SpeedSip may change the way you use your water bottle for good

Written by Zach Overholt Oct 09, 2018 11:00 a.m. ET

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Perfectly timed with all of the other triathlon related news, SpeedSip is rethinking the water bottle. Or at least, the water bottle cap. While the SpeedSip design is perfect for the bike legs of triathlons, there’s also promise for the design for any type of cycling where you’re in an aero position and going fast.

SpeedSip faster, more aero reversed water bottle cap

Starting with a fairly common bottle shape, SpeedSip is all about the cap. The idea of inventor Peter Szedlacsek, SpeedSip started out as a rudimentary prototype and has evolved into the current version thanks to the advent of 3D printing.

The cap features a reverse angled spout with a silicone membrane valve to keep the water from just pouring out since the bottle is held upside down. To use, simply hold the bottle up to your head like a cell phone, and squeeze once the valve is in your mouth. Since the bottle is held upside down, the water is positioned at the bottom with the air at the top for faster drinking. But the bigger advantage is that it allows you to remain in an aero position with your eyes on the road without having to move your head as much as a traditional bottle.

As usual, clever new designs like the SpeedSip are brought to Kickstarter with hopes of securing enough funding for the first production run. Single production bottles start out at $12, or two for $20, with delivery expected by December 2018.

kickstarter.com

Zach Overholt

5,633 articles

Zach Overholt is the Editor in Chief of Bikerumor. He has been writing about what’s new in the bicycle world for 12+ years. Prior to that, Zach spent many years in the back of a bicycle shop building and repairing nearly every type of bike, while figuring out how to (occasionally) ride them.

Based in Ohio, Zach is now slowly introducing a new generation to cycling and still trying to figure out how to fit the most rides into a busy schedule as a new dad.

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Carl

5 years ago

The rare triathlon-focused product that makes sense. I dunno about all the aero hype but it’s a good concept when for making drinking water easier when you’re in any sort of reasonably aggressive cycling position.

therealgreenplease

5 years ago

Reply to Carl

Truth. I’m pretty low on my road bike as well and this bottle would make drinking in that position easier as well.

Nigel

5 years ago

Reply to Carl

Only helps in triathlon until get to the first aid station, then you there away the bottle and replace it with a standard one.

Daniel M

5 years ago

Looks like a toilet bowl cleaner bottle because both address the same problem of needing to squirt up from the bottom of an inverted bottle. God biking is more fun when there’s no clock involved.

Dustin Meyer

5 years ago

Hello? Hello? Bananaphone?

VazzedUp

5 years ago

Only works for those bottle holder positions where your thumb ends up being below your fingers when grabbing your bottle. Standard downtube cages would be very awkward, seat tube would be OK

Steve

5 years ago

Reply to VazzedUp

Pulling bottles out of the downtube and seat tube cage with the thumb facing down is no hassle at all, in fact the twist moves the elbow away from the legs. This actually looks like a neat idea.

FFM

5 years ago

First time in a long time that a Kickstarter product is a good idea outright. No critique there.

But when the guy pulls up on his Trek Madone 9 RSL Project One full Dura-Ace with Campy carbon wheels and has a team of eight people behind him I have to wonder why he’s asking us for $35k to make water bottle tops.

ryan

5 years ago

Reply to FFM

Quantity. To make these lids you need a custom tool designed for injection molding. Those tools aren’t cheap at all. $35k probably only covers making about 10,000 lids, but that doesn’t mean making 1,000 would only cost 3.5k, it would probably cost in the neighborhood of $20-25k.

Those numbers are total estimations, I have no clue how many units they’re trying to make. Don’t forget about assembly time, freight costs to get them here from China, fulfillment costs, warehouse fees to store them, etc. 35K is actually a very low cost if it’s covering all of that, I would assume this kickstarter isn’t the only source of funding here.

RightSadFred

5 years ago

Perfect of putting an asthma inhaler inside.

Cecil

5 years ago

Perfect camping bidet

Francisco Alvarez

5 years ago

Reply to Cecil

I come to bikerumor for the comments… Thank you Cecil

JustSomeGuy

5 years ago

The first picture made it look like a product for squirting charging dogs while remaining in an aero position. So disappointing it’s not.

Velo Kitty

5 years ago

This looks like a great tool for personal hygiene!

JBikes

5 years ago

I was hoping it was fixed to the bike and one drank from it like a drinking fountain as in the article cover pic.
Nice idea, joking aside.

speedsip

5 years ago

Drinking from SpeedSip is much quicker and comfortable because the bottle can be grabbed always with “thumb down, finger up” or in other words the “upside down” way.
Because of that:
1. There is no fidgeting with the bottle. No guess work, no need to look down what the drink level is.
2. There is no need to squeeze air out ever. The liquid is at the bottom, the spout is also at the bottom.
The drink sprays out immediately.
3. Considering the cages”
a. From behind the saddle the “upside down” is the only way to grab the bottle.
b. From the seat tube “upside down” way is comfortable and quicker.
c. From the down tube: depends on. If you go to Kickstarter there is another video about a roadie
who is using it like that.
4. Anyway, you are better off swapping the “active” bottle to the handiest cage always.

Atakua

5 years ago

Finally someone implements this idea in practice! Given the way one has to bend one’s neck with regular bottles, it was obvious to me that a reversed spout direction would make more sense. The next step: a spout that can be flipped from classic position to reversed one, so that the bottle can be used both on sitting low on a bike and while stopping, when one actually can raise one’s head up