Sometimes we get an accessory for one of our test bikes and we seriously wonder if it was crafted specifically for this bike. It just fits that perfectly. When we first received the Bento X from Torhans and were deciding which bike to put it on, for some reason, we kept coming back to our Force 1-equipped P2. And then we went to test fit it, and it’s as if Hans was using a P2 to craft the Bento X. It’s maybe 2-3 mm wider than the top tube and, at a glance, it looks like Cervelo sold it alongside. We call that a custom-made feeling.

The Bento X is the 2^nd bento box from Torhans (the previous being the AeroBento) and is roughly 1.4 times as large. Like all products from Torhans, aerodynamics was an upfront consideration (Torhans has told us that the Aero30 actually can reduce overall drag when installed in specific ways). The specific shape was finalized through multiple CFD designs to come up with the optimum behind-the-stem shape.

Up front is a slot to allow you to accommodate brake and deraileur/di2 cables. The Bento X will slide over those cables for clean and easy fit with front cockpit. As you can see in our images, it creates a clean and OEM type fit.

We typically had three gels, a small dime bag of salt tablets, and a sleeve of blocks in our Bento X and had no issues with space. The BentoX is hard sided. And the top, while stiff, allowed easy access to our nutrition any time we needed it.

Interestingly, our only issue with the BentoX is the location of the mounting holes. The design of the BentoX allows for roughly 5cm of slide for you to get the perfect fit. Unfortunately, even with that range of adjustability, the bosses on the P2 are too far back to allow a custom fit with two bolts. Instead, we chose to just use a single bolt (and washer). We never found any issues with this configuration. (We have also seen others drill an additional hole in the Bento X to get a second bolt installed).

At $39.95 the BentoX is a little on the high end of bento box pricing. But with the custom feeling fit and ease of access of the BentoX, we are definitely happy with it.  Hey Hans, maybe something for our Shiv next?