Hydration Set up for Bike
Capt_Apollo
Posts: 9,026 Member
Hey all, is there anything more nerve wracking than trying to figure out what kind of hydration set-up you'd like on your bike? I mean, other than the actual swim start...
A little background, i've recently bought my first tri bike, a 2014 Cervelo P2. Love it and I will upload pictures shortly. for the 2016 season i'm doing only two olympic distance tris... possibly only one. I might not do another 70.3 until 2018 either, so no need to really load up the bike with lots of gear to carry hydration i might not need on the course. I mean, whats the point of buying a lightweight aero bike and getting fitted if you're going to undo all of that with tons of waterbottles?
I have the Profile Design FC35 bottle between the arms, and the aero RZ2 bottle on the downtube. For hydration, it's probably enough for an olympic, and while i don't need to add more, i would like to place one bottle behind my saddle, since it's nice to have a back up (i know, i'm contradicting my earlier statement).
I would like to place one bottle behind my saddle for another reason other than a spare water bottle: it would give me a space to put my spare tire kit. I figure that i could get a set up that i can put a spare tube and CO2 cartridges on it. maybe even just the co2 and i can put the levers and the spare in the bento box, seeing as i can use the FC35's built in bento box as my regular nutrition holder.
I know i'm kinda rambling, and a lot of it is thinking out loud. I'd love to hear and see what you've done to be able to ride comfortably and aerodynamically but still meeting your hydration, nutrition, and mechanical needs.
A little background, i've recently bought my first tri bike, a 2014 Cervelo P2. Love it and I will upload pictures shortly. for the 2016 season i'm doing only two olympic distance tris... possibly only one. I might not do another 70.3 until 2018 either, so no need to really load up the bike with lots of gear to carry hydration i might not need on the course. I mean, whats the point of buying a lightweight aero bike and getting fitted if you're going to undo all of that with tons of waterbottles?
I have the Profile Design FC35 bottle between the arms, and the aero RZ2 bottle on the downtube. For hydration, it's probably enough for an olympic, and while i don't need to add more, i would like to place one bottle behind my saddle, since it's nice to have a back up (i know, i'm contradicting my earlier statement).
I would like to place one bottle behind my saddle for another reason other than a spare water bottle: it would give me a space to put my spare tire kit. I figure that i could get a set up that i can put a spare tube and CO2 cartridges on it. maybe even just the co2 and i can put the levers and the spare in the bento box, seeing as i can use the FC35's built in bento box as my regular nutrition holder.
I know i'm kinda rambling, and a lot of it is thinking out loud. I'd love to hear and see what you've done to be able to ride comfortably and aerodynamically but still meeting your hydration, nutrition, and mechanical needs.
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You are way over-thinking your needs for Oly distance racing. One bottle should be plenty. I have an FC25 and it works well. My bike has cages on the downtube and seat tube. For Oly racing I not only don't carry bottles in them, I take those cages completely off. Saves a few grams of drag. The FC is actually more aero than having nothing between the hands, so I use that as my only hydration. As for nutrition, again no real need to go nuts here for an Oly. One gel. Maybe. You can keep it in that little holder behind your FC but I personally find it is more likely to act as a gel ejector than a gel holder.
For Olys I don't bother with a gel on the bike. I keep one in T2 though and suck it down on my way out.
Do you have a little saddle bag to carry your repair kit? That really should be all you need.0 -
Check the race info... if they have bottles at aid stations, it should be pretty easy to refill your FC35. I have a similar bottle and it works well to refill it as needed, rather than carrying a ton of fluid with you from the start. That is, assuming you like whatever they are providing at aid stations.
I've never run a bottle on my downtube. I have run a single and 2 bottle behind my saddle. I'm currently running a single bottle xlab setup that I really like. I got an add-on attachment for it so I can easily carry a tube and CO2s. It's kind of a no-brainer for me, and I'd definitely recommend it.0 -
Also, for an oly distance, 2 bottles should be fine, especially if there is stuff at the aid stations in case of emergency.
You can also get soemthing like this for tools and/or a couple of gels -
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this is my current set up
i know that i have a small bento box, but i might upgrade it to a larger one to accommodate my repair needs.
but i was thinking of getting something like this for the saddle, as i refuse to put a saddle bag for under the seat. totally not streamlined and they always end up dangling and looking like a pair of old man testicles.
i haven't done any olympic triathlons that have any kind of bottle/aid stations on the bike course.
also, i'm a big guy, 6'3" and 205 lbs (if i'm lucky), so i sweat a lot and need a little more nutrition than the average person. i've found that during an oly course, i like to have a gel early on the bike course and then another before T2.0 -
so i tried to shove a tube and levers in my bento box and was moderately successful. so maybe i can find something like this to run on my downtube along with my bottle and i'll be okay...
