Must Have Bike Accessories - Long Course

cmd111183 · March 23, 2015, 10:30pm

So I’m newer to the sport and looking for some direction on can’t miss items for the bike. But specifics help. Obviously I need hydration, but so I go frame mount with a straw, dual rear mount is a definite, do you go aero bar mount? If aero bar mount, which models still allow space for my 800 to be mounted?

How about spare kit. Do you prefer a bag or is everyone just rocking electrical tape these days? Tube, levers, co2. Is that it?

Best nutrition bags out there for top tube mount? Or is there a better way to carry food?

I’m riding a 2014 Blue Triad EX, but swapped out the cockpit bc stock was too narrow for my shoulders. Now have a Bontrager cockpit with pretty steep bend, which I think is going to make it tough to mount very much between the aero bars, but again, looking for advice or input.

Anything else I missed with regards to accessories to make sure a long race goes smoothly?

Avago · March 23, 2015, 10:45pm

So I’m newer to the sport and looking for some direction on can’t miss items for the bike. But specifics help. Obviously I need hydration, but so I go frame mount with a straw, dual rear mount is a definite, do you go aero bar mount? If aero bar mount, which models still allow space for my 800 to be mounted?

FOR MY P3, I USE A PROFILE AERO BOTTLE WITH DRINKING STRAW ON BARS !(data:image/jpeg;base64,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)THESE HAVE A GARMIN MOUNT AT THE BACK, BUT AS THAT’S OUT OF THE SIGHT LINE, I TURN THE WHOLE THING AROUND SO THE GARMIN IS IN SIGHT AND THAT THEN PUTS THE DRINKING STRAW IN THE CORRECT PLACE FOR ME( YES, I KNOW THAT MEANS BLUNT SIDE FORWARD, BUT HEY, 6 + HR IM TIMES, SO I DON’T CARE )
A FRAME BOTTLE AND A PAIR OUT THE BACK. BUT I ONLY USE ONE OF THE BACK MOUNTS DURING IM RACES
SO DURING RACES, FLUIDS IN THE AERO BOTTLE AND ONE FRAME BOTTLE ONLY

How about spare kit. Do you prefer a bag or is everyone just rocking electrical tape these days? Tube, levers, co2. Is that it?
SPARES INTO A SCREW TOP BIDON ( BOTTLE) THAT IS KEPT OUT THE BACK. AGAIN , FOR ME, 2 TUBES WITH CORRECT VALVE LENGTH FOR YOUR WHEELS, 3 CO2 (I’VE BEEN KNOWN TO MUCK ONE OF THEM UP ) & LEVERS, $20 CAB MONEY

Best nutrition bags out there for top tube mount? Or is there a better way to carry food?
AGAIN FOR LC OR IM, A FEW GELS IN THE POCKETS OF THE TRI TOP AND USE COURSE NUTRITION WHEREVER POSSIBLE

I’m riding a 2014 Blue Triad EX, but swapped out the cockpit bc stock was too narrow for my shoulders. Now have a Bontrager cockpit with pretty steep bend, which I think is going to make it tough to mount very much between the aero bars, but again, looking for advice or input.

Anything else I missed with regards to accessories to make sure a long race goes smoothly?

racin_rusty · March 23, 2015, 11:03pm

The only thing I can offer, is keep it as simple as possible. The only accessory that should be the same at the beginning and end of the ride (hopefully) is the flat kit.

cmd111183 · March 23, 2015, 11:11pm

The only thing I can offer, is keep it as simple as possible. The only accessory that should be the same at the beginning and end of the ride (hopefully) is the flat kit.

Amen to that.

Runless · March 23, 2015, 11:58pm

How long of a race, and how well supported?

I think the ST standard is:

Some sort of between the arms solution, whether its a cage zip tied in or something fancier like a torhans.
A single bottle cage as close to the rear of the saddle as possible.
Flat kit - tucked as small as possible while still being accessible on race day either under the saddle or in a repurposed aero bottle

cmd111183 · March 24, 2015, 12:03am

How long of a race, and how well supported?

70.3 mostly.

First race is Devilman, a small “half-lite” in MD. .8/40/8.8

Then Challenge AC & Ironman Princeton 70.3. Both of which I would assume to be well supported.

As for the between the bars solution, assuming I have a single bottle cage, you still need to purchase a torpedo top fill or something with a straw correct? What are the mounting options for your computer at that point?

Frame mount aero bottle turned flat kit is brilliant. Well supported with dual rear cages and a bar mount cage, I can prob get away with one of the rear bottles as a flat kit, no?

Titanflexr · March 24, 2015, 12:45am

A lot of this is personal pref.:

I prefer a BTA torpedo (I have the Xlab) up front. It gives you the option of using the torpedo w/straw, or using that cage for handup bottles.

For the flat kit, I place it in a bottle that rides in one of the rear carrier cages. It’s waterproof, and easy to move between bikes.

There are two types of aero bentos: nylon ones with zippers (Xlab, DSW), and the rubber ones (Specialized remora, Trek). No pref here.

For LC you’ll find a fair number of pros also going with a bottle on the downtube, opting for ease of access over pure aero: http://www.slowtwitch.com/News/Kona_14_Top_15_men_-_bike_4728.html

Elitist_Jerk · March 24, 2015, 1:16am

Just my thoughts…
Unless you’re going 10 mph, you’ll see an aid station pretty regularly. I only carry one bottle between the aero bars. Flat kit behind the saddle. Food on the top tube.

surroundhound · March 24, 2015, 1:28am

For 70.3, I use a Profile Design HC as BTA hydration, with a mesh-flap top bento box immediately behind it. If you look at it from the front, the BTA bottle and straw holder hide it nicely from the wind. Nothing heavy goes in there, just some chews and maybe a waffle. Extra bottle of drink on the seat tube. Flat kit in a saddle bag under the saddle. Here’s a pic…

For an Oly distance, I’ll remove the bottle cage from the seat tube. For race distances shorter than about 20km, I don’t bother carrying any hydration.

cmd111183 · March 24, 2015, 1:36am

Got it. So what’s the deal with computer mount with a bta bottle? I have an older profile i can zip there for handheld bevs, which seems will be fine. Two cages in back, one for fluids, one for spare kit. bento on the top tube.

