I use a Gatorade bottle with sport spout filled with water in a zip tied cage BTA. I chunk this at the first aid station and replace with on course water bottle. Usually 3 stations for 70.3.

In the down tube tube, I have a super concentrated personal bottle with Infinit. Stays with me the entire bike.

Behind the seat is a zip tied cage and 1 bottle pod that holds my flat kit.

The bottles on course are too small to fit securely in down tube and behind the seat. My arms keep it in place and makes me stay aero.

Thanks for the info! I use my downtube/seattube mounts to hold a Torhans VR that has been converted to a flat kit. Wont have the luxury of chucking my Aero30 so will probably just have to fill it up at the aid station and get rid of the bottle that they give you. I have no problem pulling to the side and taking 30 seconds or so to fill up the bottle.

You also have to keep in mind what you can get on course. I've done 3 70.3s; one IM, one HITS and a local one. At the local one and HITS all I could get on course was water, so I had to have 3 bottles of gatorade with me, and swap out water bottle. In IM you could probably get away with 2 bottles (1 water/1 gatorade) and then just swap on course. If your race has both sports drink and water on course, keep your set up simple and carry as little as possible and use on course support to swap.

For HIM, I get by with just a Torhans Aero 30. My flat/repair kit is in an Arundel seat bag. I start off with Gatorade Endurance in the Torhans, and top it off in each aid station. I also grab a water bottle at each station, drink as much as I can, and discard it before exiting the zone. I can manage this without making stops, though sometimes I have to slow quite a bit, depending on traffic at that station. I also keep either GU Chomps or Cliff Bloks with me as well, and eat those relatively early into the bike. I first tried this setup at St. George this year, and it worked great. In fact, I bypassed the first aid station on the bike and didn't need to take on additional fluids until the next one. I think a lot of people wind up carrying way more on their bikes than they will need. I try to take the least amount possible, while being prepared to handle minor bike issues, two tire punctures, and being able to stay fueled and hydrated. If I found myself preparing for a course hotter and hillier than St. George, I'd at most just add an aero bottle to the frame.

Do you carry 2 tubes in your flat/repair kit? I have had bad luck where I have had a flat on my last 2 longer races (the roads were pretty bad though). I run Reynolds Aero carbon wheels with Continental GP4000s II tires (use tubes that are available from my local triathlon store).

The Ironman 70.3 Miami will have "Ironman Perform (Sports Drink), Larabars, Accel Gel, Water and others." (according to their website) on the courses. I guess that should provide the electrolyte options that I would require through the course (and fill up my Aero30 pre-race with Endurance blend).

I use GU Champs, Clif gels and Salt Tablets as well. This will be kept in my Xlabs Pocket 200 top tube bag.

Will be doing a 50 mile mock HIM ride this weekend so hopefully will be able to get a better feel for what works for this specific distance.

Also, I am a casual AG who is in it more for the challenge than the win.

Lots of great information everyone. Appreciate the help from the ST community!

Chi

I'm doing my first HIM in two weeks and have been running this through my head as well. During my Mock ride I used a bta bottle of water and a bottle on the downtime with EFS. I had to refill the water bottle once.

So my plan will be to use gu's taped to the top tube with EFS in a bottle I'll keep. Then refill on water at one of the aid stations.

I'm going to try to get my flat repair items under my seat and in the tail of my helmet, but if that doesn't work I'll zip tie another cage on back and stick it in a water bottle.

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Team Zoot - Great Lakes

Yes, In my seat bag I carry two tubes, two CO2 cartridges, patches, a chuck, one tire lever, and a very small bike specific multi-tool. I run Conti tires as well (force/attack combo on my carbon clinchers, GP4000s II on my carbon tubulars, butyl tubes in all cases). I have had good luck with regards to flats, but I always go prepared to deal with at least two. I think the Co2 is the limiting factor in my case.

For on-course fuel, one advantage I have is that nothing upsets my stomach. I don't need to train with the food or drink that will be on course. I happen to use Gatorade Endurance formula, which seems to be on a lot of the Ironman 70.3 courses. But if they switched that up, it would make no difference to me. One other thing to consider: when you do your mock ride, remember that you are fueling and hydrating to make sure you have enough in the tank for the 13.1 mile run. It is easy to think you did great on just the ride, but a few miles into the run you might find out differently. You might consider a race simulation in which you follow up your ride with a 6 or 7 mile run.

