Question about my new Aero Drink bottle

My bottle fit into my AirStryke bars like a glove.  I only  used the velcro and didn't use the rubber bands.  Did a metric century the next day and didn't spill a drop with the lid on and the yellow sponge thingie in the top to keep my Infinit from sloshing around.  Was on some rough roads for a bit too.

The only thing I didn't like was when it was empty, of course the yellow thingie went to the bottom and stayed there even after I refilled.  Still didn't slosh that much and my computer never got wet.

He said his has a lid...

Mine works just fine with just the lid, without the sponge.

I have the newer version with the cap cover... all was well until I decided to wash the bottle and cover. I washed it in the dishwasher, probably a stupid move on my part. Now, the inner piece of the cap doesn't stay inside the outer piece... I don't even understand why they made it two pieces.

Anyway, if you have the new cap, don't throw it in the dishwasher.

eta: I only used the cap as well, not the cap and the sponge, and didn't have any issues. 

orange223

did you just put the pieces of velcro inside the bars and smush the bottle in there...is that how you did it?

Yepper!  The velcro came off of my bars and stuck to the velcro on the bottle when I took it out after the ride, but I can stick it back on. 

My lid is the rubber type that was mentioned above that you can fill on the go.  Like Bear said, I'm not sure the yellow thing helped that much, since it stayed in the bottom after the 1st refill.

Oh, and watch your eyes and nose when you are semi-tired, at speed, trying to focus on the road (and possibly other riders)  and bob down for a drink!  Gotta' get used to the proximity of the straw!

The previous version of the bottle did not come with a lid, only the sponge.  Yours is the new one and came with both the sponge and a lid, I guess to give you a choice of which one to use.  I recommend using the lid and getting rid of the sponge.

I think I put my lid through the dishwasher once and it was ok.

Things to do with superfluous yellow sponge in new aerobottles:

1. Throw it away - as was evidenced at Chicago Accenture (and many other races) they launch onto the course all the time anyway

2. keep it in case you pull a doh like newleaf and put your cap in the dishwasher

3. use it as a scrunchy in the shower

4. use it to scrub dishes

anyone else? anyone? anyone? Buehler? Buehler? 

Another opinion...

I found the velcro useless. Doesn't stay attached. Doesn't add much. Tossed it. I just use the rubber bands and they seem to work fine.

I'm a believer in the yellow sponge. If you need spares, look for the first big bump at your next longer race. You'll see a number of doughnut shaped sponges on the ground just after the bump where they've been ejected. 

To prevernt this, unroll the sponge. You'll end up with this like six foot long mesh tube. Now, mash it up randomly into a wad. Stuff the wad into your bottle, keeping it in the wider upper compartment so it doesn't sink to the bottom.  It will now both prevent splashing and allow you to easily fill your bottle on the fly.

I recently bought one NOS without the lid and have used it for a couple of rides and one race and I don't mind the yellow mesh. Rolled to an uncompressed diameter just wider than the bottle opening and about 6" long, it slips in and lays sideways in the upper chamber without popping out.

I wrote a review on this d*^m bottle, but still use it.

Here's how I'm using it now:

• Keep the cap on
• Double up the stupid yellow scrunchie thing (SYST)
  
• Stuff the forementioned SYST into the lid
• Deal with the dripping that happens out of the edges of the lid as you go over bumps

My favorite part of the bottle - the laughter I get when ever I read the word DESIGN on the side! 

I would think people that were designers would actually design their products to function well in the environment in which it was supposed to be used!

Despite all this, I still use the bottle, because:

• It looks cool
• I don't have to move my hands
• It holds A LOT!
• I haven't found anything better yet

A wise man once told me to shove a ball into the top of the d@$m thing.  I tried it, but I guess the ball I tried was too small...it fell in.

Go figure.

Tip:  When ever you start thinking, "there has to be a better way"  THERE IS!  

Challenge:  Someone out there invent a bottle that works...we'll all buy it!!!

I love mine. When I bought it, I bought the bracket and replacement kit as well just in case. A month after buying everything my dogs chew on the yellow sponge. Stretching it out. I threw it in the dish washer and kept using it until they completely destroyed it. So I am more carefull with my 2nd sponge, never once has either popped out. The second one I stretched out on my own, its much bigger than it came and I just jam it in there sidewaysish most of the time. I tend not to fill it all too high, but I guess fortunately I have never had a problem.

My only issue is, that my bottle sits sort of cock-eyed, reducing its 'aero' profile.

There are a few alternatives out there; I've seen this at a race and it looked to solve some of PD's design flaws:

PoiumQuest

I have the "old" bottle with the yellow scrunchy thing.  I bought the bracket to help hold the bottle between my clipon aerobars.  And I use the rubberbands.

First race with scrunchy: Scrunchy launches itself onto roadway, I do the HIM with Gatorade all over my body/clothes

I buy replacement scrunchy.  Unravel it a bit AND CATCH A LITTLE PIECE OF THE SCRUNCHY UNDER THE RUBBER BANDS AROUND THE BOTTLE MOUTH.  No more problems with scrunchy.  Advantage to scrunchy: Just pour new water/fluids down through it to refill on the fly!  Mine works great now, no lid.