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There are saddle bags that are much more aero than what you pictured, but if having the extra bottle is important to you that will work.
Also on that FC35, take the bottle itself off, and mount the bracket "upside down" under your bars, then reinstall the bottle. It will sit lower between your bars and stick up into the wind less. You want it between your arms, but not sticking up above them.0 -
As for an aero bento setup - this works really well and can hold a LOT of calories:
http://darkspeedworks.com/sp480.htm
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There are saddle bags that are much more aero than what you pictured, but if having the extra bottle is important to you that will work.
Also on that FC35, take the bottle itself off, and mount the bracket "upside down" under your bars, then reinstall the bottle. It will sit lower between your bars and stick up into the wind less. You want it between your arms, but not sticking up above them.
i'll give that a shot with the FC35... but i'm pretty tall and don't ride in a super tucked in areo position like others do. i already have to move my head down a bit to get to my straw.0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »but i was thinking of getting something like this for the saddle, as i refuse to put a saddle bag for under the seat. totally not streamlined and they always end up dangling and looking like a pair of old man testicles.
i haven't done any olympic triathlons that have any kind of bottle/aid stations on the bike course.
also, i'm a big guy, 6'3" and 205 lbs (if i'm lucky), so i sweat a lot and need a little more nutrition than the average person. i've found that during an oly course, i like to have a gel early on the bike course and then another before T2.
That's a universal version of the setup I'm currently running. It works reasonably well, but it's not a u-haul, so you may need to cut back on how much stuff you carry.
I will say that you are oging to create far more drag than a saddle bag will, so if looks are your primary concern, fine. But if drag is the issue, the added drag from a saddle bag will be insignificant.
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Also, do your shorts/bib/suit have pockets on the legs? Perfect for a gels. I've also been known to stick clif blox right to the toptube where your bento currently is.0
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Capt_Apollo wrote: »but i was thinking of getting something like this for the saddle, as i refuse to put a saddle bag for under the seat. totally not streamlined and they always end up dangling and looking like a pair of old man testicles.
i haven't done any olympic triathlons that have any kind of bottle/aid stations on the bike course.
also, i'm a big guy, 6'3" and 205 lbs (if i'm lucky), so i sweat a lot and need a little more nutrition than the average person. i've found that during an oly course, i like to have a gel early on the bike course and then another before T2.
That's a universal version of the setup I'm currently running. It works reasonably well, but it's not a u-haul, so you may need to cut back on how much stuff you carry.
I will say that you are going to create far more drag than a saddle bag will, so if looks are your primary concern, fine. But if drag is the issue, the added drag from a saddle bag will be insignificant.
i'm not trying to carry a whole tool box, but i do have a "rather have it and not need it" kind of attitude, so i'd love to be able to carry at least two tubes, two co2 cartridges, a set of levers, and a mini-tool, along with an extra water bottle.0 -
Also, do your shorts/bib/suit have pockets on the legs? Perfect for a gels. I've also been known to stick clif blox right to the toptube where your bento currently is.
i always forget that my tri suit has pockets for nutrition... but that would mean remembering to shove it in my pocket on race morning, lol0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »Capt_Apollo wrote: »but i was thinking of getting something like this for the saddle, as i refuse to put a saddle bag for under the seat. totally not streamlined and they always end up dangling and looking like a pair of old man testicles.
i haven't done any olympic triathlons that have any kind of bottle/aid stations on the bike course.
also, i'm a big guy, 6'3" and 205 lbs (if i'm lucky), so i sweat a lot and need a little more nutrition than the average person. i've found that during an oly course, i like to have a gel early on the bike course and then another before T2.
That's a universal version of the setup I'm currently running. It works reasonably well, but it's not a u-haul, so you may need to cut back on how much stuff you carry.
I will say that you are going to create far more drag than a saddle bag will, so if looks are your primary concern, fine. But if drag is the issue, the added drag from a saddle bag will be insignificant.
i'm not trying to carry a whole tool box, but i do have a "rather have it and not need it" kind of attitude, so i'd love to be able to carry at least two tubes, two co2 cartridges, a set of levers, and a mini-tool, along with an extra water bottle.
