I reread your piece about bottles and bikes and aerodynamics. If a bottle on the down-tube seems to decrease the resistance of the seat tube, what would happen on the beam bikes? Would the air disruption be of any benefit and would a behind the seat or between-the-bars bottles be better? Since I am taken with the ‘idea’ of the the never reach, but not so taken with the expense (for longer races), I am curious. The tube and upside down bottles behind the seat are cheaper.
Of course, another question is how much time does one lose, reaching for a bottle and taking a swig (at intervals) over the course of a 40K, or 1/2 IM or IM? I know I cannot maintain much pedalling while doing that. Would the added resistance of a tube fed system make up the difference?
Of course, another question is how much time does one lose, reaching for a bottle and taking a swig (at intervals) over the course of a 40K, or 1/2 IM or IM? I know I cannot maintain much pedalling while doing that.
I’m curious about this myself. Seems to me this would be the biggest benefit- you wouldn’t have to be out of the aero position at all to drink. I always wonder why the bottles that mount between the aero bars aren’t more popular. Handling?
Good question. How much do any of the systems effect handling, and in what ways? Front vs rear?
I don’t think that water on the saddle or the aero bars makes a difference in handling. Assuming a full bottle weights 1lbs and you rest 1/3 of your weight (140/3=46lbs) on your handle bars, I don’t think the extra 1lbs is going to make much of a difference.
I have a couple aero bar bottles sitting in on my shelf. I don’t use a aerobar system because it sloshes around too much. I can drink out of my behind the saddle bottle racks without breaking tuck or cadence, so I don’t think aero bar bottles are worth the trouble.
I do regular position changes too, but my downtube bottle always interrupts my pedaling. Also, I sweat like pig, so I have to drink a lot, especially here in southern California (though not as bad as when I visit home in El Paso.) (I leave big puddles when I use a trainer.) I try to drink every 5km if it is warm, more if it’s hot. That is not always convenient depending on the terrain.