Fat Water Bottles
 

I am just wondering what effect standard "round" water bottles have on the aerodynamics of the bike. I would think that it would specifically affect TT bikes. With the hundreds of thousands of dollars of R & D that go into making "aero" frames and wheels, why doesn't anyone create or use an "aero" bottle(s)? Do they not nullify the aerodynamic effects of a faired downtube? Just wondering. I have no evidence whatsoever. Do you?

http://images.competitivecyclist.com...005/3690_m.jpg

"2005 Arundel Chrono Carbon Fiber Water Bottle and Cage Combo $59.99

Repeat after us: One Trick Pony. It's not just a Paul Simon song (or is it a whole album??), but it's a reality about the Arundel Chrono carbon fiber water bottle cage. One trick indeed, but one trick it does worlds and worlds better than anything else out there -- it's the ultimate hydration system for your time trial bike. It's barely wider than your average downtube, and it has an incidental fairing effect proven to make your bike more aerodynamic than having no cage on your frame at all.

A quick look at the Chrono tells the whole story: Unlike every other cage out there, you'll find no "arms" that embrace a bottle. Rather, the bottle (when you buy a Crono, you're buying a cage AND a bottle) is molded to snap into the cage. No cage arms means substantially less drag -- it's an elemental part of the Crono's near-invisible profile. The bottle pops in and out of the cage with no brainpower, and when the bottle is in the cage it absolutely, positively will not eject from the cage. If you've been time-trialing with one of those bulky between-the-aero-bar bottles with a straw sticking out of it -- throw it out! The Chrono is more aero, less clunky, and it contains more than enough water for a 40km TT."

This one hasn't been around that long though. when/if i get into serious time trialing i want to get one of those bad boys.

i found it here: http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za...RY.ID=49&MODE=

That is some serious coin for a bottle and cage, though I guess it is not as bad as the Campy Record Carbon ($100+). Still, none of the pros use them, or at least none that I have seen. Any clue as to why?

are there any protour teams sponsored by arundel? if there aren't, then no teams would have used them. if there are, then maybe the cages just havn't been around long enough. either way, for an aero bottle, i think the price isn't bad.

Check out this:
http://www.analyticcycling.com/
On the right-hand side of the site there's a column of links. At the very bottom there's something called "Rider Aero Study"
Mind you, that they are experimenting with regular "aero" wheels. The sheltering of the reer wheel a bottle produces may not be as significant with a true deep section rim and an aerodynamically optimized frame.

What we (ok not we, but the pros) need is for the aero frame mfg'ers to integrate the bottle into the frame and include it with the frame. They need to keep the downtube aero but have it cut out at the waterbottle and have a flat back, then design the bottle to finish off the airfoil-profile. Maybe even integrate the cage into the frame. It would look wierd, and be expensive, but it would be faster.