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NeverReach Pro Hydration System, Mounted, Without Tube

NeverReach Pro-Rear-Mounted Hydration System-Initial Review

NeverReach Pro Hydration System, Mounted, Without Tube

The NeverReach Pro System is hydration system mounted on the rear of your cycle seat. The NeverReach Pro is designed for half IM and IM distance races and claims to reduce your 40Km time by up to 35 seconds.  The hydration tank is mounted in a bracket under your seat and you access the water via a rubber hose that you attach to your frame and a bite valve that mounts to your handlebars or your aerobars.  The NeverReach Pro system is available for standard seats and for ISM Adamo Seats.  You can also add a refill cap to the system to make refilling during an IM easier.

We tested the new version with the ISM compatible bracket and the IM refill cap.  Thanks to NeverReach for the evaluation sample.

About the NeverReach Pro System:

As mentioned above, NeverReach claims up to a 35 second reduction during a 40Km time trial over standard hydration systems.  You can check out all the details of their claim here.

The NeverReach Pro System features a 64 ounce tank that mounts behind your seat and is teardrop in shape.  NeverReach claims that this design reduces drag and the study above supports this claim.

You access the hydration via a long clear tube that mounts on your frame and a bite valve that you attach to your aero or handlebars.  NeverReach does not use BPA plastics.  You can also purchase an IM splash guard that allows you to quickly refill the tank without stopping.

Mounting the NeverReach Pro:

The NeverReach Pro arrived with all the necessary parts and a very detailed installation guide.  We don’t claim to be engineers, so we followed the installation instructions exactly. It’s possible that we don’t follow directions well, we’ve heard that before, but we didn’t find the installation instructions very helpful.  Now, we are using an ISM seat and NeverReach just started shipping brackets for these seats, so maybe they need to update their installation instructions, but the included directions weren’t very helpful. The included instructions tell you to connect the tube to the handlebars, then attach the bracket plates to the bracket, mount the bracket to the seat, then adjust the bracket, and only then attach the container.

If you want to install on an ISM seat, here’s what we found to work.  First, attach the tank to the mounting bracket.  Then use attach the bracket plates.  Once you have that assembled, then you can attach the bracket to the seat. We had trouble getting the tank to slide into the bracket if we attached the plates before the tank.  After the plates are attached and the bracket is mounted to the seat, you can start tightening all the bolts and adjusting the entire assembly.  This isn’t a huge deviation from the instructions, but is different enough to make installation according to the instructions a bit challenging.  The problems that we encountered were mostly clearance issues with the ISM seat, not with the actual design of the NeverReach Pro System or the bracket.

After we had the tank attached, we attached the bite valve assembly to our handlebars and cut the tubing to fit.  Before we did this, we took the bike for a test ride to make sure things worked before cutting the tubing.  We used the included clip to tightly affix the tube to the tank nipple.

Riding with the NeverReach Pro:

Once we sorted out the installation, the system worked great.  The bite valve and handlebar mounted portion of the tubing has a neoprene cover with a bendable piece of wire that allows you to position the mouthpiece exactly where it’s most useful for you.  The NeverReach Pro has a number of pieces of Velcro to attach tubing to your frame.

We filled the tank and headed out for a test ride.  Once we tucked into the aero position and got comfortable, we started working on the mouthpiece to get it positioned correctly.  When you first install this, make sure you give yourself time to get all the parts situated; it will save you a bit of frustration in the future.  Once we figured out exactly where to mount the mouthpiece, the system stayed in place and was easy to access.

We did all testing in training situations, not in a race.  We didn’t have a perfect way to simulate an aid station, so we carried a water bottle and tried to fill the tank without stopping the bike.  The first time was a bit awkward, but after a try or two, we had it down.  Grab a new bottle, reach back, insert the bottle through the refill cap and give it a few squeezes.  This only takes a few seconds once you practice and you’ll get most of the water into the tank before you clear the average aid station, so you can discard the empty easily.

We tested the system on flat roads and a few hilly spots around town.  We didn’t have any trouble with leaking, either at the base of the tank or at the bite valve.  Even on downhill portions of our rides, water stayed in the tank and the tubing and didn’t get forced out of the bite valve.

The bite valve is easy to access, assuming you have it set up correctly.  You get plenty of flow from the system with very little effort.

What to Expect in our Next Review:

We continue to test the NeverReach Pro System and will bring your a more detailed review of it’s performance during this test within a few weeks.  We have used the system for about two weeks and on a few longer distance rides, but nothing approaching a Half IM or full IM race yet.  In our next review, we will discuss how the system holds up to normal wear and tear, any additional tips and tricks for using the system, and our final thoughts on the system.  Keep your eyes out for our final review.

About Eric H. Doss

Eric is a triathlete and writer. He has competed in all distances of triathlons, from sprints to full Ironman distance races. He founded FitEgg.com in 2009 to meet the increasing need for professional, unbiased reviews of triathlon gear.

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