at the aid station. Grab a water bottle in the aid station, drink it as you cruise thru, pour it over you, then toss it as you leave. Why burden yourself with bottles behind the seat (which are hard to get to, and can fly into other riders' wheels when you bounce) or between the aerobars (which can drip onto your legs and hands and computer).

That's the biggest difference between a race rehearsal and race day: on race day, we don't need to be carrying three bottles of stuff with us.

Nate Parady

At the beginning of the last two seasons i have bought a few Gatorade ready to drink bottles. They are easy to clean and work well enough. I then throw them out at the end of the season and start over the next season or at the beginning of the OS. I will use these at the start of my race and at the first aid station I throw them out...

Because I'm a dork, I say something like, "well, it's been nice knowing you." As I throw them.

Eric Rueppel

This was a very interesting thread. This will be my first go at on course nutrition. I like the idea of using the gatorade bottle-cheap in-expensive and no heart ache at tossing it away.

Robert Sabo

This seems like a silly converstion when we spend thousands on a race. Having said that, at IMLP I filled my A2 between aerobars with perform and had a small water bottle partially filled with perfom in my only frame cage. I used the oldest water bottle I had. In a similar vein, at Imlp I saw a number of riders with 5 full botltes of fluids heading out of town.

Racing Yoda

I've just used a sports top water bottle. Put my 2 scoops in and go. That way I have zero qualms about dumping it at an aid station.

Peter Noyes

I like the advice of only starting with 1 bottle and then picking up 2 at the first aid station. I think that is what I will try for my first race.

Nemo Brauch

Posted By Al Truscott on 26 Aug 2013 06:42 PM

Yes, free bottles abound, especially at race expos.

Consider this: if you intend to use the course provided Perform, why start with any more weight than you actually need. The first aid station is usually 30-45 minutes into the bike course. Its probably not a good idea to drink much during the first 15-20 minutes any way. So why not start out with just 10-12 ozs of water or gatorade or perform or whatever, then load up when you get to the buffet. But again, don't take more than you'll need until the next aid station, which is usually only one bottle.

It should be possible to do an IM with just a down tube bottle cage for Perform, which you pick up at the aid station. Grab a water bottle in the aid station, drink it as you cruise thru, pour it over you, then toss it as you leave. Why burden yourself with bottles behind the seat (which are hard to get to, and can fly into other riders' wheels when you bounce) or between the aerobars (which can drip onto your legs and hands and computer).

That's the biggest difference between a race rehearsal and race day: on race day, we don't need to be carrying three bottles of stuff with us.

One word of caution with this approach (my own lesson learned at IMMT last week).  Review the course and find out where the potential "bottle launch" spots are.  Then either plan to keep 2 bottles with you as you pass through those spots or make sure you hang onto that bottle for dear life!   Otherwise you'll end up riding potentially a very long way with no hydration/nutrition.  I've discovered that my normal "training" bottles stick to my bike quite nicely and I can go over some pretty nasty stuff without launching one.  But those Perform bottles are smaller and flimsy and thus are much more easily shaken out of the cage.

Eric Rueppel

Good point Nemo. Those bottles are flimsy. Starting with a throw away on the down tube and a bottle in the aero seems safer.

Dino Sarti

When you add up the costs associated with an Ironman, $10 bottles seem like a drop in the bucket. Execute a great race and don't think twice about tossing a couple bottles....

MattAaronson

I use the same kind of bottles that they use for the water they hand out. My routine when arriving at a race is to find the nearest Target or Walmart or equivalent and buy a 12-pack of bottled water in theose "sport bottles" which I dring over the course of the weekend. I save one or two of those to pre-load my bike in the race. I do agree with Al that it is pointless to pre-load with any more than you need.

Dave Tallo

I still rail against the overall cost of doing an IM, because it's all just so ... excessive. I agree with the point that it's a drop in the bucket to throw away $20, but it's the bucket that's problematic. I'm with you on the bottle front - like others, my 'toss' bottles are the gatorade sport bottles retained from drinking an electrolyte G2 the day before the race.

In the longer run, though, I've made it a rule to leave every race with more good quality Bike Bottles handed up from the last aid stations than I came with!

William Jenks

I find the "gatorade" (fill in your favorite brand here) sport bottles stay in my down tube cage fine. I have less luck than some others have suggested with the cheap water bottle bottles. That was the primary reason I got an A2 in the first place...too many races were using cheap water bottles that aren't fat enough to stay in a cage and collapse when you squeeze them. Anyway, assuming the normal 2-bottle solution, the A2 and a gatorade/G2/whatever bottle on the downtube does save a bike bottle for the collection.

Nate Parady

I agree about the excessive cost of doing an IM.  Especially now that I've done a few.  Probably one of the reasons I'm doing a local 140.6 this year. 

I can see Dave coming up to the last aid station on the bike only to grab 4-5 bottles, filling every holder on his bike, a few down the jersey, big smile on his face.  Stick'in it to the WTC man...

I spent $$$ on this race but at least I got a few free bottles out of it. 

Dave Tallo

Posted By Nate Parady on 29 Aug 2013 10:37 AM

I agree about the excessive cost of doing an IM.  Especially now that I've done a few.  Probably one of the reasons I'm doing a local 140.6 this year. 

I can see Dave coming up to the last aid station on the bike only to grab 4-5 bottles, filling every holder on his bike, a few down the jersey, big smile on his face.  Stick'in it to the WTC man...

I spent $$$ on this race but at least I got a few free bottles out of it. 

You're damn right!  And you should see me at the aid station at mile 25.5 on the run ... garbage bag in hand grabbing every gel, bananna, bagel and Bonk Bar I can fit in.  Like a greedy kid on Halloween trick or treating at the rich folks' houses!   

Robert Sabo

Dave - Is that why people wear costumes to races?

rlh2000

When I did Muncie in 2012 and they shortened it due to the heat, I still wanted to get my money's worth. I had my pockets stuffed and crossed the line with several gu's in each hand. Made me feel a little better. :-)

Peter Wick

I'd love to do it with a minimum of bottles but I need my own nutrition. Bummer. At least I have something that works for me.