As the liquids are not under pressure or the bottle located higher than the drinking valve (or more or less at the same level), I guess one has to suck the valve like hell to get liquids to one's mouth .

My first impression was that it was for urinating...
It looks like a bedpan !

On a more serious note: There is a limit to how high you can lift a liquid trough a straw, and in this case it looks like the suction lift required might make the rider lightheaded.
I have not seen or tried this one, but it looks like it woluld not be something to use in a race where you are already close to oxygen debt. Just think about how even drinking and swallowing from a normal bottle interrupts your oxygen exchange.

Isn't that limit 32 feet?
It says it's a bite valve so you don't have to suck liquid all the way through the straw every time.

32 feet is the limit for how high a fire engine can draft. Your mouth has a little less power...

No good for us people that only have one bottle on the seat tube so they are limiting their target customer to only people with mounts on the down tube. Talk about Niche marketing.

I would like to see just how wide this bottle is as well. It might play havoc with frame aerodynamics which by looking at it, it does.

Gentlemen -

The speedfil is not under pressure and requires the use of a bite valve similar to a camelback system. The valve holds the liquid at the ready and requires very little effort to suck up the fluid. Some other stats:

Speedfil Hydration System:

40oz. Capacity
only 2 inches wide
Tunnel tested at the San Diego Low speed Tunnel - Found to be more aero than handlebar and downtube mounted systems.
Currently works on down tube mount only but we will have a seat tube bracket soon!
Refillable on the fly

We made it because we did not like other systems on the market.

Cheers!

Speedfil

You should have more than enough suction to overcome the static head (not a physicist so maybe that's the wrong physics term) required to get fluid from your down tube to your mouth while in an aero position, especially if the system is fairly airtight and the straw goes down to the bottom of the reservoir. However, the whole purpose of the bite valve idea is to keep suction on the fluid so it doesn't flow back down the tube to the bottle, like when you put your finger on the top of a straw and can lift the straw out of your drink without spilling the liquid inside. So, when you bite down and suck at the same time, you don't have to overcome the entire amount of static head.

---

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

It looks like an open system - the refill valve looks like it vents, and you can just pour extra bottles in. Even with a full straw, you still have to move water trough the whole straw each time.

There is a reason 2' straws are not popular. Gravity.

"It looks like an open system - the refill valve looks like it vents, and you can just pour extra bottles in. Even with a full straw, you still have to move water trough the whole straw each time."

If the straw end is underneath the top of the fluid level, and the bite valve closes off the top, then you don't need to suck through the whole straw each time.

Try it with a glass. Fill it part way up, the stick a straw in, close off the top with your finger, lift the straw out, and you'll see the liquid in the straw stays in the straw. The top of the glass doesn't have to be closed off for it to work.

---

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

Nice experiment, but we are not looking to keep the water in the straw, but to move it.

When you drink, you have to overcome the force of the water in the straw wanting to empty, plus you have to move water trough the whole staw.

looks interesting

what is the top of the bottle like? I'm trying to understand how easy it is to fill while riding. Can you jam the top of a gatorade bottle into it to fill?

---

http://www.mountainmettle.com

The speedfil top has three parts to it:

1.) Interior removable funnel (first line splash defense)
2.) Perforated splash gasket (second line splash defense)
3.) Screw on cap to hold both in place

The sytem is open and allows for insetion of just about any type of water bottle to reload the system. A couple of squeezes is all it takes! Also, to drink takes very little effort to take in the fluid. Since the fluid is at the bit valve when taking a drink it is better than aerobar mounted systems because you do not swallow any air!

I just used it at Buffalo springs in the nasty 40-50mph winds on the bike and it worked beautifully! Very aero and I was able to keep my hands on the bars with the exception of reloading the system.

We will be putting up th ewind tunnel data on our website for everyone to see!

Thanks!

Speedfil Guy!

True you do need to move the fluid but since it is already at the bit valve (once primed) it seems no different than drinking from a aerobar mounted system. However, you get the benefit of no air just fluid! Limited or no gastric distress from injesting air like with other systems.