As for water bottles you start with. Do they get ditched at the aid station? Small investment and then just carry the aid station bottles there after?

surroundhound · March 24, 2015, 1:44am

I don’t ditch anything. If your bike handling skills are up to it, you can refill the BTA bottle through the top port while on the move. Keep an extra Nuun tablet in the bento if you want to grab a water bottle from the aid station and make your own electrolyte refill. Keep in mind my long-course experience maxes out at 70.3… others would be able to give you more detailed info about what they do for 140.6.

cmd111183 · March 24, 2015, 1:57am

I’m only doing 70.3 this year. So that’s my main concern. So that’s plus one for a top fill BTA. If I carry a regular bottle bta though, we’re in a diff circumstance. Food for thought I guess. Or carry a disposable BTA to start and just swap it at a feed zone.

CharlesYTri · March 24, 2015, 3:25am

Definitely agree with aero-bottle advice.

I carried a camelbak seat-tube mounted bottle at Soma last year, and refilled on the fly from twist cap water bottles handed out.

I’ll tell you it was a piece of work holding the camelbak cap, getting and opening the new bottle and dumping it into camelbak while holding my line.

Never again. I think that’s two lessons I learned. Keep it simple. Practice refilling hydration refills before race day.

mopshiv · March 24, 2015, 5:08am

Your bike isn’t an SUV. Think minimal. Some of the expensive bikes that show up are covered with enough spares to change the entire age groups tires and food to allow your to get lost a go walkabout for 3 days.

My bike is clean. One bottle behind the seat, I get bottles at the aid stations. A spare rolled in under the seat, c02 and lever hidden also.

Collect what you think you will need. Now halve it.

Titanflexr · March 24, 2015, 6:55am

I’m only doing 70.3 this year. So that’s my main concern. So that’s plus one for a top fill BTA. If I carry a regular bottle bta though, we’re in a diff circumstance. Food for thought I guess. Or carry a disposable BTA to start and just swap it at a feed zone.

If using standard bottles BTA, use a old one and ditch it at the aid station.

At Pac Grove last year they had purist bottles, so it was a nice upgrade from T1 to T2.

DarkSpeedWorks · March 24, 2015, 6:20pm

Best nutrition bags out there for top tube mount? Or is there a better way to carry food?

While we can’t claim 100% objectivity about this, not many bento packs will fit an advanced tri bike like a blue triad. But this one will. And none of the other bento packs out there are shaped like ours, built like ours, or mount like ours. And no slipping or sliding. None.

mbwallis · March 24, 2015, 7:15pm

I use an XLAB Torpedo 400 BTA setup. They offer a computer mount that keeps the computer just in front of the bottle, for easy viewing. It provides enough clearance for larger computers like the 800. I really like this setup, it’s basically what is shown here: http://xlab-usa.com/torpedo-system.html

For a 70.3 I’ll have a concentrated bottle of Infinit in an aero bottle on the down tube.

Spare tube and valve extensions are under the seat. Single BTS cage with CO2 mounts on there as well.

It takes some experimentation. My setup used to be messier.

shadwell · March 24, 2015, 11:11pm

This is going onto a Speed concept

One BTA bottle (elite plastic cage xip tied onto Brezza 2 bars and extensions)
One bottle behind the saddle (Xlab gorilla)
Tube and Gas in storage box (Trek speed box)
Darkspeed works 480D on top tube (gels and bars)

That’s the same for all distance save;

For IM I add a trek aero bottle on the seat tube which has x10 strength solution in it (ie practically gel)

On everything up to long course i am self sufficient.

For long course I take on water only… which is x2 more bottles ie 4 bottles on the whole course.

Note:- I dump 250ml electrolyte at T1 long course and again in T2… which support the 4 bottles on the bike only.

I will adjust this if its hot… (its pissed down in every long course race i have done in almost 20 years… bar i think 2… its uncanny)

Tsunami · March 25, 2015, 12:59am

I have something like this (aero bento) that I bought at the hill top shop that used to hand out American Zofingen bibs. It’s a smidge small (low profile so I have to fold my waffles in half) but I love it.

I use my down tube bottle cage and an x-lab with 2 cages off the saddle, one bottle is fluids and the other is my flat kit. Question - I’ve been thinking how cool it would be to have a split (hinged) water bottle that was just for flat kits. Does this exist (if not, please include me on the patent!)? I ask b/c the necks of normal bottles are a bit narrow and make it a pain to tuck everything in through it.

Oh, and on handoffs - I recommend the OP learns to refill bottle(s) on the fly b/c many courses have some road issue (eg several railroad track crossings for IM Boulder, a known road gap for IMWI) that will launch bottles, particularly those grocery store water/gatoraide type ones. The racer looes their hydration and some other competitor possibly gets taken out on road garbage, both are no bueno.

Squidbilly · March 25, 2015, 1:28am

Best nutrition bags out there for top tube mount? Or is there a better way to carry food?

While we can’t claim 100% objectivity about this, not many bento packs will fit an advanced tri bike like a blue triad. But this one will. And none of the other bento packs out there are shaped like ours, built like ours, or mount like ours. And no slipping or sliding. None.

That is the most beautiful bike I think I have ever seen… Very nice…