Speedfil A2 Aerobar water bottle review

Triathlon Forum
1

So I participated in the Big Kahuna Half IM last Sunday in Santa Cruz and got a chance to use my brand new Speedfil A2 bottle which arrived a few days earlier from Nytro.com. (http://www.nytro.com/...duct/?ProductID=7401) I used it twice on some shorter rides just to avoid the cardinal rule of never using something new on race day.

Setup of the bottle itself is pretty easy. It’s a bottle, after all. Cut two pieces of tubing and slip them into a plastic elbow. Slip on the bite valve. Done.

Speedfil uses a regular small-size Specialized bottle (21 oz.), but because of the extra elbow portion, it ends up holding a tad more than my Camelbak 24 oz. bottle. If you have room in your cockpit area, you could use a larger-size compatible water bottle. (Just make sure you leave enough length on the tube inside the bottle when you cut it).

The torpedo placement of the bottle above my stem was very convenient. I had tried a torpedo mount before but didn’t really see an advantage since I had to remove the bottle anyway to take a drink. The tube with the bite valve naturally curves backwards and downwards. It was very easy for me to just lower my head a little and it was in the right spot for my mouth without me having to look down to find it. Also, the tube was outside of my field of vision so it didn’t distract me at all.

I didn’t carry any other bottles and just refilled it on the fly at the water stations, which was very easy. The top cap slides open, you squeeze in the contents, and then flip the cap closed. Done. No splashing except from me squirting the water in while hitting some bumps.

The product worked properly. I think it’s a bit more convenient than my Profile Aerodrink bottle, a bit more aero, and doesn’t splash. Hope this info helps.
http://s1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd441/4tridad/?action=view&current=speedfilA24.jpg
http://s1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd441/4tridad/?action=view&current=speedfilA21.jpg
http://s1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd441/4tridad/?action=view&current=speedfilA25.jpg

2

If you mounted this between the aeor bars rather than on the stem wouldn’t the straw be too far away?

3

The straw is really long, I had to cut about 6 inches off mine, I have it mounted on the stem, but use a 26oz purist bottle, and I am probably using more straw than most would too.

4

http://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd441/4tridad/speedfilA24.jpghttp://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd441/4tridad/speedfilA25.jpghttp://i1220.photobucket.com/albums/dd441/4tridad/speedfilA21.jpg

Made it easier for everyone to view.

5

I used the A2 at IMOO didn’t put the cloth sleeve on the straw and didn’t install the bike valve…used the velcro strap to hold down the straw when not in use…worked well.

6

Does it do a good job of getting nearly all the fluid out of the bottle before sucking air? Seems like it would leave an inch or less of water in the bottle before a refill is needed.

7

Yes, it cleared nearly all the water out of the bottle. The tube inside the bottle has a natural curve to it. Just make sure that the end of the tube is curved towards the bottom of the bottle (when the bottle is horizontal). After that, the tube really doesn’t move. Also, my bottle cage has a slight downward tilt to it, which I think is pretty common. Completely draining a bottle is more likely on longer training rides because in races you usually come upon a water stations well before your bottle is near empty. But even on longer training rides, this has not been a problem for me.