Try this experiment:

Take a camelback or similar tube with a bit valve and insert it into a full glass of water. Place the glass on the floor and extend the tube and valve to its fullest extent. Suck the fluid into the tube and into your mouth. If the valve works correctly (ours does) the fluid should be held in place at the bite valve. Try taking another sip and see how easy it is to move the fluids.

We would not have made this product if it did not deliver easy speed and fluids!

It works!

"When you drink, you have to overcome the force of the water in the straw wanting to empty, plus you have to move water trough the whole staw."

Understood, but with the bite valve, you only have to deal with the suction head the first time you suck. After that, you don't have all that air in the way, and you get fluid right away. Of course, fluid keeps coming up from the bottle, so it does have to cover the distance in between, but you're not overcoming the suction head each time.

---

Slowguy

(insert pithy phrase here...)

I saw them at the SDIT, it wasn't as wide as i had expected. probably about the width of a normal bike bottle.

---

ishi no ue ni san nen | Perseverance will win in the end. | Blog | @nebmot | Strava | Instagram |

Actually the width of the speedfil is exactly 2 inches. About half of a normal bike bottle. The aero aspects were significant when we set out to design the structure and shape of the bottle. From a frontal view it is hardly noticeable!

Welcome to Slowtwitch!

Despite some of the naysayers above, your product looks like a pretty sweet design to me. (Unfortunately, it probably won't work on the the curved downtube on my Titanflex. But nevertheless, congratulations on a nice looking product.)

However, the photo of a guy smiling in a windtunnel and your "tunnel tested" statement above won't pass muster with the aero experts here. Can you share some (much) more detailed information about your testing protocol and results?

EDIT: Just saw you comments above about aero data coming soon. Please let us know when it's up on your site. And, anything you'd care to share here would be much appreciated. ;)

---

---

"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

Thanks for the kudos!

True the aero pic is not enough for credibility but we should have all the data and graphs up later this week for people to view. www.speedfil.com We will show the testing protocols we conducted as: equipment only tests and Rider + equipment tests each at 0, 5, 10, 15 degree angles:

1.) Bare bike frame (Kestrel Airfoil Pro)
2.) Bike with downtube standard bottle and aero bottle in handlebars
3.) Speedfil bottle only

We will be heading back to the tunnel later this year to to further testing on alternative designs.

The product was conceived, designed and produce by triathletes for triathletes!

Thanks for the support!

Speedfil Guy

I "invented" something like this more than 20 years ago (I also invented" something just like the Profile aero bottle) before there was much available in drinking systems for tris.

It worked fine. The 'suction' question is a non-issue, as long as you have an effective valve. There is no appreciable effort to suck the fluid, the only requirement is to have the fluid at the valve head, so that you don't just suck air each time. Ultimate Directions used to have a tiny valve situated inside their drinking tubes - I used one of those, and still prefer it to bite valves.

The real problem with this product is that it fills from the right, so is only suitable to those of you who ride on the wrong side of the road.

It is canted to the right for two purposes:

Aerodynamics and since most triathlons are held with aid stations on the right side of the road the "hand-off" of bottles to athletes helps with the refilling of the speedfil bottle.

Suggestions are always welcomed and Thanks for the input!

Speedfil Guy

Hmm...

Just speculating here, but:

1. It seems plausible that it's more aero than a downtube bottle AND a handlebar aero bottle -- especially on the seatpost-less Kestrel where I bet a conventional, wide downtube bottle would suck.

2. How does it compare to the bare frame w/o any bottle?

3. How does it compare against just a handlebar aero bottle?

---

---

"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

The speedfil posted numbers which bettered the bare frame in a crosswind of 10 degrees and was close on all other degree measures. We do have a test for a standard only bottle but not just a aero handlebar bottle. We looked at what most triathletes are using in races and tried to evaluate what we could with the limited time we had the tunnel for. Again, we are hoping to go back later this year to do further testing and also look at new products/designs.

Thanks for the feedback!

Speedfil Guy

Thanks!

