70.3:

• 1 BTA bottle with water
• 2x rear seat bottles with double-density Infinit mix
• Tools, tube, CO2 in tools under seat and on bottle bracket
• 2x Skratch drops in bento

My last couple of IMs I went with a Torhans solution -- a 30 oz Aero BTA for liquids and a VR which went on my down tube as my spare tube/tool box. I had a Dark Speed Works zipped bento for nutrition and salt tabs. That's it. I refilled the Aero with Gatorade on the course. 30 oz (minus all the leakage) is plenty for me to get from aid station to aid station (there are new Aeros that have a flip up lid -- I wonder if they leak less?). Pretty simple and pretty aero (I think??). I would also grab a water bottle at aid stations that I drank some and dumped the rest on my head (my Garmin tells me it got over 100 on my last IM).

You could tape most of your tire repair stuff under your saddle.

I don't think anybody is reading your 'no aerobars' part of your post.

Adding some behind the seat type thing seems like the quick answer. This could be a small bag to hold your flat kit and get it out of your bento box. Better yet is a 2 bottle hydration holder thing behind your seat. You can fit a spare tube, co2 dispenser, 2 levers, multi tool and a couple co2 cartridges in a ~20oz water bottle no problem and have a 3rd location for another bottle. 3 bottles seems to be the most popular choice for the 70.3 distance. For a 140.6, having 3 bottles in your special needs bags and swapping at that point would be kind of the same thing.

There's a lot to be gained by using aerobars. It also opens up the possibility of using that space for a water bottle and having a saddle bag or something similar to handle your flat kit/tools. Your frame isn't the most ideal place for water bottles, but we'll stick to what's specific to your situation without going crazy on buying stuff.

yes that's the simple solution. one could keep the two bottles on the frame and all the other stuff in the bag under the seat or do the bottles behind the seat plus thing. the Op cannot be too concerned about aero given there are no aero bars up front.

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70.3 race setup:

2 bottles, one between the arms, and one on the frame. You'll need to grab at least one water bottle on the course. I fill my 2 bottles with 0.75 cups maltodextrin + water, and I stick 1-2 extra gels in my trisuit for just in case I feel like I need more calories.

I use a darkspeedworks bento box for flat kit on the top tube, but I dont stash anything else in it - feels dicey to be messing with it while riding with all the stuff in it.

I've taped 3 salt tabs with electrical tape to my stem before and took 2 of them, which worked fine as well.



For training, put as many bottle cages as you need to survive the long training days, and if you need more due to no water stops for long, long ways (like the Santa Monica mts where you can easily ride 100+ miles with no water stops in full summer sun), rock a Camelbak to carry the rest. I know it can look dorky to be on an aerobike with a Camelbak, but if you're doing the 80-100 mile summer hillfest ride with no water stops, better to be safe than sorry.

All distances: a keg with a flat kit in it, one bottle of liquid calories, and an aero bottle with electrolyte to be refilled with on-course Gatorade. (A Spesh Shiv fuelselage actually, but anything similar would do.)

140.6: add one more water bottle of liquid calories. Everything else the same as 70.3.

So that's 2 or 3 bottle cages. One behind the saddle (Spesh Sitero integrated rail), one between the aerobars, and for 140.6 one on the frame.

Edit: thought about converting the Sitero rail and running 2 bottles there, but don't need to. Besides I like having just the flat kit keg back there and not having to reach behind or worry about launching bottles. The keg isn't coming out of there.

My first 70.3 coming up in October. I've been assuming I could get by with two bottles. One behind the seat with nutrition (Gatorade mixed with flavorless Hammer Perpetuem ~950 calories total sipped throughout). and a BTA bottle for water. Practicing with that dense of nutrition now. Going to take some salts or something in case, but I never cramp. Refill water at aid stations.

Might eat a waffle in transition before getting on the bike and take it easy on the bottle on the bike. If I can refill water, I just don't see a need for more stuff on the bike.

But I don't have the experience, so maybe I'm way off.

flat kit is with the seat holder.

70.3 or 140.6

1 torpedo bottle for water or gatorade
Bento box for gels or whatever
Behind the seat bottle with flat kit

That's it.

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First 70.3 ran similar setup as you
Guilty of also not having Aerobars on the bike
Rear saddle cage will help keep all spares in one case bag (Go big with a tennis ball container if you need the additional space)
Not a big Gels fan, so i carry rice cakes,Dried fruit and the Haribo sweeties (all in frame bag),1 watter and 1 electrolyte bottle and its enough for the half

Doing LP 70.3. I'll carry 2 tubes, CO2 inflator and cartridges and tire tools in my seat pack behind my seat. I have a water bottle holder on my frame and 1 between the bars. I carry GUs and my dates/peanut butter snack in the CalPac on the top tube of my felt. If I didn't have that, I'd just carry them in my jersey pocket. Easy. I pick up water/Gatorade as needed on course.

This. No need to over-complicate.

One bottle of fluid is plenty since there are aid stations so close together.

For long training rides I'll add bottle cages back onto my frame, but not on race day.

