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- Taking fluid on your bike
for your next triathlon
may seem like a simple consideration.
But there is much more
to it than you think.
So we have some handy tips to make sure
you go as fast as possible
and remain hydrated
for your next triathlon.
Firstly, not all triathlon
bikes look the same.
I mean look at this bike for instance.
But they do keep similar mounting points
for the water bottles.
We have between the aero bars,
behind the saddle, and on the frame.
but what choice or what
set up should you go for?
So let's start with a bottle
between the aero bars,
and a bottle like this from Profile Design
has been shaped to
improve its aerodynamics.
But also having it here
right in front of your face
and a straw makes it easy to access,
making it less likely
for you to get dehydrated
or lack in energy so you can just
continually fuel on the go.
Also it stops you from having
to move from your aero bars
to take bottles from
elsewhere on your bike.
So again it's improving
your body's aerodynamics.
And then another thing is
the fact that is has a cap
on the top which allows you then
to refill the bottle when it runs out.
And another option is behind the saddle.
And actually this is a really
aerodynamically efficient position.
Cause it's behind your body and your legs.
However if you've ever done this before
using a traditional cage,
you may have experienced a flying bottle.
So instead you should
use an extra tight cage,
like these ones from Profile Design,
which have an extra tight reinforced band
running around the cage.
And obviously here we just
have one bottle on the back,
but you can run with two,
which can then store
CO2 cartridges as well.
An important thing to
consider is that reaching
around behind you to retrieve your bottle
isn't exactly the easiest action.
Especially when you're trying to pull it
from these reinforced cages.
So it does require a bit of practise.
So another option is actually to use these
as back up storage to then
refill your front aero bottle.
Finally storage on the frame itself.
And if you've ridden a road bike,
you may be quite
accustomed to this already.
So you're gonna be comfortable
retrieving the bottle from here,
which in turn will keep you
hydrated more during the race.
It also allows you to stay in a relatively
aerodynamic position whilst
you retrieve the bottle.
So it's really important
you have enough fluid,
otherwise it could be
the end of your race.
And a pro tip that I found
really helpful over the years
is to check the course profile
and where the feed stations are.
For instance if there's a
hill early on in the race,
you may not want to go
with your full hydration
and fluids set up from the start.
Otherwise it's just unnecessary
weight on the climbs.
And a pro tip is to take a bottle
of concentrated energy
drink that you dilute
into your front aero bottle using water
that you pick up from feed stations,
which allows you to stick with
your preferred energy drink.
So there we go, hopefully
that's helped you
with your hydration set up
for your next triathlon.
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