Again, good luck with your new product. :)

---

---

"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

interesting product. not very pretty in version 1.0, but it's got some potential.

ps. you may want to run a spell check on your website ...

---

---

Where would you want to swim ?

Thanks for the input. You should check it out close up it does look better in person!

Speedfil Guy

Has anyone had a chance to kick the tires on this set-up yet? I would like to hear that someone has already pulled the trigger on it before I do.

---

"When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro."
Hunter S. Thompson

I remember a guy had one at the Lake Stevens 70.3, but i didn't ask him about it, maybe he posts here.

---

ishi no ue ni san nen | Perseverance will win in the end. | Blog | @nebmot | Strava | Instagram |

Gregx -

For what its worth, this is somewhat biased, but this is a email we recieved from a user at Ironman France in late June:

David,
Thanks for the nice words of encouragement, the course was very though and challenging, but it was a blast.

Let me tell you the speedfil hydration system was a COMPLETE SUCCESS. I loved it, When I was practicing I was a bit leary about having cut the straw too short, but after a couple of training sessions I loved it.
During the race, I had the speedfil and two bottles on the back, at mile 27 I flatted for the second time and couple of miles after that I hit a big bump that dropped both of my back bottles, and my trip computer to the floor, but THANK GOD I HAD THE SPEEDFIL SYSTEM, which had 2 bottles in it, so it allowed me to make it to the next aid station 20 miles, without a problem or concern. Once on the aid station I grabed couple of waters and placed them on the back of the water holders, at mile 70 my speedfil system had finished, and was right in time for me to pick up my special needs bag, which I had 2 more water bottles with Carbo Pro on them, and I was able to quickly dump both of them into the quick fill part while riding I just placed the bottle and let it drain while I kept riding (it took a bit of practice, since when I try to place the bottle, sometimes the cap pushes back and closes the bottle, so I had to do it maybe 3 times before it worked) once I dumped both bottles I was reassured that I would make it to the finish without concern of loosing the bottles and dehydrating. Let me tell you it was a very comfortable feeling to be able to say that I had an indestructible system, reliable and safe from dropping.

Also, once the climbing got though, I was in no position to access my back bottles, so all it took was a bit of sipping here and there and presto, and not to mention the downhills, I was going 26-30 MPH and tried to grab a back bottle which had water to drink a bit of different stuff, and a sharp right turn came upon me, I had to toss the bottle away because I had no time to place it back to the holder. The same thing happened to me while I was zipping on the speedfil system, and all I had to do was spit out the straw and hang on thight, and then resume drinking.

THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME PARTICIPATE IN YOUR PROTOTYPE SYSTEM, I love the Hydration system, and if you are looking for more feedback or volunteers, the guys in the club loved it as well, and are eager to try it.

Thanks a lot

Jean-Claude Constandse
Carlsbad, CA

Used at Buffalo Springs 70.3 in the wind, rain and rough roads and it worked great!

picked one up from Hunter at Nytro yesterday. Looks like it'll do the job just fine, thanks!

---

persequetur vestra metas furiose

Awesome!

Thanks! Let us know if you have any questions.

Speedfil

Glad you asked,

Ok, here it is: could develop a second bottle option that will use a dump valve allowing a second bottle to be mounted rear of seatpost. The rider could drain the front bottle, and then flip the dump valve and release his second 40 ounces into the primary bottle; and would never need to reach for anything to break "aero". All you would have to do is roto-mold another primary bottle with an inlet tube on the rear of the bottle, and then mold up a bottle that would fit beneath and behind the seat/seatpost.

---

persequetur vestra metas furiose

---

In Reply To

---

You should check it out close up it does look better in person![/quote] so where could one do that, if one does not live close to your only listed dealer, nytro?

---

---

Where would you want to swim ?

We are working on getting stores across the country. Where are you located?

This looks very cool. I'm not one to bow to my impulses (too often), but I'm going to pick one of these up. It just seems to make sense.

---

Dan
***********
póg mo thóin

Thanks very much!

