The Wedgie- Product Review Blog

Triathlon Forum
1

In my two recent threads about water bottle placement options, a poster suggested I look into this product as a potential solution. I visited their web site, http://www.mywedgie.com/, and was very interested as it seems to be a great solution for a bottle holder and spare kit/tool box. It’s like the P4 Water Bottle but it’s a box with a bottle mounted on top.

http://i50.tinypic.com/2re35m1.jpg

They also provided a video and results from a wind tunnel test of the product vs. other set up and a clean bike frame using a P2.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=coUFBidpBT8

I was able to find 2 threads from last year about the product but nothing since, so i decided to go ahead and buy it to give it a try. One of my initial concerns was how good the fit would be on my Orbea Ordu frame, especially the down tube. Clearly you want that as snug as possible. I contacted the company and within 10min received an e-mail from the founder Tom Schopf. He offered to send me at their cost a dummy box template I could use to trace out the exact specs to fit my frame and they would trim a Wedgie to suit. I was very impressed by the quality of the customer experience so far and I think it’s great they offer to customize your order for your bike. So I am starting this thread as a blog to document the product. I’ll add photo’s along the way and share my experience and see if this is something worth considering.

2

cool.

will it go the way of the bento box and be looked down on by the ST masses?

3

I don’t how that would be legal if TJ’s nutcup/bat mobile hydro pack is not allowed.

4

quite an expensive piece i believe it is over 100 dollars??

5

It is pricey at $138 $C Dollar. I’m sure it would be not UCI legal just like the P4 water bottle. It’s a fairing effectively. But even the Speed Concept comes with what is arguably a fairing tool box on the back, so as long as WTC or USAT don’t ban these kind of boxes, we will likely see more stuff like this. The Speed Concept box really took me by suprise.
And in regards to Bento Box’s, I have tried carrying 2 Cliff Bars in my Jeresey pockets in Kona and they become a melted mess.

6

And in regards to Bento Box’s, I have tried carrying 2 Cliff Bars in my Jeresey pockets in Kona and they become a melted mess.

Well Duh ??? sorry could not help that one They would melt in Alaska in July.

7

And in regards to Bento Box’s, I have tried carrying 2 Cliff Bars in my Jeresey pockets in Kona and they become a melted mess.

Well Duh ??? sorry could not help that one They would melt in Alaska in July.

LOL! Yeah, that’s why the Bento Box came back on my bike. Good place for my gel flask as well. :slight_smile:

8

i just wanted to bring up some pictures i found searching the forum.

http://i26.tinypic.com/2dlk9cw.jpg

http://i25.tinypic.com/6sc0pj.jpg

its a much better fit on an aero p2c frame than an unaero guru crono.

9

i just wanted to bring up some pictures i found searching the forum.

http://i26.tinypic.com/2dlk9cw.jpg

http://i25.tinypic.com/6sc0pj.jpg

its a much better fit on an aero p2c frame than an unaero guru crono.

I’ll be curious to see how the template sytem works and how well they can trim the box to fit a specific frame. Again, I would think the key is fit to the down tube to prevent gaps that could catch in the wind.

10

i’d be curious to see how that person gets the bottle out of that p2C… the top is almost touching the downtube, how do they slide it forward?

11

i’d be curious to see how that person gets the bottle out of that p2C… the top is almost touching the downtube, how do they slide it forward?

I’ll let you know, I’ll test all different kinds and sizes of bottles, especially course given sport and water bottles.

12

Quick update, I sent Tom an e-mail to follow up on my order and the cardboard template they were sending me to customize to my bike and received the following response. Again, great customer service and communication and I have a full color 4 page PDF showing me how to use the Wedgie model to fit my frame properly.

