BTA optimal bottle placement

Triathlon Forum
1

So I suspect the answer is depends. I’ve looked but can’t find a general principle for BTA bottle placement.

My current set up is a 15 degree aerobar set up using the syncergonomics aerobar 2. Aerobar Two (Dual Stack) - Aero TT & Tri Handlebar I have a BTA riser kit from slipstream 3D UnderCup BTA System — Slipstream 3D

2 questions

  1. From what I can gather from pics, I’m guessing a good rule of thumb (please correct me if I’m wrong) would be to Keep the top bottle below the top of the aerobar (or where the hands are). Is this a correct assumption (absent wind tunnel testing)

  2. Does it matter how far rearward the top and bottom bottle extends. I understand that it can’t go past ~ 10 inches from the rear pad but should my goal be to get it as close to that to try and close up any space. My current set up has it exending 8 inches for the back of the pad.
    Thanks

2

Not rules of thumb, unfortunately.
Check out this thread: Bottle Positions CFD Tested: Bottled Speed
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3

From what I research and read around for the optimal way bottle placement by far.

  1. Do best to set bottle parallel to ground.

  2. Filling the cavity is not improvement. It not the same thing as “bottle in the skinsuit”. Most people will try to set bottle close to their chest or try to fill up the cavity.

Think air flow. Not block them.