# bottle cages for a frame with no mounts...



## tsunayoshi

My cross frame was a pre-production demo that never went live, so I got it for a good deal, but being a pre-production frame it doesn't have bottle mounts. Going on a long back road gravel ride and would prefer to find a way to (reliably) mount some bottle cages so I can avoid having to use my camelback*. I don't think one of those seat-mounted tri cages will hold bottles reliably on some of the descents we will be on (they didn't work well for a friend on his mtb on singeltrack).

I'm trying not to go ghetto (velcro and duct tape), are there any mounts out there to facilitate bottle cages on a frame that doesn't have mounts? Like something with an integrate rubber feet and strap?

*gonna be hot and don't want it on my back, but will if I can't find some other solution.


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## gtran1502

Have you brought it to a shop to see if they can drill holes and insert something like a small helicoil to mount cages on?

I've heard of them fixing stripped mounting holes so I would imagine them being able to do this as well.


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## tlg

Search online for "strap on water bottle cage". Jensonusa has them












gtran1502 said:


> Have you brought it to a shop to see if they can drill holes and insert something like a small helicoil to mount cages on?.


Helicoils won't work because the tube thickness is too thin. But rivnuts would. If your frame is steel or alum. they're easy to DIY. Not such a great idea in carbon.


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## Sadlebred

I use the TwoFish cage on my pit CX bike for a second bottle. It works pretty well except it will move if you ride it on bouncy surfaces. You really have to tighten the strap down.


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## tlg

Sadlebred said:


> It works pretty well except it will move if you ride it on bouncy surfaces. You really have to tighten the strap down.


Try wrapping a piece of old inner tube around the frame before strapping it down. It gives a little extra grip (and helps protect the paint from damage).
I do this for bike computers, transmitters, gps, etc.


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## tsunayoshi

gtran1502 said:


> Have you brought it to a shop to see if they can drill holes and insert something like a small helicoil to mount cages on?
> 
> I've heard of them fixing stripped mounting holes so I would imagine them being able to do this as well.


I thought about have mounts drilled in and tapped, but would rather do this cheaply and without modifying the frame (scandium).



tlg said:


> Search online for "strap on water bottle cage". Jensonusa has them


Exactly what I was looking for (yes I was lazy with google...), and I have plenty of old tubes to protect the frame. Thanks.


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## tihsepa

I would use Rivnuts. Those rubber things above are not rivnuts. Rivnuts are installed like a threaded pop rivet. Same thind the factory would have most likely done.


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## tlg

tihsepa said:


> Those rubber things above are not rivnuts.


 No they are Rivnuts. Made by Rivnut and included in the Rivnut catalog.
http://www2.boellhoff.com/web/centres.nsf/Files/RIVNUT_GB_2307UK/$FILE/RIVNUT_GB_2307UK.pdf


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## bwhite_4

Gaslo tape the cage to the frame.


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## Local Hero

zip ties

thick zip ties


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## 4Crawler

I have Minoura Bottle Cage Holders on two of my older bikes. They use a s/s band type clamp with a captive nut and seem to work fine. One trick I do is to take some masking or electrical tape and line the s/s band on the inside, trimming the tape to fit. Then slip the band over the frame and tighten up the screw in the nut. It does take a little fiddling with the strap if the default bend and hole does not fit your tubing. And on one of my down tubes, I found I needed to grind the radius of the plastic mounting post to fit down on the tube a little tighter. But once you get the clamp and bracket to fit right, it works perfectly. The cage does sit about and inch farther off the frame than if there were threads in the tube.










With the tape inside the clamp, it does not seem to damage the paint. The mount kit does include a thicker plastic strip for this, but I found the thicker plastic strip was a little hard to work with and changed the OD of the tubing too much. If you had a tube that was a little too small, then the strip might work well, but both my frames had tubing a little on the large size for the closest hole in the clamp to fit.

I have over 3000 miles on the above bike and cage mounts since installing them and at least half that is on dirt and gravel and have never had them loosen or move around on me. And that is w/ no suspension and with 27x1-1/4" tires usually run at 60-70psi, so it gets bouncing around pretty good.

All comes down to proper installation and it is unlikely that they will exactly fit your frame out of the box. I think it took me maybe an hour to install the first one to get it right, but now that I know the procedure and what to look for it takes maybe 10 minutes on a different sized frame tube.


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## ZoomBoy

I tried a Minoura tri seat mount on my Supertouch and once it gets bumpy the bottles start to fly. Jersey pockets and knowing where the 7-11s are works for me.


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## Local Hero

I also tried that minoura -- the single cage mount. That thing was terrible. 

These look promising: 









https://www.specialized.com/us/en/ftb/waterbottles-cages/cages/mtbrearcagemount

Allows cyclists to attach any Specialized cage to their MTB seatpost
Lightweight aluminum cage mounts
Available in two seatpost diameter options: 27.2 and 20.9mm


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## mrcreosote

Gizmo Universal - Zéfal

ZEFAL Gizmo 2012 :: £4.99 :: Accessories :: Bottles and Bottle Cages :: Cyclesense Tadcaster

Wiggle | Elite VIP Bottle Cage Clamps Bottle Cages

Methods for Attaching Water Bottle Cages without screws and bosses « Bicycle Touring for the Long Haul


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## Magdaddy

get a Camelbak Racebak, comes in a wicking vest..holds 70oz-doesn't destroy your jerseys, or cover them.

I've used them for three years, can't beat it. End of drama.


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## abstrack

*bottle cage/down tube clamps*

I've used these simple clamps to attach a water bottle cage to an old steel bike (with smaller diameter down tube). I cannot remember for sure, but a friend gave them to me and said that they came from NiagaraCycle.com.

They have a flat area on the back of the band to accept and secure the flattened area of the bottle cage against the down tube.


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## Canaboo

You can creatively fashion your own with some carbon tape, a bottle to form the tape around and some Epoxy.


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## 4Crawler

abstrack said:


> I've used these simple clamps to attach a water bottle cage to an old steel bike (with smaller diameter down tube). I cannot remember for sure, but a friend gave them to me and said that they came from NiagaraCycle.com.
> 
> They have a flat area on the back of the band to accept and secure the flattened area of the bottle cage against the down tube.


That is what I used to use on my Schwinn back in the day. When I rebuilt it I went to a modern style cage and clamp. But I still have the old cages and clamps.


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## pmt

Magdaddy said:


> get a Camelbak Racebak, comes in a wicking vest..holds 70oz-doesn't destroy your jerseys, or cover them.
> 
> I've used them for three years, can't beat it. End of drama.


Yep, used that for Monster Cross and it was a lifesaver.


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