I took the downtube bottle frame off my Cervelo (yes, for the trivial aerodynamic millsecond advantage and to look cool) which worked great for sprint/Olys, but I’m likely going to bring 2 bottles with me at a HIM this weekend. (The bike leg is typically on the cool side so I’m planning to throw on a long sleeve bike jersey and stuff my 2nd bottle in the middle back pocket which is what I do during training.) However, if folks routinely live off the course with 1 bottle for HIM no problem, I’d love to minimize the stuff I carry on course.
My gut has been pretty good - I’m ok with the maltodextrin in my bottles or equally good with straight water + 2 gels as an equivalent.
yep, done it, in fact, did oceanside 70.3 off two bottles (1 on aero bars and 1 on frame) and didnt finish the second bottle…of course I was dehydrated on the run and lost ~30 minutes because of it, but I did it!
Seriously though, I will do it the same way again, but drink 2.5-3 total bottles with the 3rd coming from the course nutrition, or possibly carry 2 behind the seat.
How hot will it be. You already said you expect it to be cool.
How far the aid stations are apart? I go through a bottle about every 30 minutes so as long as they are about every 10-12 miles apart I’m good with just one bottle. There’s a local half around here though where they are only two aid stations 15-20 miles apart. I carry two bottle for that one.
I’ve done it. I did have a bottle on the downtube for emergency use but didn’t wind up drinking from it. It really is dependent on aid station location. If theyre well positioned you can easily get 3-4 bottles of fluid from that one bottle cage.
How hot will it be. You already said you expect it to be cool.
How far the aid stations are apart? I go through a bottle about every 30 minutes so as long as they are about every 10-12 miles apart I’m good with just one bottle. There’s a local half around here though where they are only two aid stations 15-20 miles apart. I carry two bottle for that one.
It’s the Big Kahuna in Santa Cruz. Typically cool, about 60-65F by the time I’m on the bike. My friends complained that they were freezing on the early bike, hence my longsleeve jersey. I typically don’t even drink 2 bottles over 60 miles in training in similar temps (I live less than an hour from the race start.)
I agree on a hot course, it would require more water.
I’ve done it before on a really hot day. One bottle with malto between the aerobars and gel flask on my stem. There were 4 aid stations on course. At the first and second stations, I grabbed a bottle of Perform and downed a bunch before tossing it at the end of the station. By the third station, I had finished my gel flask and malto bottle and just grabbed a bottle of Perform at each station the rest of the way. At the beginning of the run, I felt hydrated and my legs felt great. By the end of the run, I was toast but that probably had a lot more to do with my lack of run training than anything else
I prefer to carry what I need on the bike rather than slow down and deal with the slalom course that aid stations turn into. Temperature depending I drink up to 3 bottles for 56 miles, one of Perpetuem, one of HEED and one plain water. I usually finish with a little left in all three, mixed together maybe half bottle worth. That being said, if the weather gets brutally hot, I’ll toss my empties and take on course stuff.
I’m sure you could make it work but for the seconds another bottle would cost you is it worth it? I like having my 2 bottles with my nutrition and i’ll just grab water from the course. Throw a bottle on the back of the seat and one on the handle bars.
I’ve done my last 10+ IMs with one bottle between the aerobars, and relied on on-course hand-ups.
I’m not sure what the stupidity/risk you are concerned about might be. I think twice I’ve asked for sports drink and received water instead. I suppose you could miss a hand-up altogether and have to go 16 minutes without a drink, but that hasn’t happened.
I like to KISS and to optimise aerodynamics, it works for both.
I don’t understand how a second bottle makes things complicated? How many times have you KQ by the seconds you saved with the aerodynamics of only 1 bottle?
I don’t understand how a second bottle makes things complicated? How many times have you KQ by the seconds you saved with the aerodynamics of only 1 bottle?
I hear you, but I’m not keen on installing a rear hydration rack on my P2 right now just for a bottle that I ‘might’ use. At the same time, while your point is taken, if there’s no problem with only one bottle, I’d rather not drag the 2nd one with me in my jersey pocket.
I once and a rear rack (Super Wing) and I hated it. Friggin ejected bottles like firecrackers all day long, even when the bottles were locked in so tight that I couldn’t pull 'em out unless I was stopped with two hands.
I have done my last 8 Ironman and around last 30 half IM’s with one bottle only. Start with a single bottle with 400 cals or so of Infinit, and then go to off course gatorade or perform. In Mdot races it is certainly possible…plenty of aid stations
First one in Austria I used a normal plastic bottle cage that I had lying around. After the first of 2 aid stations I hit a bump and the bottle flew out, down the road and into a field! I didn’t bother retrieving it and had nothing to drink for the next 28k. I was thirsty but I’m not sure whether it actually physically impacted on my race.
The second in Germany I had bought a better bottle cage and had no problems.
For most HIM’s I personally don’t generally think you need more liquid than the course will provide and am currently debating whether to go with the one in Vegas at the weekend or add another. It might be hot but I’m still not sure I’ll go through more than 5 bottles of fluid during the bike. For most other races I’d still definitely go with one bottle in the aerobars without a hesitation.
I guess it’s a personal decision based on the risk of losing a bottle. Like you I like minimise what I start with as there’s usually plenty of nutrition available in the course.
Definitely a matter of preference here, and clearly no “right” or “wrong” answer but for what it’s worth I run two bottles and my logic is simple. The time I’ll gain by carrying 24oz less weight (especially on a flat course) + the time I’ll gain by looking cool is always less than the time I will lose if I miss an aid-station, drop a hand-off, etc multiplied by the probability that may happen. Basically, I don’t think I will win the day by not carrying that second bottle, but missing a hand-off in an HIM or greater distance will certainly make it easier to lose the day.
Recently made the switch to just a single bottle up front, and with aid stations being close enough had no trouble at all. The weight drop makes a noticeable difference when you remove cage mounts and a full bottle, I dropped some significant time off my best bike split (admittedly different course though).
I’ve rolled with one bottle for the past couple of seasons, every race from Oly up to IM. No issues living off of what’s available at the aid stations.
I don’t understand how a second bottle makes things complicated? How many times have you KQ by the seconds you saved with the aerodynamics of only 1 bottle?
+1
The benefits of going without the downtube bottle are there, but they’re pretty marginal. That being said, I usually fill my aero drink and toss the bottle I use to refill it at the aid station, and never really have to go into the downtube bottle. What I use the downtube bottle for most of the time is actually for a quick rinse after a nature break on the bike.
For some reference, here are a couple interesting reads on bottle position and aerodynamics.
