Viewing 36 posts - 1 through 36 (of 36 total)
  • Using water bottle on underside of downtube?
  • cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Specifically on a fs and keen to hear of real world experience. I can’t fit a bottle on my small size frame and, in this hot weather, don’t really want to carry a massive amount of fluid in my backpack.

    Just concerned that it will get caught in undergrowth!

    Thanks. 🙂

    woody2000
    Full Member

    Just concerned that it will get caught in undergrowth

    I’d be more concerned about dog eggs and the like to be honest. If you can manage with a bottle, then you certainly don’t need to worry about carrying the same amount of fluid on your back, you’ll barely notice it.

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Thanks but use bottles with caps.

    Clover
    Full Member

    Don’t recall that being a problem, but covered in liquidy sheepshit, yes. Yummy. 😕

    singletracksurfer
    Full Member

    It gets filthy, but not had any issues of it catching (when I ride with one there – not all the time).

    forzafkawi
    Free Member

    You can get bottle cages that fit to the back of the saddle which might be a better position.

    http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/tacx-saddle-clamp-for-bottle-cage/rp-prod34004

    soobalias
    Free Member

    a problem from the past that was fixed by camelbak. never tended to get caught in the undergrowth IME, but it is directly in the firing line of anything the front wheel throws up. i would be looking at a roady/TT rear of saddle bottle cage if you must have bottles.

    get a small pack
    dont fill a medium pack

    booktownman
    Free Member

    Sooooo enduro.

    forzafkawi
    Free Member

    Another alternative is something like the Camelbak FlashFlo that I use. This is a glorified bumbag which will take 1.5L of fluid and it sits low down so the weight is lower and doesn’t drag on your back or make you sweat.

    http://shop.camelbak.com/flashflo-lr/d/1060

    Kryton57
    Full Member

    They call it a “suicide cage” for good reason….

    TiRed
    Full Member

    I’d assumed that for off road, these were exclusively for crud guards. I’d mount one on the saddle or top tube, personally. Or just take a small Camelbak Skeeter. Only holds 1.5L and you don’t have to fill it completely.

    DezB
    Free Member

    You can get bottle cages that fit to the back of the saddle which might be a better position.

    You ever tried one off road? Utterly and completely useless.

    slowoldgit
    Free Member

    I remember having a bottle cage on my bars as a teenager. Before your time: it was the height of fashion back then. A quick search on stsc found this…

    http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/ravx-drinker-x-can-cup-and-bottle-holder-prod23364/

    … and a lot more.

    akak
    Free Member

    I considered using a vincero cageless bottle on a stem cap mount. I never did it as I don’t take the fs on short rides.

    martello
    Free Member
    collostomy
    Free Member

    Solved this very issue on my Orange Five using a piece of old inner tube, some zip ties and a bottle cage secured to the top tube. Easy to reach and out of the way of any corruption thrown up from the trail.

    thisisnotaspoon
    Free Member

    Probably fine at a trail center in the summer as it’s dry, dusty but relatively clear of excrement.

    I’ve been trying to attach water bottles to my boat for drinks between back to back races. I found that taking a 6″ bit of ~6mm rope (anything stick shaped should work, rope just seems to grip well and doesnt let the zip tie slip) and a couple of zip ties. Push a loop of zip tie through the bottle cage holes and thread the rope through the loop, then do up the zip tie arround the mast, boom, ourtigger or any other tube. Seems more secure than the normal zip tie attached cages, and means you should be able to attach it anywhere.

    Or 500ml bottles in jersey pocket’s are less objectionable than a camelback in hot weather.

    I certainly wouldn’t – but then, even being a sweaty bugger, I don’t mind carrying a massive NV Mule, as it holds anything I want – and I always go out with a minimum of 2l of water on a hot day.

    DezB
    Free Member

    I can’t believe people are recommending seat mounted cages!
    The bottle doesn’t stay in! It gets in the way of moving around the saddle!
    Ok, for roadies! But not off road!

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    You could use These ones for £5 and mount it on your seat post clear of the saddle.

