Looking for Aero bottle system to be mounted between aero bars.
Have been browsing the forum here and am leaning towards the Xlab Torpedo 400 system.
However, I found conflicting messages about the spilling issue.
To current owners:
Does it spill or not ( consider bumpy roads, full bottle or whatever tricky conditions)?
If the torpedo does spill, which one is “spill-proof” / which manufacturer has solved it best?
Thx for any comments.
I didn’t get spills with the quick fill cap.
The computer mount (old style, I think…) sucks for GPS placement. It’s not long enough and the bottle gets in the way. It also rattles a lot unless you get lucky with the velcro (mine never seem to be tight enough).
I have the 400 non carbon one. It doesn’t spill at all, just used it for a full IM. It also doesn’t rattle at all, the Velcro works fine, if you want you can not use the Velcro straps and use zips ties as well. The computer mount is fine as long as you have the cage mounted at the far end. The straw sucks and breaks easily, I emailed for a replacement and got no response. You should consider the profil design fc35 as well.
I just used a Torpedo bottle for the first time last weekend, with the quick fill cap. I just had plain water in it, volume of one standard waterbottle (so it wasn’t quite full, maybe 3/4 full). No spillage at all that I could tell, and that’s over our crappy frost heaved and patched Nova Scotia roads.
I didn’t use the mount, just ziptied an Elite cage to the stem and aero bar extensions and adjusted tension on the ties so the bottle was more or less level.
I’m 2 rides into a 100 setup, quick fill cap, pretty smooth roads - no spillage so far in 45 miles.
No spill, either using the regular cap while training and the speedfil at races.
I have the 400 non carbon one. It doesn’t spill at all, just used it for a full IM. It also doesn’t rattle at all, the Velcro works fine, if you want you can not use the Velcro straps and use zips ties as well. The computer mount is fine as long as you have the cage mounted at the far end. The straw sucks and breaks easily, I emailed for a replacement and got no response. You should consider the profil design fc35 as well.
That’s the new computer mount. It’s slightly longer. The older one is too short, so OP should make sure he gets the new design.
Ditched mine due to spillage. I would tolerate some spillage but this was way too much.
When did Xlab introduce the change (to the new computer mount)?
I have no clue to be frank. I bought mine in June 2014…
Mine is like this (second picture in description)
http://www.trisports.com/xlab-torpedo-mini-mount.html
New one is longer like this:
http://xlab-usa.com/aero-computer-mount.html
I still see the old mount on walls at LBS so they are still out there. My issue is that with the bottle as far as possible to one side, and the mount as far as possible to the other side, my Edge 510 and the torpedo bottle overlap. That means the computer is either slightly over the bottle in an angle facing away from me, which makes it annoying to read or slightly under the bottle, slightly hidden by the bottle.
I have the old one, and it works fine for me. Maybe because my bike computer is a Garmin 510 and is small it fits fine? The new one looks amazing though…I’d prefer that one.
I have no clue to be frank. I bought mine in June 2014…
Mine is like this (second picture in description)
http://www.trisports.com/xlab-torpedo-mini-mount.html
New one is longer like this:
http://xlab-usa.com/aero-computer-mount.html
I still see the old mount on walls at LBS so they are still out there. My issue is that with the bottle as far as possible to one side, and the mount as far as possible to the other side, my Edge 510 and the torpedo bottle overlap. That means the computer is either slightly over the bottle in an angle facing away from me, which makes it annoying to read or slightly under the bottle, slightly hidden by the bottle.
I’ve been using a Torpedo 400 with the solid refill lid for over a year. I love it. It’s very easy to refill on the go.
I don’t use their computer mount. I use a K-Edge Garmin mount, mounted out on my bar in front of the Torpedo.
I have used the Torpedo since it was first introduced by XLAB. I use the solid / no spill cap which is still very easy to open and refill on the fly. The only spilling experienced is when trying to refill on bumpy roads. Otherwise, there is no spilling while riding. The other issue is when racking a bike by the seat in transition, a full bottle will leak fluid from the air vent in the cap. XLAB is aware of this and Candice from XLAB has mentioned their engineers are close to a solution for this. Maybe she can provide an update.
Mine spilled, splashed and actually launched once on a very bumpy road. I also couldn’t mount my Garmin 500 as it was in the way of the bottle, straw was in an awkward place. It wasn’t ideal with my set up to say the least. (I have a 48cm P2).
The air vent is useless I think as I just duct tape over it. I should’ve said I only use the solid cap, it pops open easy for refilling. I have a first generation version. I don’t know why some people can fit the computer and others can not…it’s actually a perfect fit with a garmin 510 just touches the nose of the torpedo
I have used the Torpedo since it was first introduced by XLAB. I use the solid / no spill cap which is still very easy to open and refill on the fly. The only spilling experienced is when trying to refill on bumpy roads. Otherwise, there is no spilling while riding. The other issue is when racking a bike by the seat in transition, a full bottle will leak fluid from the air vent in the cap. XLAB is aware of this and Candice from XLAB has mentioned their engineers are close to a solution for this. Maybe she can provide an update.
Mine spills and yes it was installed correctly. It made it though 4 races before it got the thumbs down. Just switched to Speedfill A2 after my last race was a slosh fest with Torpedo.
I have on one my bike and with the quick fill cap, it does “spill” a little bit. I would expect that, although, because it’s water and it will find the easiest way out of anything you put it in. It splishes a bit on my bike when I go over RR tracks and hit medium sized bumps. I only put water in it thought and it is perfectly acceptable to me to squish a little water out of it.
My wife uses one on her bike (49 P3) and uses the hard closing lid and loves hers. She has a computer (Garmin 500, I think) mounted in front and there’s barely enough room with her clown aero extension for her little arms to see the computer, but she can use it for what she needs.
I would recommend this product if you don’t mind a little spillage with the quick fill cap. If you don’t want spillage, use the hard closing cap.
I will say X-Lab has been great about servicing their products as well. I had the “bite valve” pretty much fly off after using it twice and Candice and crew sent me a new one within 1 day.
Spillage! On the bike, and on me.
Enough that I had to get my headset replaced after 1 season which would mean only a couple of dozen rides over the year. I put Gatorade, Poweraid and other nutrition in my Torpedo. I put it there because I would drink more with the drink tube right in front of me. But, with the small hole in the solid cap, enough liquid would leak out that it would get into the headset. Plus, when I popped the top off at aid stations to dump in a new bottle, there would be some spillage. I started making sure I had a bottle of water to rinse with after refilling.
Plus, the bite valve is broken after 1 season and seems to be on Back order through my local shop. Its a good thing it is off season.
I’ll be looking for a replacement this winter. If I can’t find something better I’ll change to just putting water in the Torpedo and carry a nutrition bottle on my down tube.
If anyone has found a better solution, let me know, I’m interested.
I’ve been using the torpedo BTA bottle only (no mount) in a gorilla cage, for about 2 weeks. I’ve done about 400-500 miles and no spillage except when really full and hitting a big bump. Of any refillable bottles I’ve used, this is by far the best in terms of spillage.
There must be a wide variety of product defects. I just held my torpedo upside down and not a drop came out from the solid cap. Is it possible that some of the solid rubber lids were made too small?