Look here > https://www.alden-carbon.com/

That looks great! Looks like they are not taking orders currently, but once they open back up I think that I will go this route.

Are the aerobars really a good place for the weight of a water bottle?

On my previous bike, I practiced running with the bike while holding the seat and controlling the steering by leaning the bike from side-to-side. When I added a full water bottle to the aeorbars, the bike became much more difficult to control. During races, I ran with the bike while holding the stem. The pros don't seem to have so much of a problem with this. Perhaps I just need more practice.

Some bike manufacturers provide water storage integrated into the frame. Specialized had a water storage bladder in the downtube of the pre-2018 Shiv frame design. The current Shiv has the water storage in a fin behind the seat tube. Ventum provides a tank the size of a small aquarium on the top tube.

My current bike is a Shiv with the pre-2018 frame. I've seen mixed review on the downtube bladder water storage system. Some say it is too awkward to fill. I view it as a raceday thing only. Perhaps I will eat my words and go back to a BTA system.

While I don’t have a picture I’ve been using aero bars with integrated bottle mounts recently. First was the Tririg Alpha X and I’m currently using the 51 Speedshop bars. Both are fantastic. I also had the Shiv with the internal bladder. While I liked the idea I just never enjoyed the practical application of the bladder and straw.

Even if you dont want a bottle, the xlab torpedo cage and Garmin mount sounds exactly like what you want

Never really understood this. A water bottle doesnt really weigh all that much, especially when compared to the weight of the bike, let alone the bike+rider, so I cant see how it will significantly change control either on or off the bike. I don't really feel any difference when running with my bike with and without a bottle. Just practice it, and even better, only roll your bike from place to place holding it by the seat. It'll become second nature in no time

The issue is the position of the weight forward of the steerer tube. A full water bottle is a bit over one pound, which is about what a set of aluminum aerobars weigh. Placing that weight forward of the steerer tube makes the steering flop to one side more quickly when leaning the bike while trying to guide it by holding the seat. I acknowledge that this might be just a matter of practicing to gain better proficiency.

My recommendation: go homemade for the computer mount. Before my TriRig bars, I used an xlab torpedo mount with the computer up front. It worked pretty well but I would often bump the buttons on my computer pulling the bottle out and pause or split my ride. Not ideal especially in a race. There was just no way to get it far enough in front. The Alpha One bars have super convenient mounting holes for a bottle but no computer mount. I could just mount the little computer extension thingy but I had an old, spare carbon extension lying around and decided to try to make something myself. Basically just cut it to length of the height I wanted it between my extensions, drilled a set of holes on each side, and then put the computer mount to it. It is now perfectly positioned for me to see it, and it gives a ton of space between to the tip of my bottle, even with an extra long bottle like this black Tririg one. If you mount the computer like this then you give yourself way more options for bottles as well. Personally if I didn't have the bottle mounting points, I would just use zipties for a single cage. That allows a lot of flexibility in fore/aft positioning and is rock solid.

Excuse the mess in the photos. We're kind of in permanent bike shop mode right now.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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I have been thinking about scoops. Any chance of a pic with your arms in them?

That is a good idea Ben. I am curious if you have any issues with the computer mount sliding down the extensions or does the single tie on each side hold that pretty firmly in place?

With the way I have my extensions set up, tapering in towards the ends, there is actually more risk of the mount sliding up! I tightened the zip ties as much as possible though, even pulling with a pair of pliers, so the whole setup stays in place super nicely.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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Scottxs wrote:

I have been thinking about scoops. Any chance of a pic with your arms in them?

Sorry for the slight delay but I knew I was going to be outside with a camera today so I figured I'd wait for some good footage! One thing I like a lot about the scoops is it enables me to kind of 'choke up' on the pads for a more stretched out, aggressive position, and then if I need to relax a little bit I can slide back down into the rear of them and chill out. This footage was from a little TT I did today so I was up in the "aggressive" position.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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Hey Ben, don't suppose you've got angled spacers under those scoops? If so, what angle are they? Cheers!

Here are a few of the Speedfil Z4 on my bike.

I'm using the AeroCoach 10 degree spacers. To my surprise, 10 degrees is almost too much, though I think that's partially because of how long my extensions are as this makes the effective angle less even with the high rise.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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Nice! That works well. Any reason you don't use any tilt in your bars? Its so easy to experiment with on the Alpha One and I'd be surprised if most people don't find at least some level of tilt more comfortable.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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Thank you!

Thanks!
I have not experimented with tilt yet. I went through a fitting and found what was set for me really comfortable so I have not tried anything else. Maybe I should try it. That is what I really like about this Alpha One is being able to adjust easily and then set it back if it doesn't work out.

Hi all.

Since theres a bit of time at home at the moment I thought I'd have a go at shifting the hydration to behind the seat similar to a specialized shiv. The bike is a 2012 apollo arctec tt (not sure if it was ever available anywhere else but OZ??). Planning on running the hose along the top tube.

Since I'm by far and away the most un aero part of the setup I'm hoping the litre that the setup should hold will be useful. Anyone see any glaring issues?

I'm a bit of a DIY person so the parts for it so far have just been hanging around in the shed.

Very interesting. I feel like above the bottom bracket area would be much better handling wise though, and also simpler to build? I guess the only issue would be the force required to get water to the tip of the straw from a reservior that low.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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Fair thought although I don't think much easier for me to build.

My idea was the area above the BB will be filled with a small container/box/etc That will house spares etc. I may even install a PD aiera front hydration unit so they'd be water rear, refillable front H2o/H2o electrolytic mix.

The unit above the BB will be easier now I know more.

The maybe slipping could be eliminated by a) takin a grinder to the Little Tube (you put in there) to make it fit more snug to the extensiondiameter and b) a loop of tape around the zip ties

Like another poster have stated.....I didn’t like the weight balance those setups contributed either.
I tried the profile HC for a Season or two.
Although I like the idea of the replaceable bottle right there I went with the torhans aero30 (First gen with DIY to reduce/eliminate the splashing), the weight is still in front of the steerer but lower and close.

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-shoki

Is it a 3D printed container?

Hows the speed fill cage/garmin mount?