Hi Bryan,
Yes, the package was sent out using Canada Post’s Xpresspost USA service, tracking number: CE523 677 204 CA. I checked and the package is still with Canada Post… hopefully, it is not being held up by customs. We’re in the process of setting up a US business address and getting the Wedgie NAFTA certified. This will greatly expedite shipping and customs for our US customers. We should have our US address set-up by the time you receive the “Fit Kit”. This will make it easier for you to ship the package back to us.
Please find attached the “Fit Kit” instructions. This explains the paper model that is being sent and how to check the fit with your bicycle.
Best regards,
Tom
PS: We’re excited to see a Wedgie fitted to an Orbea Ordu. Not only are Orbeas great bikes, they are ranked in the top 6 via the Kona bike count (it was one of the 27 different tri-bicycles we designed the Wedgie to fit)! We studied Orbea Ordu’s frame geometry, even thou the seat tube is curved, we calculated a virtual seat tube angel of 76 degrees and a down tube angle of 48.

13

end up getting it from the post office yet?

14

Yes I would like to know also and if they have a kit for the QR lucero lite ? Maybe I will go check their website now, since I have a bit of time between loads of laundry.

15

i’d be curious to see how that person gets the bottle out of that p2C… the top is almost touching the downtube, how do they slide it forward?

For the record, the pictures of the blue 2006 Cervelo P2C? Those are pictures of my bike taken on the racks at the 2009 Muskoka Long Course in Huntsville Ontario, Canada. The Wedgie in the shots is an early production model, one of the first run of 5 I think, and I’m still racing / cycling with it.

How to remove the bottle? Just pull up. The bottle clamp arms are very flexible and don’t have a “death grip” on your bottle. I’ve never had an issue removing or placing any standard waterbottle in the Wedgie. In fact it’s so easy, that I was worried at first that the bottle wouldn’t stay in. Currently I’m using Camelback Podium bottles, personal preference.

In the year that I’ve ridden with the Wedgie, never lost a waterbottle out of it. Ever. That includes some of the very fast and nasty roads on the Brittania Road section of the old Muskoka Long Course. Since then I’ve actually tried to bounce it out on some of the roads around where I live including some very rough railway crossings. Nope. The bottle stays right where it’s supposed to.

This year I’ve put a between the arms waterbottle holder on my aeros. Can’t keep stuff in that darn thing. I hear Tom might be making something simular to the Wedgie holder just for that type of use. I’ve already put my order in for one of the first ones when it goes to manufacture.

Oh, and by the way, the standard, off the shelf Gatorade bottles with the the “fast caps” (the kind they hand out at IMC and other races with the twist on to drink, twist off to lock) stay in quite nicely.

Word of caution learned through personal experience… Always check that the top is screwed on tight before you stow it on the Wedgie. Sometimes the volunteers don’t give it that extra twist, and if they don’t you’ll end up with wet, sticky shoes, ankles and bike. I wondered why my ankles were feeling wet (sweat?) during the out and back section during IM Canada. I lost about a quarter of a bottle of Gatorade before I figured out that the bottle top had worked itself loose through bumps and lumps in the road.

The standard water bottles (the clear, thin walled, squishy kind - what do you call them?) they hand out at bottle exchanges to stay in (but are pretty loose, they rattle around a bit), but I tend to put them between my arms on an aerobar bottle mount rather than in the Wedgie. Again, personal preference… YMMV.

Mark G. Collis
www.ontherun.ca

16

Bump. Wanted to find out from Bryan if he got the Wedgie, how installation went, etc.

17

Bryannnnnnnn how did it go?

18

I’m sorry guys! I totally forgot about this. Yes, i did receive it but it couldn’t fit my tubular spare so I had to send it back and they sent me a pre-paid shipping label and were so great. So I can’t speak to instalation and use, but it looked great and they were very helpful. Sorry!

19

I just sent an e-mail to the weblink provided asking for photos of this hardware in various frame types. Hopefully some more information can be shared so potential customers can see how well this device will fit in their frame.

20

I did received an e-mail from the weblink. They are in the process of updating the photos with triathlon bikes for your information. They claim the Wedgie fits on Cannondale, Felt, Cervelo and Trek frames.