I’m trying to figure out the best nutrition strategy for my first 140.6 (Rev3 Cedar Point) and looking for some advice. My plan is to use my Tor Hans Aero 30 up front and keep that replenished with fresh cold water from the aid stations. I also plan to carry a concentrated bottle of my nutrition (calories plus electrolytes) on the down tube. I don’t really like making my nutrition bottle SUPER concentrated, so I usually split it into two bottles (one on down tube, one on seat tube) for my long training rides. I figure in the race, I can just start with one bottle on the down tube and then pick up the second at special needs and ditch the empty one.
After seeing this picture (link) of Andreas Raelert’s extra large Powerbar bottle though, I was thinking that something like this might allow me to get all of my nutrition in 1 bottle on the down tube and save me a stop at special needs.
Does anybody know where to find these Powerbar bottles or of any other large capacity (ie. >24 oz) bottles that will fit in a standard cage? I found these (link) Gatorade bottles on eBay after doing a quick search. Does anybody know if these fit a standard cage?
My daughter was given one of those Gatorade bottles for her volleyball team. I’ve never tried to shove it in a cage, but that’s because it looks like it’s way to fat to fit.
If you want a standard quart (liter) bottle, Zefal makes a “magnum” bottle.
I’ve used the zefal magnum bottle for a number of years. You can get it on amazon.com for about $8-9. Make sure you don’t order the black one, unless you want your drink to bake in the sun.
I use it in a standard carbon bottle cage on the frame. I’ve never had any problems with it bouncing out.
You’re plan for switching bottles at special needs is what I always do. I freeze the bottle the night before and it’s always still very cold when I get it at special needs.
I use my large 32 oz Gatorade bottle on the down tube for training. I put 6 hours of Infinit in the large bottle leaving the between aerobar bottle for water and spare tube in the Darkspeed Works bag.
I perspire heavily and have need for large bottles for the Saturday 2.5 hour training rides. Like others have mentioned, the Zefal Magnum is a good choice. I don’t like the gasket that comes with it (an extra thing to clean) and the bottle leakes without it.
I’ve been happier with the 32oz. version of Elite’s bottle. Nashbar had them back in the day. I bought enough to last 5 years!
No. Works great. I am debating using the same setup for Rev3 myself. I am thinking the increased drag of the bottle would be faster than stopping at special needs.
Exactly what I’m thinking. I doubt the larger bottle really has that much drag over a standard 22 oz, and saving a stop at special needs would definitely save some time. I have no idea how fast they are at Rev3 special needs, but I like the idea of not having to rely on that special needs bottle.
I picked the 2 of the 32 oz Gatorade squeeze bottles at Sports Authority for a couple bucks. There is a window on the side so you can see how much fluid is left. I took a marker and put lines on the side so I can tell if I am on track with calories. Works great so far.
After all these folks saying they had no problem with the Gatorade bottles, I called home to have my daughter check hers out on some of our bikes with a variety of cages. She was 0 for 3 in getting it to fit into any of the cages. (One had the Elite cages, the other two had different brands of metal “King cage-style” cages.)
So, I would advise giving yourself some time to find a cage that works, or being prepared to bend the snot out of a metal cage to make it work. Or, you could use a Topeak adjustable cage, but I’m not sure how well that would hold.
Which style Gatorade bottle do you have that doesn’t work? Is it the newer “G” series with the squeeze lid (the one I linked in my original post), or is it the older style with the traditional lid (ie. you have to pull open with your teeth).
I’m thinking there might be a difference between these two…
I wonder if Dick’s has them locally for me to try out…
Which style Gatorade bottle do you have that doesn’t work? Is it the newer “G” series with the squeeze lid (the one I linked in my original post), or is it the older style with the traditional lid (ie. you have to pull open with your teeth).
The newer type with the squeeze spout, like in the picture you linked.
Just wanted to let you know I also use the large 32oz gatorade bottles(the older style with the pullup top) and while they are bigger in diameter than a regular bottle I don’t have any trouble getting them in the cages that I use. One is a standard looking hard plastic cage that will flex enough to fit and the other is a zero gravity cage that also will flex enough to fit. Now it is not going to fit in any cage that is fully enclosed. I have one of those behind my seat and it will not fit into that. I use two of them for every long ride (along with bottle behind seat and aerobottle) and have not had any issues with them bouncing out
Just a general update, in case anybody else was wondering like me…
I swung by Dick’s on my way home from work today and picked up a couple of the 32 oz Gatorade bottles identical to the ones I linked in my original post (the kind with the squeeze spout). I tried them on a few bike cages they had in the store and although they are slightly larger in diameter to a normal bottle, they fit in all the cages without a problem. The plastic is really pretty pliable.
At home, they fit it all 3 different brands of bike cages that I had and seemed really solid. As another poster has mentioned, they will not fit in a cage that is enclosed. It has to be open to allow the bottle to squeeze in a bit.
The true volume all the way up to the brim is closer to 35-36 oz, so I am thinking this will be a great solution for a concentrated nutrition bottle. The clear strip along the side to keep track of the volume is a nice touch too. Not bad for $3.99!
