i was browsing visiontech’s website and i noticed some new drinking system:
http://www.visiontechusa.com/fly.aspx?layout=product&taxid=299
they say “Designed and test by competitors” ,i never seen something like it,did someone try it?
I know they designed and made prototypes of that YEARS ago (ie. 3-4 years ago, not sure exactly how long though). I gathered they just weren’t popular with those testing, but don’t quote me on that.
Looks interesting - never seen it in use. At 1 liter capacity, 2 bladders and 2 straws seems a bit strange though.
Actually just found it here - http://triathlonlab.com/product/vision-drinking-system-fsa.html. At $200, it’s no wonder we haven’t seen many of these things.
I saw it at the tri expo in San Diego…seems to be built very well but I was not thrilled with the two straws…asked the guy if you could get just one bladder and one straw and he looked at me like I had lost my mind…I said I wouldn’t want two straws up in the wind…he said that I could splice the two together…doesn’t seem like a great solution
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Here’s something simple. This I like.
Problem - no carbon. Maybe not complicated enough. I think triathletes like complicated things!! 
but hey it says “wind tunnel tested” so it must be good right?
but hey it says "wind tunnel tested" so it must be good right?
Indeed. That’s why I get a good chuckle seeing all those wind-tunnel winning Cervelos at mile 80 of an IM ride with their riders all sitting bolt upright, number and singlet flapping in the breeze like a parachute!** **Perfect!
the only front end systems id consider using is:
bottle+ cage- any variation
joe boness’ ingenious set up.
Here’s something simple. This I like.
Problem - no carbon. Maybe not complicated enough. I think triathletes like complicated things!!
After using the Hammock for a couple of training rides and a race… I threw it away in disgust.
Worked horribly with my Cobb Wrist Reliefs, always that “extra” bit of shifting from not being solid.
In a race where the front tire is touching the ground in Transition… forget it. Your bottle WILL be laying on the ground when you get out of the water.
Cage + zip ties for me.
In a race where the front tire is touching the ground in Transition… forget it. Your bottle WILL be laying on the ground when you get out of the water.
Cage + zip ties for me.
i just picked up an aerohammock and have not yet raced with it. can you elaborate on this statement?
the bottle just sits in the pocket…it’s not held in place. Racking the bike with the front wheel down and rear wheel up tilts the bars forward enough to let the bottle fall out.
thanks, that makes sense.
does anyone have any suggested workarounds for this issue?
the bottle just sits in the pocket…it’s not held in place. Racking the bike with the front wheel down and rear wheel up tilts the bars forward enough to let the bottle fall out.
this. In theory it looks like it would work great, but even a bottle cage NOT zip tied to the stem (to keep it from sliding…even if it’s just a bit) has too much movement for my taste.
All I did in the one race I used it in (after picking it up off the ground might I add) was wonder / worry if it was going to come out on a descent and spear the competition.
Possibly, if you had ski bends and liked your bars out LOOOONG (so that it sat “above” level with the bars) it may work better.
That’s why I get a good chuckle seeing all those wind-tunnel winning Cervelos at mile 80 of an IM ride with their riders all sitting bolt upright, number and singlet flapping in the breeze like a parachute!
So being on a more aerodynamic bike the rest of ride is irrelevant?
I find it hard to follow the logic that unless you can stay in the optimal aerodymanic position for the entirity of an ironman bike ride, the aerodynamics of your bike, wheels or helmet doesn’t matter.
I just got a king cage stem mount bracket for a water bottle cage. Haven’t installed it yet. With this, you take of the stem cap and replace it with the king cage barcket. It holds a water bottle cage. It should work. But now I have to figure out where to put the computer. http://www.kingcage.com/products-waterbottle-cages.html
I recently bought one of those and I can give a detailed review.
I got a newer version with the anti-splash kit already installed. It worked well, and I got less splashing than with a standard front aerobottle with the sponge (properly) installed. Taking the newer version apart was also rather easy, although the first time required a quick glance at the instructions. My version had little “pull tabs” on the bladder collars so it was easy to take off the top part and take out the bladders for cleaning. Once the bladders were cleaned out, it was easy to reassemble the whole system. The back area has a nice little compartment that would be good for gels or other small items. It attaches with velcro to hold the two bladders in place.
There are two bladders, a front one that is kind of pointy so it can conform to the shape of the housing. The rear one is squared off. Each bladder has its own straw, and I would guess that any attempt to splice the two could make it difficult to get all the liquid out of each bladder. I opted to solve the problem of two straws in the wind in two ways. Once was to use a couple of small velcro straps to hold the straws out of the wind while I was not using them. This worked well. I also decided to shorten the straws a bit as they are VERY long, but unfortunately cut a little too much. (This was of course entirely my fault.) I will soon see how difficult it is to get replacement straws or bladders. Given the cost of the unit this will be an important issue. You want this thing to last a long time, and if you put energy drinks in it the bladders and straws will get gross sooner or later.
Finally I come to the key issue, and it brings me to the one major complaint I have with the device - capacity (or lack thereof). On my initial fillup prior to my first test ride I rather quickly got water leaking out of it while filling up with my first bottle. I assumed that the bladders were improperly installed and folded up inside the housing. I also found that leaning the unit too much could lead to water leaking out, but no more so than with a standard front aerobottle. Afterwards I took the back of the housing off, got a 20 ounce (standard “big” size water bottle) and tried filling it up. I found that the whole unit could not hold the contents of one full 20 oz bottle. The front bladder in particular is quite small, and seems to hold a bit more than half of one small bottle. The rear is a bit larger, but still does not hold one full small bottle. I used this device in Eagleman, and found that I had to pick up fluids a couple of extra times as compared to when I used a large Profile design bottle.
The capacity is claimed at 1 liter, or about 34 ounces, but I found in practice the capacity is much smaller. I will probably only use this thing in oly or sprint races where I do not use much water. With luck I will also be able to fit my spare tube and CO2 in the little compartment as well, which would leave me without much junk hanging from the bike. I don’t plan to use it for longer races, as my experience with Eagleman is that it just lacks the capacity.
So being on a more aerodynamic bike the rest of ride is irrelevant?
No it’s not. With respect, you have missed the point. The contribution of the frame to all this is minimal - body position is maximal. Clothing likely has a bigger impact than the frame. My point, stop fussing about the frame and work on or find a good aero position that you can hold on any bike for a long time - not all of the time, just a lot of the time. It’s clear to me that those people sitting bolt up-right at mile 80 are not doing it for my entertainment - they have been riding that way for a long time and will be until the finish. If they like throwing watts out the window, then that’s cool and they can ride how ever they want, but if they are going to ride that way, why get a tricked out aero bike that is meant to be ridden another way - they would be better off on a road bike.
Your mileage may vary.