It seems a shame to spend a bucket load of money for the most aerodynamic frameset to then just stick a couple of standard water bottles on the down and seat tubes.  I'm sure that completely destroys the aerodynamics in that area of the frame.  If you want to avoid standard water bottles you can either stick a 1/2 lbs bracket behind your saddle that serves as a launching pad for water bottles or put an "aero" bottle between your aerobars that uses a straw.  Unfortunately, though, with the aerobar set-up I use I cannot mount one of the aero bottles in between my bars.  Moreover, in my last two races I've lost both of the water bottles mounted behind my saddle due to a speed bump and a bad pothole.  I've found some cheap Bontrager plastic bottle cages that will probably keep my bottles from launching next time, but I don't like having to clear the bottles behind my saddle when mounting and dismounting the bike.

Arundel Bicycle Company is a group of clever roadies and/or triathletes whose motto is "come up with some cool bike equipment that people want to buy."  Well with their Crono water bottle and cage, they have done just that. With your first look at the Crono, you instantly grasp the concept and wonder why it took so long for someone to invent it.  The Crono includes a bottle and cage that snap together to form one seamless piece.  The bottle snaps in and out of the cage with ease and is held in place far better than any other bottle I've used.  Both the shape and the seamless transition from cage to bottle substantially improve aerodynamics as the broad side of the bottle is roughly the same width as the leading edge of your aerofoil down tube.  It's like having another aerofoil shaped down tube riding directly on top of your existing one.

Even more impressive is how the bottle works when taking a drink.  Simply reach down like you normally would and grab the bottle.  The slim, molded bottle fits in your hand better than a round bottle and is easier to hold due to the molded logo.  It also forces water in your mouth as well as any bottle I’ve used.  It’s so easy to handle, you can keep one arm in the aerobars while using the other to drink with.  This procedure makes you more comfortable and in less of a rush to get your drink and replace the bottle in its cage.  The only thing I might change is to die the logo a different color than the bottle (black would work well) to give it a little more flare.  The carbon cage, though, is very cool. 

The Arundel Crono is without a doubt one cool piece of bike equipment.  Its price, while high, is less than what you would pay for some carbon bottle cages and on par with many others.  If you need a new bottle, it goes for $16.99.  I plan on using the bottle on my bike in all races either as a spare if one of my other bottles launch out of its cage, as additional water for the hot weather on the Gulf Coast or as my sole source of water in shorter races.  The Arundel Crono is another simple but brilliant idea to improve our sport.

KDG