I've never seen a single setup that will carry that much. You could, in theory, do a bento and a saddle stash, though. Is 2 tubes really necessary? 1 tube and a patch kit won't work?0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »Also, do your shorts/bib/suit have pockets on the legs? Perfect for a gels. I've also been known to stick clif blox right to the toptube where your bento currently is.
i always forget that my tri suit has pockets for nutrition... but that would mean remembering to shove it in my pocket on race morning, lol
Leg pockets are awesome... I'm not flexible enough to easily reach back pockets, so I don't usually use them for key items, only emergency stuff goes back there.0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »Capt_Apollo wrote: »but i was thinking of getting something like this for the saddle, as i refuse to put a saddle bag for under the seat. totally not streamlined and they always end up dangling and looking like a pair of old man testicles.
i haven't done any olympic triathlons that have any kind of bottle/aid stations on the bike course.
also, i'm a big guy, 6'3" and 205 lbs (if i'm lucky), so i sweat a lot and need a little more nutrition than the average person. i've found that during an oly course, i like to have a gel early on the bike course and then another before T2.
That's a universal version of the setup I'm currently running. It works reasonably well, but it's not a u-haul, so you may need to cut back on how much stuff you carry.
I will say that you are going to create far more drag than a saddle bag will, so if looks are your primary concern, fine. But if drag is the issue, the added drag from a saddle bag will be insignificant.
i'm not trying to carry a whole tool box, but i do have a "rather have it and not need it" kind of attitude, so i'd love to be able to carry at least two tubes, two co2 cartridges, a set of levers, and a mini-tool, along with an extra water bottle.
I've never seen a single setup that will carry that much. You could, in theory, do a bento and a saddle stash, though. Is 2 tubes really necessary? 1 tube and a patch kit won't work?
i have had two bike rides where i've had two flats. the first was out in rural PA, and i only carried one spare tube. i had to call for a pick up and spent an hour at a gas station. the second was much closer to home, and thankfully i had the second tube with me so i was able to make it to my LBS to get a few new tubes.
happening during a training ride is fine, i'll call it quits and get the milage in another time. but i don't want it to happen during a race that i've paid for. yeah, i might not get a PR, but at least i won't get a DNF.0 -
My kit has a single pocket in the back of the shorts, and a couple of very small pockets on the legs. The top has nothing though. For an Oly I keep a gel in that back pocket in case I need it, but usually I save it for T2. For long races, I use the weird mini pocket on my leg to keep a tube of Base Salt.
Repair kit inside a saddle bag under the seat, its plenty aero and compact. 2 CO2s, a spare tube (with valve stem long enough for the race wheel), a patch kit, tire levers and a dollar bill (or similar) for booting in case of catastrophic tire failure (saved me once on a training ride!).
I have never gotten the hang of those rear-mounted bottles and find it makes doing a flying dismount a little tougher.
For a long race I use that DarkSpeedWorks bento for calories, the FC25 on the front, and two bottles on the frame usually with sports drink. For short races I ditch it all except the FC25.0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »Capt_Apollo wrote: »Capt_Apollo wrote: »but i was thinking of getting something like this for the saddle, as i refuse to put a saddle bag for under the seat. totally not streamlined and they always end up dangling and looking like a pair of old man testicles.
i haven't done any olympic triathlons that have any kind of bottle/aid stations on the bike course.
also, i'm a big guy, 6'3" and 205 lbs (if i'm lucky), so i sweat a lot and need a little more nutrition than the average person. i've found that during an oly course, i like to have a gel early on the bike course and then another before T2.
That's a universal version of the setup I'm currently running. It works reasonably well, but it's not a u-haul, so you may need to cut back on how much stuff you carry.
I will say that you are going to create far more drag than a saddle bag will, so if looks are your primary concern, fine. But if drag is the issue, the added drag from a saddle bag will be insignificant.
i'm not trying to carry a whole tool box, but i do have a "rather have it and not need it" kind of attitude, so i'd love to be able to carry at least two tubes, two co2 cartridges, a set of levers, and a mini-tool, along with an extra water bottle.
I've never seen a single setup that will carry that much. You could, in theory, do a bento and a saddle stash, though. Is 2 tubes really necessary? 1 tube and a patch kit won't work?
i have had two bike rides where i've had two flats. the first was out in rural PA, and i only carried one spare tube. i had to call for a pick up and spent an hour at a gas station. the second was much closer to home, and thankfully i had the second tube with me so i was able to make it to my LBS to get a few new tubes.
happening during a training ride is fine, i'll call it quits and get the milage in another time. but i don't want it to happen during a race that i've paid for. yeah, i might not get a PR, but at least i won't get a DNF.
Do you not use patch kits? How many tubes is enough?0 -
Capt_Apollo wrote: »Capt_Apollo wrote: »Capt_Apollo wrote: »but i was thinking of getting something like this for the saddle, as i refuse to put a saddle bag for under the seat. totally not streamlined and they always end up dangling and looking like a pair of old man testicles.
i haven't done any olympic triathlons that have any kind of bottle/aid stations on the bike course.
also, i'm a big guy, 6'3" and 205 lbs (if i'm lucky), so i sweat a lot and need a little more nutrition than the average person. i've found that during an oly course, i like to have a gel early on the bike course and then another before T2.