Please drop us an email and give us feedback.

Regards,

Speedfil

www.speedfil.com

Personally I think I'd rather break aero for a few seconds to refill than to carry an extra 2.5 pounds of water with me from the outset, but it is an interesting idea.

That is true, but calculated as a percentage of rider + bike+ equipment, 2.5lbs is a fraction of my 215lbs of bodyweight, plus bike, plus water. Negligible cost, vs. breaking aero, and putting that same 215lb frame upright and into the airflow and either increasing my work to maintain speed, or maintaining my work (watts), and losing speed, possibly giving up a position?
Plus having control over what fuel you are going to use
Plus not having to concern yourself with grabbing liquids from an aid station, and having to possibly navigate thru other riders to do so,
yeah.......2.5lbs is definitely worth it,

for me,

---

persequetur vestra metas furiose

Well, the speedfil was created to be potentially the only bottle setup an athlete would need! Consider two botles on the frame, two bottles behind the saddle and one in the aero bars - that is potentially 5-6 lbs.! OR any combination of the above. The speedfil is more aero and less weight than all of those plus refillable!

One bottle. One Speedfil.

Speedfil

Soooo, I don't have to wear as much of my sticky drink with your product? And, I won't be mentally challenged by a vibrating plastic bottle held in rubber band suspense? If it doesn't distract me by hitting my bike frame every other second and refresh me by splashing on me, whatever will I do? Actually race?

I live in Kansas City and would definitely like a closer look.

---

DFL > DNF > DNS

You got it!

We are into a large production run and negotiating with dealers across the country to bring the speedfil to a shop near you shortly. Until then keep checking back with us on our website www.speedfil.com.

Until then Nytro has them.

Thanks!

Speedfil

Agreed - I was saying that for me, taking the time to refill a single large reservoir like the Speedfil is a better solution than taking 2x as much fluid from the outset. E_moto has different needs and priorities, and that's cool, too.

I only have one issue w/ the speedfil, and that is the fact that it is a single bottle. I use the Profile AquaCell (and don't have the issue of "gulping air" because I replaced the default open straws w/ bitevalves) because it has two separate chambers. I like to have sportsdrink in one, and water in the other. Roughly the same volume, same easy of access, but I can have two liquids. Would the weight ride better on the frame than over the front wheel? Probably, but I don't notice the handling difference that some people talk about, so having multiple drink options wins out.

...you guys create a double (a refill port on each side, perhaps), and I'd be much more interested...

What you just described is our version "2.0". Which is under design development now. Stay tuned.....

Thanks!

Speedfil

Can you fit an empty "backup cage" on your seat tube while this is mounted on the downtube? I would do this to keep carbo pro in the speedfil and the occassional water bottle from an aid station to wash it down. I work for Performance Bicycle and would love to see this in our stores. Our triathlon customer base keeps growing!

I purchased the Speedfil last week, mounted it on Saturday, and completed a 55 miler on Sunday (@ 22-28mph pace)
Mounting and installation was a breeze, but I did not use the Neoprene sleeve with the stainless steel wire; I simply used a rubber band around the Speedfil tube and my Profile Design aero mounted drinking system tube. This kept both tubes at the ready - worked perfectly.
The bite-valve worked flawlessly - No complaints.
Backsplash? - Had no backsplash what-so-ever, No complaints.
Refill - Did not get the opportunity to refill on this ride. It seems you might have to angle the refill bottle to avoid backsplash from ricocheting off the backsplash funnel.
Crosswinds: Now, this is an area I am not too familiar with (as far as wind tunnel testing is concerned), however, I will give my two-cents. The winds yesterday were high at 20-30mph from the west-south-west. With the wind to my back or riding directly into the wind, I felt the bottle was very aerodynamic; even better than my rear seat mounted bottle cage (which I removed for this ride). CROSSWINDS: Wow, I really felt the crosswinds! But, I expected this since the bottle has much surface area to the side profile. However, if that crosswind is angling from the rider's back, is there not an increase push with such surface area? (remember, not an expert, just using some sailing common sense). With a crosswind angling from the riders front, sure, the rider is force to increase wattage to maintain pace. I am a 190lbs (sprinter), so I was not worried about the wind knocking me over, but I imagine a much lighter rider might have more difficulty staying upright.
Anyway, I will not use the Speedfil on my sprint and olympic triathlons. I WILL use this system for long training rides and for half and full Ironmans.
I love the idea of having such a large amount of fluids at the ready in my aero position. As for the rear seat mounted cages - I removed the brackets and turned the mounting bracket upsidedown; now it is more aerodynamic and provides a place for me to secure my (small) repair kit.
Probably did not help anyone, but that is my analysis.

