BTA Hydration

Dave Legg

Any advice here on these type of hydration systems? I am looking at the Profile Design FC25 V2/25oz but have never used one of these types. I have two bottle cage holders behind the seat but thinking that the addition of more fluids on the bike will be a help in Ironman CDA. How stable are these types and the filling of them during the race. So anybody with an help would really appreciate it, thank you

DAVID RICHMOND

I have both the 35 and the 25 (in V1 for both). I used the 35 in IM AZ last year and it was perfect as it held the right amount of water between 2 Aid stations. The 25 would have been a little to small for for my setup (1 FC35 for water and 1 xlab aerobottle on the frame filled with gels (for the calories). I use the FC25 for sprints only. they are both stable and EZ to fill on the go. I assume V2 are even better (with bite valves and a more stable platformit seems). I don't use the front computer mount but tuck my garmin in the gel holder in the back of the FC35 (neatly hidden from the wind and in front of my face). Only "problem" was the trash zone in IM AZ were too shorts and came right at the end of the aid station, so I only had time to grab a water bottle and fillup the BTA before the end of  the trash zone

DAVID RICHMOND

the gel holder is crap for holding gels, will barely hold 2 gels and they will pop out of it at the first bump

Al Truscott

While I admit to having three bottle cages on my bike for an IM, bear in mind that you are never more than 30 minutes/10 miles from an aid station, and more fluids. I start the 112 miles with a down tube bottle filled with my preferred nutrition fluid (Infinit Go Far), replenished @ special needs. I have a bottle cage attached to the top of my stem where the stem cap goes, and put a 20 oz Speed Fil unit there for water, which I add as needed at aid stations. I take slugs of Gatorade within aid stations and throw the bottle away before leaving the designated area. The down tube cage is for emergencies only, like a day when its over 32C and I want a water bottle to pour on me prn. I see little value in lugging extra pounds of fluid around with me when I've paid $700 in part to have them cater me with good frequency.

Al Truscott

DAVID RICHMOND said:

the gel holder is crap for holding gels, will barely hold 2 gels and they will pop out of it at the first bump

I replaced my Bento Box on the top tube with a little gizmo which secures a 5-6 oz gel flask via the neck of the flask and velcro on its side. I use EFS gel, which is pretty fluid. (Not my bike here, but this is my set-up).
The stem cap cage mount I referenced above: search for King Cage Top Cap Cage Mount...$8, not including bottle cage, which attaches to it. Last week, I took a 4-5 hour ride with no water available the whole way, so I added the cage to my road bike:

Derrek Sanks

I use the Profile Design Aero HC sysetm.  Works great for me and easy to fill; no splashing around.   http://www.trisports.com/profile-design-aero-hc-system.html

Dave Tallo

I rest the bottle from hand up between the aerobar extensions, secured with a thick rubber band.   There is no lighter nor more versatile "system!"

Bill Manard

I like my XLab Torpedo (with the TriSports BTA computer mount).  Filling on the fly isn't a problem, and the splashing isn't bad as long as you don't overfill it.

Dave Legg

Thanks guys for you help and info here and will figure what I need after my big day tomorrow.

scott dinhofer

I go  with the xlab torpedo and one behind the saddle. 
my routine is chuck bottle from behind seat as entering aid station, grab new bottle of gatorade, rack it
grab H2O bottle, pour over head, self if peed and drink some in time to trash at end of trash section after aid station.. ride on.. 

I AM curious as to if anyone has experience with the Torhans  vs the Xlab torpedo. I find the xlab does leak a little from where the straw enters the bottle. 

Dave Legg

Scott, so what do you put in xlab torpedo and do you refill at anytime during the IM. Thank you for the routine info

scott dinhofer

Dave Legg said:

Scott, so what do you put in xlab torpedo and do you refill at anytime during the IM. Thank you for the routine info

Dave - i put whatever I am using in  the bottle. I go pure H2O when training and trying to cut weight, but during an IM my nutrition plan calls for 6-7 bottles of Gatorade endurance - 
per above I do the following
buy regular gatorade the night before if i have no endurance, fill the torpedo in the AM with the gatorade. START the race with ONLY that. 
will start hydrating as soon as i am clear of town in LP and can ride safely while drinking. 
Here's the process - 
pull into aid station, grab Gatorade - rack it, grab water, hose self with water, some over head dump water.
while on road, refill torpedo in safe spot. If need be, i can have gatorade bottle upside down in the torpedo opening with my chin supporting it if I need 2 hands on bars for shifting. Rack empty bottle. 
next aid station, dump bottle, repeat above. 

I also have a hard sided Bento on my bike, previously I had my spare tube & CO2 in it, found it difficult to get gels/clif bars on bike, and thus never got all of my planned nutrition in. That said, I never bonked. This year I've moved the repair kit to the xlab mount in the back and freed up the bento where I plan to have 5 gels & 5 halves of a clif bar in there to start this year. 

Brian Terwilliger

I have a few different set ups.  On my Felt B14 I have the Profile Design FC35 between the bars and a Speedfil on the downtube.  I really like it.  Two straws and can run two different fuel mixes if I desire.  Never have to come out of aero to grab a bottle.  Never have to worry about any bottles getting tossed from a behind the seat holder.  Aero wise, the Speedfil isn't the best.  I've gotten flack from others making snide comments that such a system is "really heavy".  But is it?  Its 75 ounces of liquid.  About the same as someone with a BTA and two bottles behind the saddle.  BUT, the Speedfil system is lighter than the weight of the behind the seat system and the weight of the bottles.  So its actually lighter than the systems people are using while making fun of my "heavy" system.

The Cervelo P5, the FC35 does not work with the aero bars.  At least for me it doesn't.  So I have the XLab Torpedo Versa and the XLab 2 bottle behind the seat holder.  Undecided on adding the Speedfil. 

Larry Peters

Thanks a lot everyone!

Thanks @Scott Dinhofer for the on the bike refill play-by-play! That was helpful to me, since I've never done it.

@Dave Tallo when you say you rest the bottle "from hand up" what do you mean? Do you mean the bottle that they hand you at the aid station? So your bottle is being held in place by rubber bands? I actually kinda like that idea, but I would need to test it to make sure the bottle doesn't fall out and the rubber bands don't break. Are your aero bars close enough together that they are holding the bottle up (i.e., is the rubber band only their for stability)? My aero bars are currently (just barely) far enough apart that a bottle would fall through them without a holder.

Thanks!

Dave Tallo

@Larry Peters , yes I mean resting the bottle horizontally between my aero extensions.  They pretty much just rest on the extensions themselves (they are pretty close together), and I can hold the bottle in place with an elastic to avoid it hopping out when I hit a bump.   I really like it for its simplicity, and big, thick elastics (like, 1" wide) can be found at any office max or business depot.  

Larry Peters

Cool, thanks @Dave Tallo ! I definitely want to try this! I'll have to bring my aero bars a tiny bit closer together, but that should work. It will be way lighter than this X-lab platform that holds my bottle in place. Do you have a bottle with a straw that you can drink out of and refill on the fly, or do you just use a regular bottle?

Dave Tallo

I just use a regular bottle, throw it away as I roll up to each Aid Station, and replace.