Small Frame Hydration Solution for IM

[JVic]

My wife has a very small frame 44cm, looks like a little kids bike. Anyway since the frame size is so smalland the cages are so close to the top tube it is very difficult to get water bottles in and out. Has anyone had a similar problem and what was done to remedy the problem? I am thinking of getting her the X-Lab Flat wing but I know all about their tendency to eject bottles in addition to my personal dislike for it. She will be riding with an Aero Drink up front but needs bottles for the Ironman nutrition needs.

[roadie gal]

TriZone has a few other seatpost mounted bottle holders that look more stable than the XLab stuff. Check them out. I haven't tried any of them, so I can't say how they work.

[cslone]

www.neverreach.com

[MHR]

My wife has a very small frame 44cm, looks like a little kids bike. Anyway since the frame size is so smalland the cages are so close to the top tube it is very difficult to get water bottles in and out. Has anyone had a similar problem and what was done to remedy the problem? I am thinking of getting her the X-Lab Flat wing but I know all about their tendency to eject bottles in addition to my personal dislike for it. She will be riding with an Aero Drink up front but needs bottles for the Ironman nutrition needs.X-Lab Flat wing is heavy and can poke your rear while riding, plus bottles can get kicked out while mounting or worse - at T3 you can catch your leg on the thing and fall.

The Profile behind the seat is what I use with high end carbon cages at 25g. - although the std. cages will work fine for anyone starting out. I even use the same configuration on my road bike....once a Triathlete always a Triathlete.

[dogpound]

yea, I have a thing like that too.
though I have found in IM there are enough bottle stations that I don't have to overload my bike.

[Jaybird]

Hey MHR,
Whats the circum of your seatpost? I've heard w/a lot of the new carbon seatposts, they are a little too big for the aqua rack. Just curious if there is some play in mounting the aqua rack to a slightly larger seat post.

[MHR]

Hey MHR,
Whats the circum of your seatpost? I've heard w/a lot of the new carbon seatposts, they are a little too big for the aqua rack. Just curious if there is some play in mounting the aqua rack to a slightly larger seat post.
the Trek-TT has a small 25.0 seat post...although I have the same Profile rack on my Cannondale IM 5000 that uses USE Alien Carbon @ 27.52 and it works fine on either and could go larger.

[Jaybird]

Thanks for the info. I'm going to order one this week and give it a shot.

[Ex-rower]

You could look into some side entry bottle cages.

[Jaybird]

Send me some links...I've never heard of them. Thanks

[JVic]

Just did a google search on "side entry bottle cages" and there are quite a few .... Im gonna have to look into this a bit.

Anyone have any experience with these side entry cages? likes/dislikes etc ... ?