Really though?

It is fractionally quicker than an already slow bike with a hydration system that appears to be a nightmare to live with. I know they're a great marketing company but they aren't great at making exceptional bikes.

https://www.google.com.au/...-tV5ABBoCMuEQAvD_BwE

Put 2 of those in any bladder type and wait a couple of days. rinse out and it is as good as new.

For me it is the drinks hose/straw cleaning and re-routing that would be the point of concern. They haven't managed to make gear re-cabling these bikes a 5 minute job yet so Id be intrigued to see how easy (or not) re-routing the drinks straw is. Designing a bike entirely around hydration is an interesting approach though.

^This. I don't own a Shiv, but if I had this bike, I'd probably use this as my nutrition strategy.

Regardless of if it's a good or bad design, I think it's nice to see some innovation and changes being made. IMO, a total flop but new idea on a bike beats out a '1% more aerodynamic and 8g lighter where's my $5000?' bike. We'll never get cool, new technology unless someone is willing to take the risk!

This guy gets it!

---

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

Didn’t go well for Charles at Hawi dropped bottle and lid flapping open. I’m hoping her reservoir was empty and if she pisses Doesn’t have to take a suck on the straw later in the race... Really not sure why you would consider filling it an option as she had a rear bottle cage and a bta?

I *thought* she had a fixed bottle up front?

This new design is dogshit. (No disrespect)..

Except they did make the claim that it can be refilled on the fly. It was designed that way, pros are doing it (today), which means some % of age groupers will attempt it.

I imagine it'd be marketed that way too if not for liability concerns of Specialized's lawyers.

No they didn’t. They even came here and said that wasn’t a design feature. And have been clear that they do not claim that as a feature.

Have some pros decided to do that? Yes. Doesn’t mean it’s a design feature.

In fact the Spec reps have specifically said its been designed so for the first half their athletes don’t need to grab a bottle. Pop one BTA and BTS and you have 4 bottles worth.

---

I ride:
Cervelo - P-Series/R3
GT - Sensor Carbon Expert

Supporters - Flo Cycling, Mount Bikes

Per the lead engineer on this forum:




Then he described exactly how to do it with pictures in this post.

It's an incredibly coincidental set of unrelated, accidental engineering features that just make it possible and relatively easy, and their pros just happen to be taking advantage of and if you buy this bike you can too...just squirt squirt squirt.. But it's definitely not a design feature. Only *skilled* riders should attempt it.