I was recently contacted by Vincero Design, asking me if I'd like to test out their new hydration system. Their bottle mount system uses rare earth magnets on both the bottle and bottle mount. You attach their Edge 16 carbon composite mount to your bike frame, then attach either their 20 or 24 ounce Stratus bottle to the bottle mount. It sounded like a unique way to attach a water bottle to a bike, so I asked them to send me a sample to try out on my road bike.
Pros and Cons
Pro: I like the sleek design of the Edge 16 bottle mount. With the water bottle installed on the bike, that's all you see. There is no water bottle bracket sticking out from your bike frame.
Pro: I like the Stratus 24 water bottle. It has a no spill valve, all you have to do is give a slight squeeze to get the water into your mouth. No more fumbling with opening and closing the bottle valve; instant hydration while riding.
Con: The second time I tested out this system on my road bike, I hit a bump, my knee barely brushed the bottle and the bottle got launched. Luckily I was the last one in the pace line, or the bottle might have become a liability as cyclists tried to avoid running it over.I have NEVER had a bottle eject from any of my bikes before while using a traditional water bottle holder. I currently own three bikes, a single speed cyclocross, my Trek Madone road bike and a Cervelo P2 triathlon bike. So I do quite a bit of biking and have used various hydration systems over the years but this is the first time I launched a bottle while riding.
Con: It's hard to get the bottle to sit securely in the holder. The earth magnet is quite strong, but unless you have the bottle perfectly lined up with the holder, the bottle might not be completely attached to your bike. While I'm training/racing, I don't have time to look down at my water bottle to make sure I'm placing it back on the bottle mount securely. With a regular water bottle holder you can feel when the bottle hits the top of the holder and slide the bottle in without having to look to make sure you've lined it up correctly.
Neutral: Weight savings? The Edge 16 carbon composite mount only weighs in at 16 grams. But my plastic water bottle holder only weigh 36 grams. A difference of 20 grams is just not that big a deal, sorry. Carbon fiber water bottle holders weigh around 23 grams, but usually cost a ridiculous amount of $$, so I'll stick to my plastic water bottle holders that are available in every color of the rainbow.
Above: The Bike Diva's Trek Madone 6.5 road bike. Traditional hard plastic water bottle holder on the left, Vincero Design's Edge 16 carbon composite mount and Stratus 24 bottle on the right.
Bike Diva's Final Verdict
I really do like the Vincero Design water bottle design. Their water bottles have a patented silicon valve, and doesn't leak, even when held upside down. However; I am not at all impressed with their magnetic bottle mount.
I just checked the packaging on the Edge 16 bottle mount and found the following warning:
"Always stop your bike in a safe place before attempting to remove the bottle from the mount or beginning to drink."
Really!?! What planet are you from? When I'm training and/or racing I need hydration on the go. I don't have time to stop to take a drink from my water bottle. I just grab the bottle while I'm riding. Having to stop to grab your water bottle is like cycling 101 - being a newbie and not having the skills or confidence to be able to reach down for you water bottle unless you are stopped at a stop sign or red light. Get real!
Above: Close up of traditional water bottle holder on the left and Vincero Designs Edge 16 bottle mount on the right. The Edge 16 carbon composite mount is almost invisible once you place the water bottle on the mount.
Additional Information
Vincero Design offers a hydration package which can be purchased from their website. The package includes the Stratus 24 water bottle and Edge 16 mount for a price of $46.95.
Website: www.vincero-design.com
Facebook page:
Contact the Bike Diva
Have you used the Edge 16 bottle mount system on your bike? I would like to hear your reviews; good or bad on how you liked the system. There are many good reviews of the system on their Facebook page, so maybe I am just the exception for not being impressed with it. But as a freelance writer, I am contacted by many companies wanting to send me their products for review. I only give my honest opinion on the products, and never sugar coat the review just because I received the product for free.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
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Really not a fair and impartial review.
I've been using the system ever since the Univest Expo in Souderton/Doylestown. To date, I've logged almost 700 miles on my bike with the system and without *any* issues. The bottle is easy to mount in either position on my small road frame as long as you use the features molded into the bottle. At the end of a 40 mile ride, I was not even looking down. I've also hit railroad tracks at 22MPH with no lost bottles.
So I think there are three things I'll call out from the review:
(1) The system should not have to adjust for your leg hitting it
(2) The bottle is easy to mount if you take advantage of the features on it
(3) I'm sure the language you harp on is pretty standard legalese to ward off inane lawsuits
Forgot to mention, this looks *cool* on the bike too!
Sheila
Posted by: Sheila Scott | 10/26/2010 at 10:51 PM
Hi Sheila,
I'm glad you liked the system. It just didn't work for my needs. I was at the end of a breakaway, luckily, when the bottle launched. The rest of my team was about 1/4 mile behind us, otherwise they would have run right over the bottle - could have caused major crash - NOT COOL!
I'm a high volume rider and have never launched a bottle using a traditional water bottle holder in all my years of riding and racing. I own three bikes - cyclocross, road and tri.
I hear the cyclocross crowd is starting to take interest in the system. You can train with a water bottle then remove the water bottle when racing and not have a clunky water bottle holder in the way. I usually use a camelbak hydration system on my cyclocross bike.
Take care,
Lynn
Posted by: Lynn Smythe | 10/28/2010 at 11:17 AM
Vincero should add to the warning label not recommended for riders who lack coordination and more used to sucking water out of a straw.
I just purchased this set and I am waiting for mine to arrive I will post my feedback in fairness to your review and to Vincero.
Posted by: Nikko | 12/12/2010 at 11:20 AM
Hello Nikko,
I own three bikes. Cyclocross, road and triathlon. I have no problem using regular water bottles on my road bike. I didn't like the fact that the Vincero bottle launched during a ride. I have never had a regular water bottle launch in all my years of riding and racing.
I hope the Vincero set up works for you. I didn't like it and gave my honest review. Just because I am given free stuff to try out, doesn't mean I'm going to give it a good review.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
Posted by: Lynn Smythe | 12/20/2010 at 11:21 AM