Fred D Mentor Group - Part II (Page 94)

Here is my setup

Top view

Side View - the bottle and computer are set so the bottle slides nicely over the computer without touching it.

Front view

My homemade computer mount

Race report is up.   Good swim, good bike, then had my a$$ utterly handed to me on the run.   sorry - don't know how to make a link?

http://www.beginnertriathlete.com/discussion/forums/thread-view.asp?tid=462117&posts=1&start=1

Quick update: acupuncture fixed the calf and the plantar fascia... and allowed me to notice the real culprit - my knee has been swollen probably since last Sunday. Not bad, but always present. And it's stiff and hard to straighten.

Got an appointment with an ortho guy tomorrow. Planning on at least swimming at Superfrog on Sunday - and either playing it by feel or by doctor's orders after that.

Sucks, but happy it happened after I got real insurance again - and that I'm headed to the ortho for a next-day appointment. A friend of mine, TechDiver on BT, waited MONTHS for an MRI. So, I'm lucky in that respect.

Happy training and racing

At the risk of you guys making fun of my Schwinn bottle cage (I'm pretty sure it's not carbon...), here's my front end setup from IMWI.  (Seriously, though, as I mentioned earlier I use that cage in races because it is narrow and holds the narrow replacement bottles that they hand out better than my other cages.)  I also have a Specialized aero bottle on the frame that fits the frame like a glove.

Top View:

Side View:

I think that there are some tweaks to be made to this setup, but overall I like it.  I ride with concentrated sports drink in the bottle on the frame, and water in the 'torpedo' bottle. My hands and arms pretty well cover up the bottle and computer (despite my scrawny arms...).

Shuffling stuff so I had the bike inside and took a quick pic:

You can see the Garmin mount on the side which seems weird, but since I use the 310xt watch face, it is very small and doesn't get in the way.

Here's mine:

Really must get a better cage at some point!

I know there's another aero bottle, but can't think of the name (it's in the pic of JR that got posted).  The Bontrager bottle is pretty common though, and I've got nothing bad to say about it after riding with it for a few months.  I know Tom just added it, and Arend runs one on his Cervelo.

The other one (that I know about) is the Specialized Virtue bottle.  Might fit Fred's frame very nicely.  (I have one and I like it better than the Bontrager, though the Bontrager is OK too.)

ETA:  Looks like Rapp uses that Specialized bottle, or did in 2011 at least:

http://www.slowtwitch.com/Products/Tri_Bike_by_brand/Specialized/Jordan_Rapp_s_Specialized_Shiv_2037.html

ETA (again):  Bozzone uses it too:

http://www.taiwanracing.com/.a/6a00d8341cead353ef0120a5ce6af8970c-pi

Macca does not:

http://www.taiwanracing.com/.a/6a00d8341cead353ef0120a5ce6a5a970c-pi

Alexander also a 'no':

http://alscyclesurgery.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/Craig-Alexander-on-Shiv.jpg

So, now we've got the pros sorted out...

I've heard lots of people say that.  I didn't have as much trouble with it as many have, but maybe I got lucky.  Anyway, I prefer the Specialized, FWIW.

Okay, now I've got to ask - why don't you guys like it for holding liquids??  That's all I've done with mine, and like I said, I've got zero issues.  Holds the liquid well, comes in and out of the cage without issue....I don't get it.

As an aside, here's a good pic of Rapp on your bike Fred.  Looks like he's sporting that new Mclaren helmet.

(RappLeadman2012.jpg)

It's been well over a year since I tried the bottle but I just remember it being awkward to take in and out of the cage and weird to drink out of.  Maybe I didn't give it a fair chance as it didn't last very long.

Do you have it on the down tube or seat tube?  That could make a difference for ease of use I suppose.

From what I remember Fred had also switched back to living off the course, which means he is going to be taking hand-ups. This seems to me to be where aero bottles are a disadvantage as well.

What are you guys guys carrying in your flat kit that won't fit under your seat - or are you riding saddles that don't have any room?

ETA: just re-read that - sorry - it is a genuine question, I am very interested. I promise I am not being snarky.

Edited by TankBoy 2012-09-25 8:47 AM

Last night's "recovery" ride turned out to be more interesting than usual.  Typically Monday ride ride is a shop, no-drop, ride that's pretty relaxed with a few hills that people jump on, but everyone regroups and rolls along at a fairly reasonable pace.  30 mile ride.  Last night, there was road construction on one section and somehow we decide to cyclocross-it through the gravel and such.  Can't believe I didn't go down.  Regardless, I flat shortly after at about mile 14.  Owner of the shop, and former pro rider, slows down to help along with another guy I don't really know but have overheard talking about riding for a college team in Colorado.  Tall, lanky & wicked fast.

The former pro also runs my Thursday morning computrainer class.  As this point, I know I'm in for a world of hurt.  They take off and I hear something I thought was along the lines of "think we can catch them."  I look down and we're at 28mph on the flats.  Like a fool, I take my turn at the front, holding the pace, but foolish ego made we want to take my fair share.  Big mistake.  They eased off a hair to get me back on and then it's 15 miles of me being absolutely pegged.  I didn't pull through again, and they had me right on the edge the whole time.  Unlike a normal no drop ride, I couldn't just pull the plug because those guys were out there to ride me back.  I thought I was going to die.

The amazing thing was watching these guys ride at these speeds.  Awesome.  Also, unlike my normal rides, there was no easing at tops/bottom of hills, out of corners, or otherwise.  These guys were set to go at all times.  Total fun and miserable.

Getting back to the shop owner running the computrainer class and knowing my numbers, at the last light stop, he kind of looks back and asked "How was that?"  Me, "Effing brutal."  Him, "I thought you could use some time at threshold."  That's a mean SOB.

I need to find some more rides like this.

I LOVE rides like that, when you least expect it, you are hanging on for dear life! How cool!

Late to the party.  Curve of the bars doesn't allow a bottle on the bars themselves, plus I don't like the added weight there.   A2 on a stem mount.  Don't use a QR so garmin stays on the wrist.  Flat kit in the rocket pocket (replaced the bento in this pic).  A2 has infinit, one three hour bottle plenty for HIM.  Frame cage gets water replaced on course.

Speedfil guys said the A2 on the stem tested slightly better than the torpedo mount due to some turbulence in front of the chest.  No idea whether that's accurate or not.

That sounds awesome.  I wish I had the opportunity to ride with people who could put me in the hurt locker like that.  I'm just not wired to destroy myself unless I have someone pushing me to do it.

2 tubes, 2 levers, 2 co2, and (optionally) a tiny pump all fit in my P4 bottle with some effort

I'm not recommending the frame bottle over the torpedo mount.  If I could fit my flat kit completely under my saddle I would but I haven't been able to do so.  I have a cobb saddle and I have managed to get a C02 and two tire levers under there but that's it.  I couldn't find a way to get the tube itself in there.  Now last year I had the tube taped up sort of under/behind the saddle and that worked great but I wanted a second bottle setup for IM.  After reading a million ST posts, I decided to go with the torpedo mount, a single bottle behind my saddle (which eliminated the tube from there) and flat kit in the bontrager bottle.  That *seemed* to be the most likely aero setup.