One or Two waterbottles for Ironman???
I was wondering if I should equip my bike with one or two water bottles for an Iron man race? What would you do?
You need one for liquid food and one for water. I never understood why anyone needed more than two unless they didn’t want to stop at the half way point for a refill on the liquid food.
i do exactly what felix__w does. I start with all 3 full and then use the water bottles to fill the aero bottle every hour. At the special needs, I pick up new bottles. Same with 1/2Im too.
2 hydrate or walk
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I believe some Ironman races madate two in their rules if you read them carefully. You won;t pass bike nspection without two cages.
More importantly, it makes sense to have two. I don’t think you need two cages on your frame, two behind your saddle and a Jetstream like I see some people use, turning your bike into a land-bound super-tanker, but two is pretty much mandatory.
I’ll do my next IM with two on the frame with concentrated calorie drinks (small size bottles), and a Profile aerobar-bottle for water/Gatorade. Refill the Profile at every aid station.
An alternative would be one calorie bottle and pick up the second at the needs station. Second on-frame bottle would be for hydration.
In any event, you need two. If you have a frame style with only one bottle mount, get a seat-mounted holder or aerobar-mounted holder.
I use a jetstream in front with my sportsdrink. I use a waterbottle behind the seat. I drink the sportsdrink as I ride, I set my watch to beep when I need to eat and drink water with the food
What about equipping the bike with 4 water bottle holders. Two cages and two behind the seat water bottle launchers and and aerobottle? Any thoughs/suggestions?
Just one suggestion, Get a custom trijersey with words "EXXON TRIATHLETE" on the back.
Jim
thanks…well if I hit a rock I’m probaby going to leak fluid all over the area and be declared a disaster…thanks for the help and good advice…point taken 
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Two is all you need.
There are aid stations every 10 miles or so at most Ironman races that are well stocked up with just about anything you would need.
What I find rather comical are the big dollar, super lightweight bikes loaded down with about 10 - 15 pounds of water!
One reason you should carry two is that if you’re only carrying one and you accidentally lose it (or launch it) you’re SOL until the next aid station. I had the unfortunate luck of hitting a particularly nasty stretch of road at Vineman last year, right after an aid station, and launched both bottles of Gatorade off my Xlab Saddlewing. By the time I was at the next aid station I was dying of thirst.
Thats actually pretty funny but is way more common than you would imagine. I am always amazed at the guys with 15 lb bikes but the have 4 cages with large bottles and the jetstream filled to the brim. If you have ever done Wildflower the course starts staight up hill. Strapping 120 oz or more of water to your bike, I would guess, makes that climb really fun!
If you do that, you should only need the 70 oz Camelback instead of the 100 oz version. Witht he five bottle that will igve you 180 oz of fluid or a little over 10 pounds. You can compensate for the weight by spending another $1000 to get wheels that are 50 grams or so lighter. Between those things, It ishould be about a wash.
I love the people who show up for a 40 mile training ride w/ 4 or 5 bottles, a little box on the top tube full of bars and gels and still need to stop and refuel at mile 25.
I love the people who show up for a 40 mile training ride w/ 4 or 5 bottles, a little box on the top tube full of bars and gels and still need to stop and refuel at mile 25.
When did you see me on a ride?
Two is all you need unless…you’ve got a behind the saddle bottle launcher. My last IM I skipped the frame cage and relied on my xlab behind the seat 2 cage setup. The railroad tracks crossing pinged one of my bottles and the other was already half empty; on a hot day no less. Tends to piss a guy off needless to say.