Thanks for the analysis. Curious about the crosswinds though? Were you getting buffeted from a direct crosswind? Also, was the placement of the Speedfil high or low on the downtube? Was their any handling issues considering the bottle maintains the riders center of gravity?

We will be posting our wind tunnel graphs shortly and they will show that at a 10 degree crosswind (which is what engineers consider a "typical" crosswind) the aerodynamic benefit exceeds that of even a bare aero frame not to mention other bottle setups.

Keep the comments coming it helps us with design considerations for next generation products!

Thanks!

Speedfil

I created a setup like this as well. I prefer to have the straw draw from the rear bottle as it is much easier to pull (and drink from) the front bottle from the aero (or any other) position.

---

...
Run like you stole something
Formerly Fueled by ZYM

Thanks for the info! I saw one at IM Rhode Island 70.3 and was so intrigued, I got one - looking to rid myself of the aero bottle on the aero bars (had to move around my SRM PC!). Anyhow, I'm having trouble putting the neoprene thing on the tubing, is there a way to make this easier? P.S. I wish they put some pictures on the packaging on set up - I'm more visual! thanks again and I look forward to trying this real-time!

fegirl1 -

Thanks for the post! We have discovered an easier method of pulling on the neoprene sleeve. I will detail in writting and supply a picture later today.

1. Locate some brake or derailleur cable or sutiable string that can handle a fair amount of tension.
2. Use the speedfil supplied thumb screw and nut and crimp one end of the cable onto the thumb screw and secure it with the nut.
3. Slide the cable through the tubing so that you have at least 24" of cable exposed.
4. slide the neoprene sleeve onto the cable portion only.
5. Using a vice or close a door onto the cable secure the cable at one end. (Your setup should now look like cable attached at one fixed end, sleeve on top of cable, tubing, thumb screw/nut as a stopper on the end).
6. Lubricate the tubing with water, pam, cooking oil etc.
7. Pull on the tubing to create tension on the cable/tubing.
8. With either your hands or a set of pliers carefully grab the wire inset on the sleeve and pull firmly but gently the sleeve onto the tubing.
9. Work the sleeve about halfway down and then use your hands exclusively the remainder of the way.
10. Be sure to keep the wire insert from poking through.

The process should take about 10-30 seconds.

Let us know if you are still having difficulties.

I will get some pics up shortly.

thanks!

Speedfil

Let me clarify: the process to actually pull the sleeve on should take a few seconds.

If you made the bottle BIGGER it could act like a full fairing for the main triangle and perhaps be a legal loophole against fairings? :)

Yes but crosswinds could be a big problem for people. If you wanted a bike with a full fairing look to the old TRIMBLE bike that Harold Robinson used to ride during the Bud Light USTS series in the 1980's.

Thanks!

Speedfil

I just got one, and I did notice a bit of the cross-winds issue. Do you think the placement (i.e. higher up or lower down on the down tube) would reduce the crosswinds?

Works like a dream though.

Bob

What size frame do you ride type of bike? We are collecting this info to assist us with future modifications on the design.

Try positioning the bottle as low as it can go. You may find it a bit easier to work with.

Thanks!

Speedfil

Excuse me I hate to be rude but your posting wrong. Your helpful excited attitude about your product is not the Slowtwitch norm. Please promise huge results and never back it up. At the same time over load us with varporware and never produce it. I am sure your helpful fun attitude and what seems like a solid product plays well in some small time forum but this is Slowtwitch and we like the biker and snipe.