    Superficial
    Free Member

    Do what my mates do: Take a single bottle, drink it in the first 30 minutes of a 3 hr ride and then ‘borrow’ some water from my Camelbak to get through the rest of the ride…

    molgrips
    Free Member

    I did it once. Bottle fell off almost immediately, never to be seen again.

    steve_b77
    Free Member

    Couple those zefal adapters with an Elite Pavé cage and it should stay put through everything

    neilwheel
    Free Member

    Alpkit Stem Cell will take a water bottle and do double duty on other rides too.

    bigyinn
    Free Member

    Seat post cage then gets the crap thrown up by the back wheel instead of the front.
    Camelbak or Wingnut type bladder pack would be my suggestion regardless of whether its road or MTB.

    cinnamon_girl
    Full Member

    Thanks for the replies.

    No way am I riding with saddle-mounted cages but I have used a bar- mounted cage before and it was absolutely secure. That was, however, before I changed to carbon bars.

    I actually ran out of liquid yesterday when riding and these days am unable to ride with a 3 litre bladder.

    Never a problem on the hardtail!

    slowoldgit
    Free Member

    If it helps I have a bumbag that should take two 500ml bottles in side pockets. It’s no longer used, but looks ok. Yours for postage.

    leftyboy
    Free Member

    If it hot don’t you need more fluids not less? Last Sunday’s ride had one guy who took 1 litre for a 3 hour ride in 25C which seemed a little low as he had a 3 litre baldder in his CamelBack.

    Northwind
    Full Member

    cinnamon_girl – Member

    I actually ran out of liquid yesterday when riding and these days am unable to ride with a 3 litre bladder.

    I don’t think I’m following… It reads like 3 litres is too small and you ran out? But you want a bottle instead of a pack?

    schnor
    Free Member

    Last summer on my pitch I did what collostomy ^^ did (but on my downtube) without a major problem.

    I just (a) had to be careful placing it between the BB and headtube as there was only one exact place where the wheel wouldn’t rub on the top of the bottle on full fork compression and (b) no matter how tight I did the zip ties it’d creep slightly off-center, so depending on how rocky my ride was I’d just scootch it round a bit once or twice (I ended up using the ‘lower’ bottle first and it wouldn’t move when empty)

    Never got that muddy TBH as only used it on very hot days, and never caught it on undergrowth as it’s in line with the front wheel. I’d go for it 🙂

    [edit]

    I used a second bottle as I can’t stand camelbacks, they’re sweaty and do my lower back in 😐

    njee20
    Free Member

    I have used a bar- mounted cage before and it was absolutely secure. That was, however, before I changed to carbon bars.

    Eh? Just use a bar mounted one then, the material the bars are made of isn’t particularly important. A full bottle weighs no more than a big light, which you’d hang on the bars without qualm.

    forzafkawi
    Free Member

    I can’t believe people are recommending seat mounted cages!
    The bottle doesn’t stay in! It gets in the way of moving around the saddle!
    Ok, for roadies! But not off road!

    Securing a bottle in the cage fixed to the saddle would be a relatively easy matter. I’m assuming that the OP is not expecting to get the bottle out of the cage on the downtube whilst riding along. This whole thread is filled with inconsistencies anyway.

    scotroutes
    Full Member

    I actually ran out of liquid yesterday when riding and these days am unable to ride with a 3 litre bladder.

    Hint: you don’t have to fill it.

    There’s nothing wrong with a downtube mounted bottle if, as you suggest, you get one with a cap. What I’ve done is use it to top up a bottle mounted somewhere a bit cleaner.

    The bar-mounted cages will be fine on a carbon bar. It’s not like it has to be done up particularly tightly.

    I’ve also seen a top-cap mount that might solve your problem, though it might get in the way in an over-the-bars moment.

    johnnystorm
    Full Member

    Latex glove over the top and all’s good. Having said that I just put my tools in there now.

    MTB-Rob
    Free Member

    If you can get a bottle cage on the bike but can’t get the bottle in or out try a side load one?
    http://www.windwave.co.uk/products/bottles/bottle_cages/2905091001
    If you think it works but have trouble finding drop me a email I think I I have one kicking about.

    Or try these http://www.madison.co.uk/products/cycling/accessories/bottle-cages/vip-bottle-cage-clamps-22-50-mm-diameter/
    Got them on my Soul for a 2nd bottle cage seam to hold 750ml bottle weight ok so far.

    Or http://www.madison.co.uk/products/cycling/bags-luggage/backpacks/base-runner-2/

Viewing 36 posts - 1 through 36 (of 36 total)

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