Got my first tri-bike last week (Guru Trilite, wow it looks good), and wonder what system I should use for those tasty beverages? Feels wrong to mount it on the frame.
I have searched the posts here, but I did not manage to understand what is the good systems for holding bottles, or if behind the seat is better than on the aero bars. But it looked like flatwing got mixed reviews.
BOO, with all the “sex and training” or “dating and training” threads, I thought your question may have been about THAT kind of mounting. And with the bottle question, it reminds me of the horse races that have what is called, “The Breeder’s Cup”. I’m not sure what a Breeder’s Cup is, but, I know I wouldn’t want to drink out of it.
But, since you are talking about drinking water while biking, I’d say you are pretty smart to put one bottle on your seat-tube, and another so-called “aero” bottle up front between the aero bars. If you need more fluid than that, get it during the race from the course. If you are simply training and need more fluid…it doesn’t matter where else you put water (even a Camelback-type device). Last summer, I did some rides where I had a NeverReach, a Camelback, and three large water bottles…and I STILL ran out of water. So, it depends upon whether you are racing or training.
BOO, with all the “sex and training” or “dating and training” threads, I thought your question may have been about THAT kind of mounting.
Is there anything, anyone can do to make some rather sick pictures in my head go away? Maybe a visit to the hottie thread will help?
“may I have some of your tasty beverage to wash this down?”
I use a bottle up front and one on the down tube. I used to be worried about the aero effects, but realized the extra seconds aren’t really going to help me. On the other hand, I remember a thread that mentioned John cobb’s aero teats on bottles. The downtube was supposed to be more aero than the seat tube or behind the saddle.
This year…
Racing = 1 Downtube and 1 profile aero up front…
Training
Anything less then 75 miles… 2 behind the seat, 1downtube
75+ Depending on route… 2 behind, 1 downtube + Aero… I really don’t like to ride with the aero during training but I believe it does make sense to get the feeling of it.
Training…behind the seat…Racing bottle up front … When I had my Blade built I eliminated the down tube and seat tube cage bosses…in a long race, bottles and front bottle…
I really like the Profile Aqua Rack. It comes w/ 2 Profile Kages. I have never launched a bottle from this apparatus. It is limited to certain seatpost designs, however.
HC
For those of you that dont mount your bottles in the rear, how/where do you carry spare tire and C02 for the longer races?
I have always attached mine to the XLab but it does seem like a junk sticking out in the air.
I actually use a wide-mouth bottle and put my tire/tools in it. Works just fine this way, although it can be a German fit, you know; German, as in “gute-n-tite”. On those long races, usually there is PLENTY of water out on the course, so using an extra bottle this way isn’t usually a problem. 
If you can, use both the down-tube and seat tube braze-ons for bottle frames. Simple, clean, easily accessable, minimal if any increase in drag.
Perhaps it’s the simplicity of it all that is confusing people.
Fleck
On the trilite there is only braze-on on the seat tube, but it makes sense to use that one. Then I’ll have to find a solution for that extra bottle I need!
short distances/time call for the Jetstream.
longer calls for Neverreach.
can’t stand bazooka bottles
Hey I posted awhile back about a new lowest Hydration System called SipAway (because it was $20 vs. $100 Neverreach.) I figured I’d try it. I got it in like April. I have to say I love it. You might check it out. www.SipAway.com You can hold bottles in any position that has a water cage. However the only way to refill this thing is to pull it over and stop! Not a good race strategy 
GOOD LUCK!
I have three bottle mounts on my Softride – the standard down tube and “seat tube” (which is very short and not conducive to grabbing a bottle), and one more on the sloping tube between the rear beam mount and the rear brake.
I usually use the “seat tube” location for the tool bag, but in a race I’d go minimalist with tools (just a tube and levers) and put that IN the seat (suff it between the beam and the seat, bungied in), and take off that cage. For a half IM I’d keep the two bottles. For Oly I’d go with one. For sprint I’d go without entirely and just have a bottle at the T zone.
I use the TUFO tape to mount them to my tubular rims. The bottles have much lower rolling resistance than TUFO tires.
Wouldn’t the glue make tham faster? I read somewhere that the tape slows you down as much as the tires.