Profile Design AQUA RACK Water Bottles/Cages
4.4
/5
REVIEWS
4.4
QIKRATE
3.5
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USER REVIEWS
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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I have had no problems with jetisoned bottles.
System is adaptable, as illustrated above.
Rubber bands on Kages seem fragile, but you can always replace them with better cages if they don't work out.
I have converted my Felt road bike into a triathlon style bike, and to that end I purchased the Profile Design Aqua Rack. I had to mount it several inches below my saddle because I have a Fast Forward Carbon seatpost, and the top of the seatpost is flared - not round. This low mount caused the bottles to be almost too low to reach, and because they are angled to point rearward they were also almost too far back to reach. I solved this problem by taking the rack apart and flipping the cage mounting bracket. This angled the bottles more forward and inward. In fact, they were angled so far toward center the tops of the bottles overlapped each other and could not both sit in the cages at the same time. I solved this problem by removing the seat stem mount and flipping it over, and then putting the left side cage bracket on the right and vice versa. This worked pefectly. I lowered the stem mount so the tops of the bottles were not too close to my saddle, and the bottles now sit almost vertically (they both point slightly toward the center) nice and snug right under the saddle.
In this configuration the rack can be mounted low under the Profile Design Fast Forward Carbon seatpost and the bottles will be much closer at hand than the rack's standard mount, which places the bottles very low and very far behind the saddle.
Similar Products Used:
none
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Lets me carry enough fluids for long trips.
Has never launched a standard water bottle for me.
No cracking or breaking after years of use.
I can't fit a bag under the saddle with my current setup, but I could fit any bag I own under the seat if I lowered the Aquarack a few inches.
Mine is the seatpost mounted model. It is on the top part after the bend on a Profile Design Fast Forward seatpost. This positions the bottles almost perfectly vertical.
Over a lot of use I have not been able to launch a standard water bottle. A few times I have put it something larger or unevenly shaped and lost it after the first big bump or a series of small bumps. The 1-liter gas station bottles of water stayed in one day that I left without fluids, but I don't think this is meant for them.
Similar Products Used:
Frame mounted holders
Profile Aerodrink w/yellow web - awful
Profile Aerodrink w/cap - decent
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
3 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Ability to carry 2 extra bottles is a great idea.
Good basic design.
Design is flawed here and there but easily modified by user.
I own both types (seat post mount and seat rails mount) but have only used the seat rail mount so far. What I prefer in that design is that you can adjust the angle of the cage frame relative to the seat. I have it such that the bottles sit upright. The cages have two holes on each spine so I've mounted them such that they sit a bit lower to lower their centers of gravity. That's partially why the bottles can get launched over really bad pavement. I've lost a full one and an empty one. Also, the cages simply aren't tall enough so the bottles sit higher in the cages themselves lowering the point at which the bottle pops out. You can however substitute regular cages on your own. If I go over bad pavement I try to remember to reach back and push down each bottle just in case.
Part of the problem with the seat post mount version of this rack is that the brackets which the cages bolt to are angled backward which I believe enhances the ability of the bottle to launch. You can remove the brackets and mount them upside but you need to file/grind away part of the bracket so the threads align with the main mount. Remounting the cages upside down will help but then the cages are pointed towards each other which may hinder bottle removal (I haven't tested this yet).
Overall, I like the idea and design. I like the ability to carry extra bottles as I prefer to stop only at the 50-something mile rest stop on a century and you never know what sports drink the ride organizers have for you to refill your bottles. Plain water and lemonade don't cut it. Depending on the height of your seat it may be possible to use both the post-mount and rail-mount type carriers to carry 4 extra bottles. I've mounted a regular cage to my top tube with hose clamps so theoretically I can carry 7 bottles. It may look funny and add weight but I'll have all the drink I want on a really hot century. And who knows, with 7 bottles I may attempt a century non-stop.
Similar Products Used:
just normal cages
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
|
Enables you to carry more drink, accommodates moderate-sized seat bags above it, between it and the seat. It seems to be a fairly good design, but you should remove the screws and re-install with LocTite so things don't loosen up.
Empty bottles get ejected unless you put a small bungee cord over the spout to hold them in. O-rings break quickly, but that doesn't seem to affect the function much.