Seems like a neat product though.

---

customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

Mr. Tibbs -

Perhaps we should get you to write "copy" for us! I do like the sound of "vaporware". Maybe "Speedfil Vapor", "...your realization of a smokin' fast bike split!"

Thanks for the input!

Speedfil

Ya see there you go again. Humor and good spirits. ;-)

---

customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.

Speedfil-
Can you post a picture on how or what the tube attaches to on the handlebars?

I currently run a standard water bottle cage between my aerobars:



It's just a standard bottle cage with a standard bottle.
But I figure the speedfil is much more aero, and I'd rather put that in there instead. I had an Arundel bottle, but it was not stable (and would launch). The speedfil looks like it is much more secure. Please tell me about that -- is the bottle locked in place by that mount, or can it still come out?

---

---

TriRig.com
The Triathlon Gear Guide

Judge Nick -

The Speedfil is secured in its cage by a thumbscrew. Using only your fingers you snug the cage down on the bottle and it stays put! We have had several users in races with rough roads (i.e. Buffalo70.3 and Vineman 70.3) that had no issues with the bottle coming loose much less launching from its cage! This is one of the many design considerations we took on when we set out to design this system.

I will post some pics of my setupshortly.

Thanks!

Speedfil

Here are some pics of a speedfil setup on a couple of bikes:

Kestrel Airfoil Pro: routed through the cabling (no zip ties needed on this setup)


Another Kestrel Airfoil Pic





Cervelo P3 (no zip ties used but I would have secured the tubing a bit closer to the stem/basebar)



Another Cervelo P3 Shot

i used the speedfil last weekend @ vineman w/ very good results. it is very secure, no way possible that it can get launched. held just enough liquid (almost 2 large water bottles) to make it thru entire race w/out having to refill (very cold day in santa rosa 55 degrees) i saw a dozen other water bottles on first 5 miles of course including front mounted aero bottles, aero down tube models, and gel flask bottles. on my BMC TT02 the speedfil touches the seat tube and fills in the entire triangle like a fairing. i didn't experience any problem with x-winds on a fairly light day for wind. the liquid stays all the way up the tube to the mouth piece, no leakage at bite valve, no spillage anywhere around bottle or tube. easy to stay in areobars and drink. i've got about 150 miles of use so far and think very highly of the product. only small negative is the weight of entire unit is heavier than 2 large water bottles and 2 cages. worked well for me as my frame only has a down tube water bottle mounts. also easily removable to clean bottle after use and re-attach. anthony

Maggbo -

Thanks for the great review!!!! We do appreciate the comments!

One thing I would like to point out is the weight differential you speak of. We will have weights posted on our website soon and we fall in the lighter range of bottles and cages. If one is using carbon cages, carbon mounts (i.e. hydrotail, xlab) then the assembly is lighter than the speedfil. However, if other than carbon cages the speedfil should be lighter since we only have one cage and one bottle.

Nervertheless, due to the shape of the speedfil and since you were able to stay aero longer I am sure you enjoyed a decent bike split on the Vineman course.

Again, thanks for the review!

Regards,

Speedfil

Any timetable on when your seat tube version will be coming out? Also, how would you route the straw? It seems like an awfully long distance to cover...

Seat tube bracket is under design as of this post. Not quite clear when we will have it to market but we are going as quickly as we can!

As far as routing the drinking tube, it is really up to the individual and the bike. Try and keep the tube as close to the down tube as possible and behind the aerobars when so as to keep it out of the wind as best as possible. The length of the tube does not impede the ability to drink fluid whatsoever. The bite valve holds the fluid at the ready.

Thanks for the comments!

Regards,

Speedfil

It's a pretty cool concept. I wonder if it will fit a Guru crono.

BTW - the pictures of it on Nytro are pretty bad. It was only when I looked at it on this thread that I saw it had a tube going up to the bars. If you are paying for advertising here on ST and then linking to the product, you probably want to actually show the product rather than a small fraction of the product from a close-angle shot. Or at least provide a link back to the speedfil site on the Nytro page.

