I saw this. It’s as if PD saw Xlab/Torhans’ products from 7(?) years ago and said, well, we can’t copy those right now, let’s wait until 2020 so it doesn’t seem as suspicious. But, looks decent (like the other two offerings).

It does look good! Apparently you can unscrew the back for easy cleaning

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Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

That’s a nice touch. My biggest issue with the Torhans/Xlab was total PIA to clean.

I’ve probably thrown out 5 XLAB torpedos from them getting nasty

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Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

My biggest issue with this bottle and I am sure a lot of modern day triathlete positions will have is the fill point is at the very back. With everyone frothing at modern bars offering a more mantis position and even the rider pictured on their web page has angled bars. If I placed that on my bike running at the angle of the bars I I'd get a few mouthfuls of water in there. The Vision DS1 is the best bottle I have found with the fill point at the very front and you can easily open and clean.

https://shop.visiontechusa.com/type/hydration/hydration/road-triathlon-time-trial-track/drinking-system-ds1

Valid point but that Vision Tech bottle is hideous looking and also looks slow like the Speedfil bottles.

Agreed

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Make Inside Out Sports your next online tri shop! http://www.insideoutsports.com/

LOL I'll take functionality over looks any day but not sure where you get slow from? It's tucked between your arms and by my point at an angle for a start. I don't use the computer mount and the tube is on a hinge so you can bend it down so it doesn't see the wind.

I obviously don’t know about “slow” but seem to recall the speed fil product tested slow and this has a similar shape.

As to looks, I will take functionality and looks over just functionality (I’m not saying this product has both, but the VT product definitely does not!).

My list of front hydration has always been (in no particular order)

(1) looks good/sleek/decent color scheme
(2) at least looks aero if it tested well
(3) functional for set up-for drinking, refilling etc
(4) easily cleaned
(5) doesn’t leak-I mean not even a drop
(6) good set up on aerobars/ easily removed, allows for computer set up, stable, no rattling, etc

If it can’t do all of the above, it’s standard BTA bottle for me. I have yet to find a front hydration that ticks all these boxes. Which is why I’m still using a standard bottle in a standard cage.

honestly IDK people buy these bottles.

the overwhelming majority of the time they are slower than 4 zip ties, a gorilla cage and a normal water bottle

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

I'd take a black bottle in a heart beat for photo op's and walking it into transition. That being said it's functional to see how much liquid you have in your bottle training and on an IM. Apart from that it ticks all your boxes for me so I'm a happy customer...

https://www.instagram.com/p/CFY8ijwFgU5/

Totally agree

Not sure why you’d get a hand up to spend time refilling the aero bta and ditch the bottle. When u can just get a bta normal bottle and just swap it out 🤷‍♂️

The timeframe is just because it has been a very slow project...
In truth, I'd never seen an Xlab or torhans bottle when this project began. Even now, I may have taken a couple of XLabs off bikes during fits but I've never examined one.

Personally I prefer a standard bottle. So tried to give the HSF 800 as sleek a frontal profile as possible to mitigate the aero penalty of systems with hoses.

As for the tilt issue mentioned in another response - working on addressing that.

I’ve always had this philosophy as well, but am planning to try a refillable solution for my next IM. Reason being that the Gatorade endurance bottles are a real pita and don’t really fit in my setup, often blocking my computer (I’m a smaller athlete, so short extensions). I also thought some forced back stretching might be nice. I may try this gadget out ... the refill cap looks better than the slab I have, and the ability to clean seems nice ( if it doesn’t start leaking).

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

I know there was a lot that went into this bottle, I was being facetious. It looks like a good option. I appreciate the response and info and look forward to further updates!

I've now used a few different BTA systems. PD FC35 (most water volume), Speedfill, and Vision Metron Front Hydration system.

I didn't do zip ties on the speedfill because I didn't like it on the bike when I was on my trainer. Had it on a single screw...but that barely stayed in place, then I put it on an xlab base plate and the vibrations just wobbled the nuts off and it flew off on training ride. I would say the one bottle that has leaked the least is the Metron and it's pretty aero. Refilling can be toughish, but like anything get comfortable with it.

https://shop.visiontechusa.com/en/type/hydration/hydration/triathlon/metron-front-hydration-system

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

That maybe, but these bottles don't need to be taken out of the cage to take a sip - meaning that I can drink more often and pretty much in any setting - on a descent, etc. Oh and I don't need to get out of aero to drink which probably offsets any losses.

