Gear Review | TorHans Aero 20

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TorHans Aero 20

In the bike department, we all know how the saying goes. Aero trumps weight.  SWIMBIKERUN.ph got the chance to road test the newest and probably the most aerodynamic hydration system available in the market today, the TorHans Aero 20.

Conspire against the wind!

Currently there are two models available, the TorHans Aero20 and the Aero30. The Aero20 can carry up to 22 oz of liquid, while the Aero30 can hold up to 30 oz.

So just how good is the new TorHans Aero 20 over the other aero drink systems?

To find out, we used the TorHans Aero 20 on a training ride and test rode it from Alabang – Naic – to Tagaytay – and back.  That’s a total of 120+ kms. To those familiar with the route, you all know how bumpy the road condition there is. If the Torhans Aero 20 can survive this training ride, it can certainly survive any race day situation and condition.

Ready for battle!

There are a couple of key features that I wanted to test. Thing’s that I often complain about with other aero drink systems.

  • Installation.
  • Sturdiness of the mounting bracket.
  • Will it eliminate splashing?
  • Will the fill-on-the-go cap stay on?
  • How easy is it to refill?
  • The Aero Straw!
  • The Aero Tray!
  • Is it really aero?

Installation / Sturdiness of the bracket.

The Torhans Aero 20 comes with it’s own mounting bracket (sold separately). The thing I don’t like about the other aero drink systems is that I can never get to mount my aero drink snugly and securely. Plus I keep on snapping and losing the damn rubber bands that helps hold the bottle in place!

Torhans Aero Bracket

Installing TorHans Aero 20 on my bike was a breeze.  The package comes with zip ties and  I’m happy to say that it fit my bike perfectly. Best part is, no more rubber bands! And I actually think it made my bike more aero! (See pic below). The bracket is completely adjustable and will fit a wide variety of bars. I used the original zip ties to install the bracket and it was rock solid. You can also use the supplied double sided tape for extra adhesion and to prevent the mount from rubbing against your aerobar. Honestly I didn’t bother.

You can slice a bread with this thing

The bottle has two mounting channels. Depending on how low your aerobar is you can adjust the TorHans accordingly to get the most aerodynamic setup possible. I chose to mount mine on the lower mounting channel so that I can use the upper channel for the cool aero tray! (more on that later).

TorHans all geared up

But will it eliminate splashing and will the fill-on-the-go cap stay on? How easy is it to refill?

The Aero20 bottle has a unique Splash Funnel system that is designed reduce  splashing and more importantly, keep your liquid where it should be. Tough task if you ask me. So how did the the TorHans Aero 20 fare in our test? Pretty good! Trickles of liquid did form on the lip of the fill-on-the-go cap though (note: trickles). But that’s something I’m sure all of us can deal with.

The Splash Funnel System

Fill-on-the-go cap

The fill-on-the-go cap cover stayed also in place and did it’s job perfectly. Don’t worry if for some reason you lose it because the set comes with an extra cap.
You do need to cut one of the funnel tabs to prevent the liquid from overflowing in the splash funnel chamber as you’re refilling it. If you don’t, water will definitely spill over. As the mouth of the water bottle simply cannot get far enough to the second layer. A bit of research showed me that TorHans intentionally didn’t cut the funnel tabs. So that the rider has the option as to how many tabs he/she needs to remove. Depending on where the rider usually trains and races.

The Aero Straw

Now this is the part of the TorHans Aero20 that I’m most excited about! As we all know, round is one of the worst shapes that you can have on your bike, as it creates the most amount of drag. Yup, that straw on your aero drink is round and yeah, it’s creating drag!  What a drag huh? =)
To solve this, the straw of the Aero20 is covered by a unique aero mast system. Which basically eliminates all the drag create by the straw. Pure genius.

Aero Stray and with Aero Mast

One of the things that I’m really curious about is if the Aero Straw will stay in place. Unfortunately, the straw did come off 105k into the bike ride. Plus it’s pretty hard to put back in place unless you stop totally and slide it back in. Do note though that I rode thru some VERY VERY bumpy road conditions. So a quick check to see if the straw is still in place is needed for a problem free aero drinking!

The Aero Tray.

Definitely one of the coolest  features of the TorHans Aero 20. If you install your TorHans on the lower channel, the  upper channel can be used to install the optional aero tray accessory. You can use the tray for gels or in my case, I installed my bike computer! The result? Super clean setup and very aero!

Aero Tray with Bike Computer

You do have to make sure to secure the front part of the Aero Tray with the supplied zip tie or a velcro strip. Because if you don’t the Aero Tray might slide off.  In my test, the Aero Tray fell off just about 20k into the ride. It also rattled a lot too. But once I locked it down and secured it with the supplied zip tie, the problems were eliminated. I suggest holding it in place with a velcro strip instead of the zip tie so you can remove and put it back on easily.

Is It Really Aero?

I won’t pretend or fool you guys that I’m an aero expert because I”m not. But I’ll rely on the tests made by the boys of TorHans to verify this claim. Those guys did their homework. They tested TorHans basically against all the available hydration options in the wind tunnel. The result? Tests showed that TorHans is indeed THE MOST aerodynamic hydration system of them all. Take a look at the wind tunnel results. Numbers don’t lie.

Top view. I may not be an expert but if that’s not aero then I dunno what is

TorHans vs other hydration setups

The Verdict.

It’s quite a bit on the pricey side but the features, functionality, and aerodynamics of the TorHans Aero 20 certainly justifies the cost. It’s on a class of its own. No other company has put this much time, effort, and dedication in making the most aerodynamic drinking system possible. If you’re serious about speed, this is the aero drink for you.

TorHans is slowly making a name for itself in the bike market. It’s now being used by 4x Ironman World Champion Chrissie Wellington and a whole bunch of pro triathletes. I won’t be surprised if TorHans, sooner or later,  becomes the must-have aero drink of all multisport enthusiasts.

Chrissie rocking the TorHans Aero 20

Approved by the 4x World Champ

The Torhans Aero 20 is available at the following bike shops.
All Terra (Libis and Home Depot)
Bike King
The Brick Multisport
The Starting Line
Sabak (Makati and Alabang)

Here’s the MSRP of the TorHans Aero 20.

1. Aero20 bottle (22 oz, 650ml) – P2500
2. Aero30 bottle (30 oz, 887ml) – P3000
3. Aero mount – P1650
4. Aero Tray (for accessories or gels) – P1200

Comments

comments

SBR.ph Team

A triathlete making a comeback and a true blue Scorpio. That sums it up quite nicely :)

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