FYI I have nothing to do with the product, I just saw it on nytro's site. The user speedfil is the company rep.

---

ishi no ue ni san nen | Perseverance will win in the end. | Blog | @nebmot | Strava | Instagram |

I pulled the trigger. Got it on Thursday. Unfortunately, my bike is at Guru, so, not mounted yet. But, I love new toys, so, I had to play with it. Playing around with it, it works as advertised. Take the Gatorade bottle w/ the sport top, jam it into to the quickfil, in seconds the contents are in the Speedfil. No splashing, despite my shaking it a little. Not hard at all to draw the fluid out at all.

I will post an update when I have it installed on the bike.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Should fit no problem. My Crono is at Guru right now, but, I took the Speedfil to the lbs and put it on a stock Crono and it fit just fine.

---

If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went. - Will Rogers

Emery's Third Coast Triathlon | Tri Wisconsin Triathlon Team | Push Endurance | GLWR

Ah - I figured he'd had this thread subscribed.

MOP_MIke,

Regarding being able to fit the Speedfil on a TitanFlex, I think all you would have to do is add some spacers made out of aluminum tubing cut long enough to allow the system to clear the curve of the frame. Longer bolts might be required. At least that's what I'm going to try when my order comes in. This worked for my Arundel Chrono bottle, but I didn't use it much because of the low capacity, I just kept spare tubes in it. A standard bottle system didn't work for me either because my legs would brush up against it which was very irritating. Glad to see this system on the market. I bought just about every hydration system out there trying to find one that would work well for me and my TitanFlex setup, this looks like it could be it.

It will. (Edit: Come to think of it, why would you think it wouldn't?) I put it on mine for this weekend's Wilkes Barre Triathlon. Tried it out on a shakeout ride Saturday. Seems to work fairly well. The only thing I don't like is that the tube has to come around one side or the other, further reducing aeroness.


Unfortunately, for the life of me I could not get the tube in that neoprene sleeve. I tried water, dishwashing liquid, lube, etc. I could never get it more than halfway.

See post 68.

Thanks for the tip. Please post or PM me a picture of your setup when it's finished!

---

---

"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

For those interested in purchasing a Speedfil I have posted the basic dimensions of the bottle and cage. We have strived to accomadate most bike frames although there are some that may not allow the Speedfil to fit. If you have any questions regarding you particular frame feel free to send us a email sales@invisciddesign.com or tech@invisciddesign.com.

We are in process of designing a seat tube bracket as well as a smaller bottle with the hopes of fitting the bikes we cannot fit in this release.

Thanks to all for your comments and to those who have purchased a Speedfil! Hydrate Faster!

Speedfil

JoeO -

OK here is what some users have found to work really well for the installation of the sleeve. DO be careful when sliding the sleeve onto the tube. Be wary of not allowing the wire to poke through the neoprene sleeve.

Step#1
Find a small cable such as a brake or derailleur cable and crimp it around the thumb screw and nut that came with the Speedfil



Step#2
Slip the drinking tube onto the cable stopping at the thumb screw/nut



Step#3
Slide the neoprene sleeve onto the cable only, stopping at the drinking tube. (Do make sure the sleeve is staightened out.)



Step#4
Afix the cable end closest to the sleeve (the one without the thumb screw/nut) into a vice or even a door jam to hold the cable under tension.



Step#5
Be sure the drinking tube is lightly wet down with water, soap and water, cooking oil, or pam to aid the sleeve sliding on. Be sure to maintain tension on the cable and very carefully grab the end of the sleeve by the wire insert (you can feel it inside the neoprene) closest to the drinking tube and work the sleeve onto the tube. Slide the sleeve on until completely onto the tube. (One person can do this operation).

Thanks for the drawing. I'm still wondering if it will fit my bike. What's the distance from the lower mounting bolt (where it mounts to the bottle boss on the frame) to the bottom of the bottle (lower left corner of your drawing)?

