If you are a bike racer, you know what can go wrong in a bike race. I’d probably call you crazy if you didn’t have a concern about something like the Bottle Grab put on the side of the course of a bike race.
I’m a bike racer, and I also know what can go wrong. I’m also a mechanical engineering graduate of Cornell University and have worked in the industry, and I care about making bike racing safe. I designed the Bottle Grab to make tipping into the course situationally impossible, to be compliant and as soft as possible in the situation of blunt impact with the arm, and adorned with attention grabbing visuals that remind the user to set up the Bottle Grab as intended to insure safety.
Bottle Grab is designed such that tipping is impossible in a typical race situation, such as from wind, when a bottle is handed-off, or a light, moderate, or even heavy collision with the arm. The base is wide, has feet for adequate grip to the ground, and is weighted with a 30 lb sand bag. The top of Bottle Grab is designed to be as light as possible while maintaining strength and stiffness. The weighted base and lightweight upper frame result in a low center of mass, making it difficult to tip. As a safety measure, another 30 lb sand bag is chained to the top of the stand and placed to the side of the base opposite the direction of the course, preventing tipping into the road or the course. If Bottle Grab is going to tip, the safety sand bag will ensure it tips off the course. As shown in the second video below concerning blunt impact and tipping without the safety sand bag, Bottle Grab tips after the post is displaced to about a 45 degree angle from level ground. With any less displacement, it rebounds to upright.
In the video above, it’s somewhat difficult to tell force I’m applying or the scale of things. I’m six feet tall and weigh 175 lbs. When I am slapping the post of the the Bottle Grab above, I’m really pushing it around. When pushing it in the direction opposite the sand bag, simulating pushing it in the direction of the road, I’m pushing as hard as I can.
What else could go wrong with the Bottle Grab? You could clip it. Your arm, head, shoulder, or handlebars could clip it, causing a crash, a gash, or perhaps worse. Bottle Grab’s arm and post are designed to be stiff and strong enough to support bottles and musettes but torsionally compliant and flexible enough that if a rider comes into contact with it, it will give way. The arm is also padded and the ends capped with soft plastic to prevent harm from blunt impact.
If Bottle Grab is not set up correctly, it can be dangerous. If either sand bag, especially the base sand bag, is not installed, Bottle Grab is much more likely to tip. Steps are being taken to make the Bottle Grab “idiot proof”, including putting highly visible, attention grabbing signs and stickers that are covered up when the sand bags are put in place and safety is ensured. Specifically, there is a warning sticker on the base facing upwards that states that this should not be visible when in use and that it should be covered up by the sand bag. There is also a sticker on the post next to where the safety sand bag is clipped stating similar language. Bottle Grab will immediately tip when bottles are loaded when the base sandbag is not present during set up, preventing a situation where it would tip for the same reason when riders are present.
All Bottle Grab users must watch the set up video and read the use instruction located on the Design page prior to use.
The Bottom Line
While all possible steps are being taken to ensure Bottle Grab is safe to use during a bike race, bike racing has inherent risks. Tents, cars, and other structures are present on the side of the course in feed zones that can cause serious harm if collided with. Using Bottle Grab presents a risk of injury, but if used properly, the benefits greatly outweigh the risks.
The final thing that I’ll state about safety with regards to using a Bottle Grab is that harm will likely only come from using a Bottle Grab in situations where harm would already be done. Crashes in the feed zone are more common than on other parts of the course due to riders deviating from their lines and from other risks detailed elsewhere on this site. If a rider is going to ride into the thing that is doing their bottle hand off, it’s much better to run into an object than running into another person.