The downside is that refilling these bottles on the bike is a pain.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

Whag about races where Gatorade comes in the regular bottle intead of a bike bottle? Thats why I first got a bta system. The gatorade ones rattled and ejected if i didnt physically hold them down with my hand.

Is there a breather valve that allows air intake while you sip? I find the Torpedo air valve is stiff and doesn't let in enough air

Is there a Good drink system that fits a regular bottle cage bta, with a straw that Can be hidden from the wind (magnet or something).

I like my Pd FC35, but i am switching to an Aerocoach Ascalon extension system and Are stuck with a bottle cage system.

Seems to be some drawbacks with the HSF800 when using a 15 degree tilt as i do, so What Are the best options?

A little late but I'm looking for a BTA for my new bike and it looks like PD has finally addressed the angle with a wedge kit:

https://profile-design.com/...ts/hsf-bta-wedge-set

After many races where they hand up bottles that don't fit a bottle cage, you learn to be responsible for your self if you care about your result.

The real question is, you gonna sell me that PD FC35 you’re not using?

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Strava

Smaller QR V-PRs are getting the best of both worlds then as this is the bottle it come with and it will be set up with zip ties.

Agreed. I've lost bottles or had to physically hold one in the cage until the next aid station bc they were giving out undersized bottles. They was my last race with a standard cage.

Also, refilling a BTA is fast enough that you can grab 2-3 bottles in an aid station without slowing down. Even the pros going 25mph+ can refill with multiple bottles. Not sure why people think you need to slow down or waste time/energy to refill.

Interesting. I always thought they were the same. Do you have any reference to how these were tested?

Would there be any difference between races that give out slim sports bottles vs. fatter spring water bottles?

How do you do that (genuine question)?

Usually race volunteers only hold out one bottle for you to grab. I can also only safely grab one bottle with one hand at time.

Let's say I do manage to grab 2-3 bottles, where do you store them. My Xlab torpedo only hold one bottle worth of water. I have 1 BTA mount + 1 behind the saddle mount. Usually race given bottles are smaller than normal bottles and will surely fall out if I leave them in the saddle mount

There are multiple volunteers,too I'm not sure I get the part about one bottle. What I do is grab the first bottle, shove it in my BTA valve, and quickly squeeze it ~3 times really hard. That gets 90% of water out in a couple seconds. Toss that one. Grab one more near the end of the aid station, top off the BTA, chug the rest.

Well then I need to practice!

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IG - @ryanppax
http://www.geluminati.com
Use code ST5 for $5 off your order

I typically grab 2 water bottles per aid station. Before I get to the aid station, I drink whatever is left in one of my bottles (water or efs pro). That bottle then gets tossed at the start of the aid station. I grab my first water bottle at the start at the aid station and I chug as much water as I can from the bottle and squirt water on myself if it’s a hot race. That gets me to about 1/2-3/4 through the aid station and then I toss the bottle. I then grab a water bottle from the end of the aid station and that replaces the bottle I tossed right at the start of the aid station.

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blog

Huh, myabe I am doing something wrong, I feel like every time I squeeze, I got to wait 1- 2 second for these water bottles to return to shape. And If I permanently bent the plastic on first squeeze, I'll just have to make do with tiny follow-up ones. Never been able to finish re-filling within the aid station's distance.

Maybe I gotta get a large pack of these from the supermarket and practice.

But sounds like you are only topping off 1 BTA anyway?

Yes I only have one BTA bottle? So the second bottle I grab is for topping off and the rest goes straight in my stomach. There's time to drink between the last volunteer and end of the trash zone. I'm still taking minimum two bottles at each aid station. I guess if I had a second BTA bottle it wouldn't take longer to fill than the process of just drinking the second one.

If I'm also swapping am empty BTS that's the 1st or 2nd bottle which only takes a couple seconds once you have the muscle memory to know where the cage is (which should be empty before you reach the first volunteer).