I'm a casual AG'er as well, hoping to go sub-5 hours for the first time at my next 70.3 (IM70.3 Oceanside). But part of the fun for me is dialing in the gear, nutrition, etc. Even if I'm not going for the podium. Good luck in Miami!

That's been my setup this season and I've loved it. I've had an empty carrier behind the seat to stash something for emergencies but (a) I have a hard time getting stuff in and out of it and (b) I have yet to use it.

Instead of gels I just grab a Liquid Shot in T1 and stick it in my back pocket. Makes it nice not having to mess with gel packaging and the consistency is a little more fluid which I like.

With three aid stations you might be able to just use the Torhans and fill as you go. That is exactly what I did at Augusta ten days ago. Just make sure you drink enough from the Torhans that you can fit a bottle of fluid in there when you reach the station. Take a bottle as early as possible in the aid station, flip it over jam it in and squeeze hard. You should be filled before the end of the aid station. The Gatoraide lids are rounded and will not pull off the slotted Torhans top, but the water bottles will. Your total fluid available with this method and the full to start Torhans 30 is over 4 bottles. I kept an empty cage behind the seat in case my fill went slowly and I needed to stash a bottle, but I never did.

The Miami 70.3 will have Gatorade Endurance Formula (Orange), Water, Bananas and 2nd Surge Gels (page 6 of the Athlete Guide). There are 3 aids stations on the bike course giving you plenty of opportunities to refill you Trohans 30.

I prefer to carry just one bottle BTA and replace them at the aid stations, thats 3 bottles plus the one I have on the bike at T1. Since I have good hand to eye coordination I don't need to slow down that much to grab a new bottle. Often times I have time to grab a sports drink and water which I drink as much as I can, pour the rest over muy body and discard the bottle at the end of the aid station. That's more than 4 bottles over 2:30, more than enough to keep me well hydrated.

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As I use almost the same setup as you (aero 30,VR as flat kit) I use 1 behind the seat with liquid nutrition for half.
Bta always use water which I refill when needed on the fly at station.
I don't put isotonic or anything sticky bta cause of possible splashing and causing sticky brakes, had that once in training after a few rides though.

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-shoki

I use a Profile Design FC35 as BTA bottle. I kept water here to sip on continuously during the race. I have a concentrated (double) Infinit bottle on the down tube. I have a Xlab 2 bottle behind the seat mount. I have one additional bottle of concentrated Infinit on the right side and a Betty Designs half bottle with my flat kit on the left. I, personally, like to carry all of my nutrition with me and only need to grab water from aid stations to refill my BTA bottle (if needed). Most of the wrecks that I have seen are at the aid stations from people trying to go too fast thru here or someone deciding that they need something at the last minute and swerving in front of another rider. I like to keep to avoid the congestion of riders. Less of a chance for me to be involved in a wreck from someone doing something stupid.

Water in a BTA bottle, calories (Infinit) in an aero bottle on the downtube, for easy access. That's all.

After trying different things in 9 HIMs, I use 1 bottle in an xlab holder BTA and 1 behind the seat. I prefer as simple as possible and a clean bike. I start with 2 bottles and about 2/3 of the way through I toss one, pick one up, and I'm done. 3 bottles. My spare tube is stuffed under my seat and tools are in the bento.

I run the DA Torhans Bottle on frame with Gatorade and one water bottle between arms. Just replace water between arms at each aid station.

For the half distance, I run a aero bottle between the aero bars and a water bottle that I cut the top off and converted into a flat repair kit then taped the top back on. I just rely on the aid stations on the course to grab whatever they are handing out to refill my aero bottle.

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BTA bottle/cage, nothing else. Live off the course. Usually 3, 4 if it real hot, will get me through a 70.3 just fine so I only need 2-3 hand-offs. I ran a Aero bottle for a reserve the last 3 years, but after losing one on a bump last year and managing without it, it seems like a waste. In my last IM I took a LOT of handups and only dropped 2 or 3 out of probably 20+ grabs. In larger events, you have 3 or 4 chances to grab water or sports drink at each aide station.

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