---

---

"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

Mike -

Here is an image, with scale in inches, for the underside of the Speedfil Cage

Ahh...Cool!

With those slots, I ought to be able to find a position will fit.

Thanks.

---

---

"100% of the people who confuse correlation and causation end up dying."

No Prob! Let me know if you need anything else.

Speedfil

MOP_MIke,

Just got my Speedfil in today. It looks like it's well made, BUT it doesn't look like it and the TitanFlex are a good combination. There's no problem with mounting it, you just need the right spacers. The bottle seems narrow enough. It's just that the refill cap sits high, close to the top tube, and sticks out too much to the right, so it'll definitely interfere with my right leg. I have a 650c frame, so maybe the 700c frame might be better but I doubt it. The cap would have to be located more towards the back to assure a more compatible arrangement.

Ah well, I guess I can put the Speedfil on my double diamond frame bike. Pity, I was hoping this work.

AeroEgg -

Can you post a pic of the fram with the Speedfil positioned where you think it should go on your Titan FLex? I would like to take a look and see if I can perhaps offer an alternative position.

Thanks!

Speedfil

Speedfil, here you go. However, I seriously doubt anything can be done with the present design. I think you have a great product which is well made and from all accounts, is highly functional. I'd love to see a version for TitanFlex, I'd be the first in line to buy one, but I guess we TitanFlex riders are on the fringe as far as numbers go, so I understand that it probably won't be a profitable undertaking.

Hmmm...I see the dilema. Couple of considerations

1.) You could fabricate a "riser kit" bracket which would allow the Speedfil cage to bolt to the frame. A thicker piece of aluminum and longer bolts could easily do the trick.

2.) Beyond the frame mounting though is a question of will the offset of the cap strike your leg while pedaling? This seems to be the more pertinent question. IF this does not pose a problem then perhaps I can share some help with #1 via email.

Check to see if #2 is a problem. If not lets see if we cannot get you setup.

Keep me posted!

Dave
Speedfil

Yep the real issue is the location of the cap, not the ability to attached the Speedfil to the frame. The cap will definitely stick out too far to the right once it is mounted. Even if I remove the cap, the neck sticks out quite a bit, and I think the right side "joggle" may have some interference issues as well. I'm contemplating removing the joggle and neck, rivetting in a cover plate and covering the opening with a flush, removable cover. The bottle is made of some pretty stout material, I'm pretty sure it would work, but it may not be pretty. Anyway, just contemplating it at the moment, I'll let you know if I actually try it. BTW, how much would a replacement bottle cost? :)

Well I did it! I really wanted to make your hydration system work for me, but that required either eliminating or moving the neck and cap. I really liked the neck and cap arrangement, so I decided to transplant it. After doing more research, I found out there are adhesives you can use to bond polyethylenes or polypropylenes. The question was whether or not I should since I could be throwing away $80 if things turned out bad. Well, the surgery turned out successful and I'm happy with the results:




The adhesive is from Tap Plastics and it definitely does the job. You first have to prep the bonding surfaces by using a propane torch. The bond is also reinforced with fiberglass as recommended by the TAP Plastics video. It did take a bit of time and planning to make this work, since I've never done anything like this before, but I think it was worth it.

I'm now working on an adapter to mount the Speedfil on my TitanFlex. I'm afraid simple spacers (aluminum tubes) aren't going to work too well because the bolts are a bit tilted because of the curve of the frame, so the bolt heads won't sit flush against the cage.

On a side note, I think one of my other bike frames (BH Global Concept Aero) would also have had same problem with the neck and cap sticking out too far, not a problem with my road bike though. I think it would be great if you made a version with the neck and cap towards the back, that should provide a more universal fit I think.

AeroEgg -

Interesting work! Let me know how it fares. FYI, we are hard at work on several different concepts/sizes for speedfil models. We are looking to fit any bike/size at any budget. So due stay tuned...

Please send pics when you have it mounted on your bike. sales@speedfil.com


Thanks!

David
Speedfil

Bump for additional users! How do people like this rig?