Looks like the seattube-to-downtube distance is only long enough to accommodate a short bottle - looks like the taller bottles would be very tough to get in and out, even if there is room for them. Can anyone comment on this? I like the idea, but short bottles only could be a deal-breaker.
The company’s website FAQ states that oversize 28oz bottles CAN be used … but I don’t see how there’s room.
I really like the idea. Have you done any tunnel testing to prove it makes a bike faster? Can you post results?
Thanks,
Ken
Very clever.
Do your calves (or knees?) rub that bottle any more than they would with standard placement? How 'bout when you’re throwing the bike around (out of the saddle)?
Also, is Fleck paying you? Two nineteen wetsuits in the same race has gotta be a stitch-up… 
Hi Ken,
We’re in the process of designing the protocol for Wind Tunnel testing. Our goal is to make this as real world as possible (rider on the bike, peddling, etc.). The challenge is that the Wedgie combines the water bottle holder and tool bag… this means we have to test: no water bottles / no tool bag, water bottles only, water bottles and tool bags, etc. Stay posted!
best regards
Tom
Hi Show Pony,
The Wedgie is no wider that a water bottle and occupies the same space. If your legs, calves and/or knees presenlty are not hitting a standard water bottle and holder (mounted in the
mounted in the traditional method), then there should be no issues with your legs hitting.
Best regards,
Tom
I get a bit of rubbage with the traditional P2 mount…narrow q-factor and MASSIVE muscular calves…yeah, that’s it
In all seriousness, it looks clever…I’ve tinkered myself and seen similar home-made jobs at races. Is this *your *product?
(edit: never mind Tom, checked out the site)
Hi Show Pony,
I hear ya… I ride a P3 and I have 17 inch calves (but use a standard/Dura Ace Q-factor). No problems with rubbing/hitting, but that being said, everybody is built different.
And yes the Wedgie is my design.
best regards,
Tom
Hey Twitchers…
Ok, I’m going to state off the top, the pictures you’ve seen posted here are of my bike at the Muskoka Long Course Tri in June 2009. I know Tom and I’ve been racing with him and against him for quite a few years. For the record, I’ve been riding with a Wedgie all season. No, IronTom isn’t paying me, I just like the idea and thought that it made complete sense when I first heard about it and after using it all season I can state that it just works.
Questions:
Bottle: Yup, the big bottles work, with lots of extra room. I’ve tried a couple of different types and all of them worked. The shorter ones slide around a little bit (but not that much), but the longer ones are just fine. I personally like the Camelback Podium bottle. The valve on the lid doesn’t allow fluid to leak out when in the vertical position.
Bottle cage: It’s integrated. You can’t buy another cage and bolt it onto the top. It also grips the bottles very well with lots of surface to lock the bottle in.
Ejection: Nope, I’ve never lost a bottle out of the Wedgie. I’ve lost them out the back of my HydroTail until I changed the cages. I’ve lost them out of the custom “between the aerobars” hack job I’ve been using as well. I’ve ridden with the Wedgie on some of the roughest roads in the area (Burlington Ontario) and in Muskoka trying to bounce it out. Nope. Solid like a rock. It can’t get ejected or slide out. You’ll eject yourself out of the seat before you’ll eject a bottle.
Cost: Well, yeah, if you just look at it on it’s own, it’s expensive. However, what’s the cost of a carbon fibre bottle cage ($50-70 CA) and what’s the cost of a bike bag ($20-30 CA). I can see your point here. Now, how much did you spend on the bike, your fancy carbon fibre base and aero bars ($400-$1000), aero helmet ($130-$200 CA), not to mention the wheels to get aero advantage? With the wedgie, on a well supported course, you can remove everything behind your seat and elimate that huge aerodynamic drag. It’s pretty cost effective if you ask me for the significant (abet untested at this point) aerodynamic advantage.
Rubbing: Nope. I have never touched the bottle with my legs and I routinely rub my top tube with my knees while pedaling.
Width: The body where the repair kit goes is as wide as your tubes are. The bottle grips are as wide as a standard bike bottle is.
Transition Times: I can’t speak for the faster out of transition statement, my bike won’t mount on the back of the seat, it just slides off.
How confident am I in the Wedgie?: Well, I used the Wedgie on my third IM race, Ironman Canada, this year. Yeah, my bike sucked, but that was because I had an issue with my brakes on the last half. The Wedgie did what it was supposed to with no problems.
Would I use it in the future?: Damn right I will. The only way I’m getting rid of it is to replace it with a newer version.
IMC 2009 Cool Stuff: I showed the Wedgie off to the Cervello guys demoing the P4 at the expo, and to a man, they were all over it. Their comments were that it was unique, functional and a great idea. One of them said that the Wedgie had “Wow factor”. They even took lots of photos to fire back to head office. They’ve seen it all and they were very impressed with it. 'Nuff said!
Yeah, there aren’t a lot of these out there yet, but in two years, you’ll be seeing them every where… Like Cervello’s at Canadian triathlons. Trust me on this one. It just makes sense.
Mark Collis, proud Wedgie owner and tester
www.ontherun.ca
let him know, when he makes one* a lot* cheaper that is made out of some simple plastic, and without a bottle cage, i’m in.
carrying a frame-mounted bottle for short course races is unnecessary when you got an aero drinking system.
with the much lower price (since he will be using low-cost plastic, vs. carbon fiber), i bet he will sell them like hotcakes. and it wouldn’t hurt to make the low cost version in a few basic colors: gloss black, gloss white, dura ace gray, maybe red, navy blue, etc.
I can just see the bottle not closing and all kinds of crap leaking all over your bike and chain…etc… I like the upright holders…but that’s just moi.
Yeah… Gatorade leaking out the bottle nipple was a problem. Some of bottles worked better than others, my favorite, been through the wars, bottle leaked like a sieve. I picked up a Camelback Podium bottle on a whim when I was at my local bike store when I was in for a new inner tube. I’ve ridden since mid July with the Podium bottle on the Wedgie and it does not leak.
During IMC, on the out and back section, I picked up a fresh Gatorade bottle and wondered why my feet were getting wet. The quick drink lid had the seal removed but the top wasn’t screwed on tightly. A full bottle with an ill fitting top would have leaked just as much on the down tube. You should have seen the crap that I washed off my legs back in the hotel after the race. It wasn’t that bad to clean off the bike though.
BTW, this is the only down side I can see to using the Wedgie.
An older, worn, rubber push top bottle is going to leak, but a new bottle shouldn’t (ok, cheapo, crappy bottles won’t even seal at the lid - just throw them out or give them to your kids). I’ve swapped out the tops of the short green Gatorade bottles (the ones you get at every race) to replace on a larger bottle that had one too many go-rounds. That worked as well.
And for what it’s worth, I don’t know about you guys, but I always have to clean drink mix, gel, and assorted crap that gets spilled during a race. Then there’s the story of a buddy, that lost the top of their Hammer Gel flask and the contents all over their bento box, bike computer, aerobars, etc. mid race… Yuck. Now that was a baked on, nasty mess to clean up.
Mark Collis - Cervello P2C + Wedgie + Mavic Carbone wheels = 82 KPH max speed at IMC
www.ontherun.ca