That's a universal version of the setup I'm currently running. It works reasonably well, but it's not a u-haul, so you may need to cut back on how much stuff you carry.
I will say that you are going to create far more drag than a saddle bag will, so if looks are your primary concern, fine. But if drag is the issue, the added drag from a saddle bag will be insignificant.
i'm not trying to carry a whole tool box, but i do have a "rather have it and not need it" kind of attitude, so i'd love to be able to carry at least two tubes, two co2 cartridges, a set of levers, and a mini-tool, along with an extra water bottle.
I've never seen a single setup that will carry that much. You could, in theory, do a bento and a saddle stash, though. Is 2 tubes really necessary? 1 tube and a patch kit won't work?
i have had two bike rides where i've had two flats. the first was out in rural PA, and i only carried one spare tube. i had to call for a pick up and spent an hour at a gas station. the second was much closer to home, and thankfully i had the second tube with me so i was able to make it to my LBS to get a few new tubes.
happening during a training ride is fine, i'll call it quits and get the milage in another time. but i don't want it to happen during a race that i've paid for. yeah, i might not get a PR, but at least i won't get a DNF.
Do you not use patch kits? How many tubes is enough?
since the first one i have started carrying a patch kit, and thankfully i haven't had an opportunity to use it, and hopefully never will as i'm sure it'll be disastrous...
i'm just looking to carry two tubes and a patch kit, enough to get me home or T2 in most realistic worst-case scenarios.0 -
also, this is my set up on my road bike...
a bottle on my downtube, a messo box on my seat tube, and two rear bottles with the thing holding two co2 cartridges. it worked last season including with flying mounts.0 -
What about a 2-bottle holder behind the saddle, then use one of the cages to hold your tools? I know they make tool kits that fit into a bottle cage, but you could probably assemble your own for cheap.0
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For an Oly I keep it simple. 1 liquids bottle in a torpedo mount, tools in a bottle off the back. I'm pretty much only going to be on the bike for an hour so I'm not going to get through much more than 1 bottle. Maybe stash a handheld in transition to take out on the run so I can get some liquids right off the bike.
For 70.3s and 140.6s I'll either run 2 off the back (1 having tools) plus the torpedo, or 1 off the back/1 down tube (tools), and the torpedo. Just use the torpedo mount for keeping whatever I'm pitching/picking up at aid stations.0 -
On my P3 I use an xlab torpedo and I agree that's all you'll likely need for an Oly. I do have a profile double carrier in the back and use one side for my tools. Hint: If you go with a back carrier, swap out the cages for gorilla cages. The cages that come standard with those things are notorious for launching bottles. Sucks for you AND the guy behind you. I'll take a bike pic in a minute.0
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Danny, I think I still have an old 2-cage mount like the one above (posted by solieco1). If you want it, it's yours... just pay for the shipping. It's very similar to this, but not sure if I have the actual cages still or not. -
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Gatorskin tires are great if you are prone to flats and the reminder to carry a tube with a long valve for race tires is a good one. My brother had a new P3 and double flatted about 30 miles into an Ironman and lost almost 2 hr waiting for a valve extension and just made the bike cutoff. For hot, long rides, I carry a bottle of water and one of sport drink on my tubes plus the aero bottle. I'm prone to sunburn and wear coolers, so the water gets used for cooling if I don't need the fluids.0
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Oooh good tip above too. If you're riding deep dish wheels, run by your LBS and get a valve extender to keep with you. Cheap and it will save you if you have to borrow a tube. I had one very bad day as well before I learned that one
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racing wheels might not happen until next years tri-season0
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Another x-lab torpedo user here.
For 70.3 and 140.6 I would use a single down tube bottle cage and a Single rear mounted bottle. I found though with the linger races the bottle hand ups were at about the hour mark so I'd end up just skipping the first to drink everything I was carrying and then pick up one at a time with nothing behind me. Tools and a tube were in a ready loaded jersey I threw on over the tri suit in T1.
For oly I would have a single bottle only maybe 2 gels and no spare kit. If I get a puncture or mechanica it's race over anyway so not to fussed.0 -
tri4life854 wrote: »Gatorskin tires are great if you are prone to flats and the reminder to carry a tube with a long valve for race tires is a good one. My brother had a new P3 and double flatted about 30 miles into an Ironman and lost almost 2 hr waiting for a valve extension and just made the bike cutoff. For hot, long rides, I carry a bottle of water and one of sport drink on my tubes plus the aero bottle. I'm prone to sunburn and wear coolers, so the water gets used for cooling if I don't need the fluids.
There is zero point to paying extra money for a P3, and then running Gatorskins.
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