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Newbie aid station bottle question

sarahz5
sarahz5 Posts: 1,363 Member
edited December 3 in Social Groups
IM70.3 Atlantic City is less than a week away and I have decided to fixate on the liquids situation. :D I have a very basic setup - road bike, no torpedo. I can only carry a 24 oz on my down tube and a 16 oz on my seat tube. Saddlebag is in the back under the seat.

I really do not want to pull over at the aid stations. So question is: do those Gatorade bottles they hand out stay in your cage, or are you asking for it by trying to just throw whatever bottle you brought and stick the hand off Gatorade bottle in the cage? I plan to pick one up and try it, but I'm interested in real race experience. I know if you have a decent hydration set up you will never have dealt with this but here's hoping.

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  • glevinso
    glevinso Posts: 1,895 Member
    The Gatorade bottles will fit in your cage. As you approach an aid station, you will see signs that say "drop trash here" or something to that effect. This is the place to ditch your old bottle. As you get closer to the volunteers, slow WAY down and yell out what you need. Reach out for the bottle and just close your hand as you make contact. Put it in your cage.

    You can practice this if you have a traditional curb-side mailbox. Open the mailbox flap and put the bottle on it. Circle back around and ride along side the curb and practice grabbing the bottle while moving. If you don't have a mailbox, enlist help from friends.

    It is really an easy skill to acquire, but don't let race day be the first time you try it!

    For half-distance races I usually only run with a front-mount hydration system and refill it at each aid station. For fulls I tend to carry the front-mount and a down-tube bottle as well. I will usually refresh the downtube bottle at the aid stations, and use it to refill my front-mount as I go.
  • sarahz5
    sarahz5 Posts: 1,363 Member
    edited September 2016
    That's a really smart suggestion with the mailbox! We are actually having a feed zone party tonight - I have a bunch of women coming over and we are going to measure out a partial aid station and try it, including with others choosing to skip the station. We are also going to practice passing (and not drafting) - six bike lengths is no joke!

    Thanks for reassurance on the Gatorade - I don't know why people have been warning against using them that way.
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