Hi - wondering if anyone has hydration system recommendations. I’m riding a QR PR-5. Doing mostly olympic distance races so need about 1 bottle during a race. I’m currently using round bottle on downtube which is probably worst option for aero and for drinking. Got dehydrated last race in Abu Dhabi partly because I was unwilling to get out of aerobars to get a drink. Also it was really hot! (but still awesome).
Thinking about either more aero option like Elite Chrono bottle on downtube (but read some bad reviews) or between aerobars solution like an X-Lab torpedo. QR told me X-Lab torpedo would work on the PR-5. Anyone have any recommendations or reviews? Thanks!
Don’t konw about QR PR-5 but X-lab torpedo works great. Is simple, gets a bottle between your aerobars, and has a quarter turn Garmin mount. Quick velcro strap on/off, doesn’t rattle or anything annoying when mounted correctly.
EDIT - I meant Torpedo Kompact (not regular Torpedo, which I’ve also used.)
My wife has the torpedo and loves it.
I tried it and found that the computer mount shakes so much that it was hard to read. I got a solution from Custom Bike Accessories and I love it.
I’ve fitted everything bar the torhans system and the one I’ve ended up with is the xlab torpedo. It’s expensive but in the end the best.
It fitsit’s transparent (so can see what’s left)Easy to refill without splashing can be swapped out for a bottle if needed
If it wasn’t this I would be using just a bottle in the same place, but drinking no handed is a major plus.
Only downside is cleaning, but there is strong clearing solutions.
Oh - I posted earlier before, but I realized just now that I have to clarify:
I own both the:
Xlab Torpedo
and
Xlab Torpedo Kompact
My earlier review where I was recommending the system, I mentioned the Torpedo, but I actually meant the Torpedo Kompact, which looks very different. The Kompact is the one I prefer most - it’s also the simplest, pretty much a fancy water bottle cage with velcro aerobar mounts and a Gamin mount.
The Torpedo also works fine, but had a few shortcomings that made me not prefer it in the end. First, it’s a bit longer for the attachments, so it can take up more real estate between your aerobars. Next, it can get hard to drink the remaining fluid in the chamber because the straw might not be flat enough. Third, for me the refilling on the go was more annoying than just replacing the bottle outright. (Note you can choose to not use the special water chamber and just stick a normal bottle in the mount, but then it’s like an overpriced Kompact.) Lastly, it can leak some when your bike is racked at an angle - keeping the straw pointed up to the sky (and not cinched down) seems to help against this.
I’ve been using the XLAB Torpedo for many years. It got really moldy (totally my fault) and I bought another one. Great for Olympic distance.
For half Ironmans I add the XLAB Aero TT bottle and refill the Torpedo once from aid stations. Easy to do once you practice a bit.
Not sure which QR bikes it fits, but that Profile Design aero bottle that wraps around the stem and merges with the frame looks intriguing, so maybe check that out. Forget exactly what it is called but it is one of the options on QR’s new bikes on their build-a-bike site.