Hydration on the Bike

By Mary Jo Pugh

If you're doing a triathlon--especially a longer race--your hydration system can be your life line. There are so many options...which is the best? Traditional bottles on the bike frame? Bottle between the aero bars with a long straw? Traditional bottle in fancy new holder between the aero bars? Bottles in back of your seat? A reservoir behind the seat or on the bike frame with a straw so you can drink on the fly? I have tried almost every one of these options and through these experiences I've found that a couple of factors are important for your decision.

Are you physically coordinated as you ride? I am not. Therefore the traditional bottle on the bike frames not a good choice for me. For those with good hand-eye coordination, these are great options. There is a new system where you can store a traditional bottle between the aero bars. I haven't tried this one. It looks easier to use than the bottle on the down tube, but not as versatile as the rear mounted bottle system by X-lab (although there are other similar products). I really like the seat mounted unit because you can accommodate two bottles, and store tools and tubes...all in an aero set up.

One limitation of these traditional bottle systems though, is that they a little more difficult to use on a longer race...unless you dump bottles and pick new ones up at the aid station. In my quest to find the perfect 70.3 hydration system I tried a couple of reasonable alternatives. The first was a Profile Design single bottle system that sits between the aerobar with a straw that comes up to your mouth, making easy access to your drink. While it did the job, I didn't do a good job of securing it, so it rattled a lot on the chip seal. Next, I got a two reservoir Profile Design bottle...that was really nice because you could have water in one part of the bottle and Perpetuem or something like that in the other. But again, the rough road made the second reservoir move...before you know it, the second reservoir was 2 inches out of the system.

More recently I purchased a Speed-Fill system, which is my favorite of all. This mounts on the down tube, has an insulated straw which goes through the aerobars right where you want it. There is even a neoprene case for the bottle to keep your drink cooler. It's super easy to fill on the fly--even for someone like me that isn't super coordinated. And it's easy to keep clean. Although it's best to keep just water in this.

So...as you're looking for your bike hydration system keep in mind your dexterity and coordination, distance of rides or races, and maintenance of the system. Like me, you might have more than one option that you mix and match to fit the context of your workout or race.

Ride safe and stay hydrated!