We have three of these in our family fleet for our long unsupported rides where either there's no potable water or we don't want to stop. With two of the large Zefal water bottles on the frame and two more in the Aqua Rack, we start the ride with a little over a gallon each. We drink from the bottles on the frame 'til empty, then swap. (BTW, it is actually more aerodynamic to have the bottles on the frame-- see http://analyticcycling.com/RiderAeroStudy.html .) The Aqua Rack only mounts on round seat posts. It leaves room for a moderate-sized seat bag above it, but not the big ones you might want as your only luggage for light multi-day tours. The company has another product now, the RM System 1, which mounts to the seat rails instead, so a larger seat bag could be put underneath that one, but the reviews I've found so far all indicate that it breaks on the first big bump, even with the smaller bottles.
After losing a few empty bottles with the Aqua Rack, we started using small bungee cords over the spouts to hold them in. We never lost a full bottle-- only empty ones. Strange. On the first ride with each unit, the screws were falling out, so I had to re-assemble with LocTite. The O-rings break right away, but don't seem to have much effect on the Aqua Rack's ability to hold the bottles in.
Similar Products Used:
none
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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I guess its more aero to keep the bottles behind your arse than on the frame. The clamp hasn't slipped at at all and has held strong throughout my rides.
During one particular triathlon I hit a bump and one of my bottles (full of precious gatorade) went flying out of its cage. Other than that one incident I haven't had any other problems with the aqua rack
I bought this system to keep the bottles off my frame and out of the way.
Similar Products Used:
Profile aero drink
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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The mount is top notch. Fits well with room for seat bag.
Cages are weak.
I bought this to up my H2O carrying capacity for summer riding. I've really liked it so far. It mounts very sturdily to the seatpost. It's never slipped. I still have room for my seat bag. My only beef with it is the cages. While they held a small bottle great, the taller ones tended to bouce out on rough pavement. Both of the cages cracked after a little over 1 year of use. The bike is stored inside and never crashed, so go figure. I replaced with standard alloy cages. If you do this, use quality cages. I used a cheap Giant cage on one side. The backwards slant caused the cage to bend and lose its tight grip on the bottle causing the bottle to fall out.
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Ease of use, looks nice on the back of the bike minus the standard cages. (I will probably changes these for some lighter ones).
The rubber band strap broke on my first ride with them, although it doesnt really appear that its a necessary item. Functionally its all the same.
Well i bought the Aqua Rack as i needed another water bottle cage. My cyclecross bike is on capable of handling one cage. When i got the product i thought the standard cages were a bit on the cheesey side / ugly. Overall its awesome, easy to get the bottles in and out of.
Similar Products Used:
None
OVERALL RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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very secure mount for any seatpost size 26.8/27.2 (no experience with 25.0). easy to reach bottles. still have room for a micro saddlebag
cages arent that great and the mount cannot be purchased without them
product is very nice and fits well. with ~3-4 inches of seatpost showing i can still fit a micro bag under the saddle to carry a spare tube and levers. very easy to reach the bottles and replace back into the cages. only problem is that on a rain ride today, i noticed that my bottles would tend to come lose in cross winds after extended periods of time. one bottle even dropped out. i attribute this to the cage design which simply clamps the bottles via use of a rubber band. there is no 'lock' that clicks into the indentation in the bottle. im sure in any other situation (crosswinds, but still dry) it would be fine. also i have the oversized zefal bottles which may be part of the problem. ill have to swap the cages with the cages on my frame and im sure it will be a non-issue. too bad they dont just sell the mount without the cages. the mount is really much nicer than what the MTB guys use as the bottles are tilted rearward. this is good for people without a lot of seatpost real estate or guys like me who want to fit a saddle bag. it also makes it easier to reach/replace the bottles. i would rate the mount a 5 and the cages a 3 so a 4 is what you see
OVERALL RATING |
5 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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VALUE RATING |
4 |
★★★★★
★★★★★
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Aero, helps you hold lots of water!
The only problem was that the rubber bands that hold the cages closed (so your bottle does not fly out), snapped very early on. They easily can be replaced with those tight things that girls use to hold their ponytails in and those have worked for over a year!
The Aqua Rack is an excellent addition to my obsessive compulsiveness to transport huge amounts of water on every ride. Reaching around and behind is a little tricky at first but after a few rides becomes second-nature. Although it is heavier than two regular cages, it''s "aeroness" (wind never hits them, my thighs are in the way) more than compensates for that. Very pleased with it overall, just a little upset that the original rubber bands that hold the cages closed, snapped within a month or so.
Similar Products Used:
Lots of different cages.
- Available At