For my LC 3/4 IM tri on Sunday, yep. Will have one bottle of water that I will stop and refill at the aid stations.
I going to try and put 3 gel flasks on my frame. I have a flat kit behind the seat. Not sure I will even do a special needs bag. When I see folks with 2 bottles on their bikes for a sprint,.....

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Where do you put your repair kit for normal training rides?

I have and will always use a small saddle bag and a frame mounted mini-pump on my road bike. I know a lot of cyclists stick their spares/multitool/inflator/mini-pump in their pockets, but they're idiots (just my opinion but it happens to be correct).
Why would anyone put heavy, uncomfortable and potentially dangerous materials in their pocket when they could mount it discretely on the bike where it'll never cause any inconvenience or be forgotten. There's one reason - vanity. Too many cyclists think they should mimic pros despite the fact that pros are followed around by support cars when racing and don't have any need for saddle bags.

If I was you, I'd use a small saddle bag for spare tube, repair kit, inflator, & multitool. I'd put a mini-pump on the frame (you could leave it off for races if you want but if I was using a road bike I wouldn't bother). If I was concerned about aerodynamics I'd put one bottle behind the saddle (above/behind the saddle bag) and the other on either the down tube or seat tube depending on the bike (some are designed for more aerodynamic use of the down tube, most others may be better off using the seat tube).
I'd continue using the bento for gels/electrolytes if you need it, or put a small gel bottle and some electrolytes in your pocket.

This is what I am planning to go with in my upcoming IM. Debating whether to have a cage on the downtube just in case I feel the desire to use it mid-race, but 2 bottle-holder behind the saddle with one water and one flat kit/keg, and one torpedo upfront. My plan is to top off the torpedo with the saddle bottle before an aid station, give myself a swig/hose down and then swap it for a fresh one, rinse and repeat.

I'm curious as to why more athletes don't live off the course. I start full and half IM with one refillable aero bottle between my aerobars filled with gatorade endurance and 2 gels. I have done 11 IM branded races and never had a nutrition issue.

For your set up (i.e., no aerobars)...

I would get the Dark Speed Works or Xlab Bento bag and use that for the stuff you already use it for...it shouldn't be bulging too much. I would put one bottle on downtube, nothing on seat tube and 1-2 bottles in a rear Xlab carrier. I would at least consider putting all calories in 2 bottles (or one bottle if that is all you need) and use the third to start with water and swap out at aid stations. No need to be digging around in bento for gels etc while riding. Depending on Xlab carrier you use, you could also use their gadget to attach two CO2s and an airchuck to save even more space in bento. You could also consider putting a tube under your seat if you need more space in bento

Some people seem to be able to eat anything on course. Me, on the other hand, will poop my pants if I'm not careful about that I put down my face hole.

That makes sense. I thought athletes were worried about running out of nutrition on the course.

Xlab setup on my Cervelo P2... 2 drink bottles in those cages, flat kit in a seat-bag attached to that.
Bento box on the top tube holds a bar for as soon as I get my HR down from the swim, a gel or two, and baggie of salts if it's warm.

Still have a cage on the down tube if I take on a 3rd bottle.

I have the same set up as you (road bike, no clip on).

Spare kit gets duct taped under saddle. Surprisingly can hold a tire lever, tube and 2 co2's almost invisibly.

One bottle cage. Just take fluids from course. Gels I go old school and tape 3 to top tube. I've also tried my gels in a small flask in back tri jersey pocket.

Seems to work well enough.
I did a similar set up for IM, but if I were to do it again I'd do 2 bottles, one concentrate calories (replaced at special needs) the other for water or perform off course. You don't need to bring everything plus the kitchen sink.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

The my last half I was on a TT bike (Shiv). I had a flat kit, 3x bottle (finicky stomach, so only wanted Skratch), 2x Shot Blok and 1x Clif Bar.

I had one bottle behind the rear, with the flat kit (tube, c02, inflator, one iron) jammed under the saddle/between the rear cage and saddle. Fuelselage was bottle #2, and a cage zip-tied between the arms was bottle #3. Looping the zip-ties around the aero bars and to the cage left two little loops on either size running parallel to the bars that held a package of shot bloks (right and left) quite well. Clif bar in my rear pocket.

I would imagine that you can get a rear-mount rack (I had one meant for a 27.2 seatpost on my old steel bike), have a bottle or and a Keg-type item (empty short water bottle thing designed to hold a flat kit) there, two bottles on the frame, and just food in your bento.

https://www.specialized.com/...esselwtoolwrap/88767

Same as below. I'll only put one bottle on the bike for my next 70.3 and pick another up at the aid stations as I need them. I'll have my Dark Speedworks zip bento with a few gels in it and that'll be about it. Inflation kit goes in the Speedbox (or whatever the Speed Concept seat post box is called, I can never remember). Keep it simple.

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Xlab wing on back without bottle cages, I put my two spare tubes, mini pump, levers and extender tool in that, Xlab frame bottle for EFS and water mix on the down tube and between the bars Torhans 30 for full distance. I refill the Torhans with whatever they offer on course. I have the Dark Speed Works on the Top Tube for Picky Bars, I cut them into halves to fit.