Elite Crono CX aero bottle kit includes fiberglass cage and 500 ml aero bottle

Product Information

With ultra-aware road racing fans hooked up to social media 24/7 and with training rides, race results and spy shots of prototype bikes all being shared and going viral instantly it’s now almost impossible to keep a soon-to-be-released road bike secret. Factor in just such a bike winning at the very first World Tour race of the season at the Tour Down Under and you may as well hit ‘publish’ on the carefully crafted marketing material there and then instead of waiting patiently until launch day. A 900ml round bottle is often used when an athlete is looking to be self supported, keeping all their own hydration on the bike. In all cases it was slower than the 500ml bottle, and was particularly slow on the downtube, costing a huge 8.2w at 40kph, and 3.5w at 30kph! Out of all the options tested this was the worst, adding up to 3min20sec over an IM bike leg. There is no shortage of options for triathletes in terms of how to carry liquids on the bike. There are rear cage holders, aero bottles, aerobar-mounted bottles, aerobar-mounted cages, frame-mounted straw systems, saddle-mounted straw systems, and of course, the standard frame bottle cage. That's a big list. So what's the best way to go?

I've never used the latter, and I don't know whether they are very practical to use, nor whether I'd look like a douche, or even whether the bike (which is surely not a TT bike) will look awful with them on. And finally, I don't even know whether they'd allow any aero benefit. Evidence seems to be very inconclusive and will of course change from bike to bike. Some articles seem to say just 1-2 watts, others 6-7, others no benefit at all, etc.

Downtube Aerobottle

The watts saved by different hydration solution depends a lot on your riding speed. The faster you go the more gain you can get from using an aerodynamic solution for hydration. The slower the fewer gains you can get in comparison with a normal water bottle. So before choosing which solution is best for you, start by assessing your average speed on your next race. In comparison with a 500mL standard bottle fixed on the downtube, the power you have to produce when riding can be reduced. Let’s see a comparison of the watts saved by different solutions for hydration on the bike: Rank

With the Mini Wing 105, this design combined with its other features makes this the best dual rear mount we came across, though it does come with some caveats not often seen with XLAB hydration systems. Up and Down Tests by Cervelo suggest that a water bottle was of significance. Removing a water bottle saved 2.8% at 250watts, removing an aero bottle saved 1.6%. 1% of 250 watts, is roughly 2.5 watts, which sounds feasible. UCI Regulations Profile Designs makes another appearance on our list, but this time it is for those racers who need more hydration than most. Time trial bikes are typically designed for high-speed, straight-line stability. Road racing bikes, on the other hand, need to feel nimble and versatile.Reduce overall system weight while improving integration compared to the previous generation SuperSix EVO. (Focus on reducing weight out of the handlebar, seat post and fork to take overall weight down) In around a month I will have my new bike (an SL6), and my intention has been to make it "aero with judgement". What I mean is, whenever aero gains could be made relatively easily and without compromising too much else, I would go for them. I'm not a huge fan of seat-mounted bottles, but the best way to go is a single cage, zip tied right to the saddle. This allows you to get a great price on a carbon fiber cage mounted to the frame, though it is not especially secure or durable. Reasonably Decent

For most people, there is no point in buying an aero bottle. It only provides a marginal gain while making hydration more complicated. It can even prevent you from refilling. If you are a fast cyclist (25mph or 40km/h average speed) it can give the extra gain you need to cross the finish line first! Taking these results into account, it would actually be much faster for Jess to carry two 500ml bottles on the bike, placing one between her arms and one behind the saddle, as this would only create a 1.9w (40kph) / 0.8w (30kph) total penalty, compared with behind the saddle for the 900ml bottle which was 2.5w (40kph and 1.1w (30kph) slower. The hydration system tested in the study is similar to Profile Designs Aqualite drinking system for aero bars, which has been developed specifically for triathletes. Handlebar: Cannondale SystemBar R-One – low drag, full carbon integrated bar/stem, internal routing Carbon fiber is great for hydration cages because not only is it incredibly lightweight, but it is also incredibly strong for its weight.Frame – The frame is one of the few mounts to use both the cage and the contained types of hydration systems. Most of the frame mounted hydration systems are the cage type, but there are a few contained types to go along with them too. The frame has some distinct advantages over the other types with the main one being that it is far less likely to be damaged during a crash or fall than the other types.

With the overwhelming number of triathlon hydration systems designed to provide around 20 to 24 oz, the fact that the FC System offers a 35 oz model is a significant upgrade. According to this study, an aero water bottle can save 1.6 to 3.9 Watts compared to a normal 500mL water bottle mounted on the downtube. However, the benefits are negligible below 19mph (30km/h). The true benefits only show if you ride at 25mph (40km/h) or above. Cannondale are calling the Gen 4 SuperSix EVO the ‘lightest fastest road bike available’, in a nod to its aero-efficiency and its extremely light weight. Orbea’s testing showed the relationship between adding weight to a bike, versus the extra power required to overcome that additional mass on various gradients. Orbea For one, it has an aerodynamic design that reduces drag, though it is not quite as effective as XLABs or Profile Designs in this way. Still, the Speedfil A2 does allow for Garmin integration which definitely puts it in the “serious contender” market.Since the RZ2 has to compete with the XLAB, it might seem like it falls a bit short, but this is still an incredibly capable hydration system.