# Aluminum bottle cages on carbon frame?



## hillbillybiker (Feb 24, 2006)

Hello, I just got a new bike, a Trek 5200 OCLV carbon. Is it okay for the carbon frame to use aluminum bottle cages? I didn't know if carbon bottle cages are purely for weight savings or if they are the only option for a carbon frame...? I'm concerned my cheap aluminnum bottle cages from my mtn bike might damage the carbon frame?

Any insights?

Thanks!


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## paint (Jul 25, 2005)

Would you really trust your body weight on a bike frame that's damaged by aluminum bottle cages weighing only a few grams? The aluminum cages shouldn't be a problem.


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## pantag (Jul 21, 2006)

You will be fine with aluminum cages. Carbon fiber cages though, will look waaay better but the cost goes up. Starts from $40 ~ $150 !!!


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## Kerry Irons (Feb 25, 2002)

*One problem*



hillbillybiker said:


> I'm concerned my cheap aluminnum bottle cages from my mtn bike might damage the carbon frame?


No problem for your frame, but they will tend to turn your bottles black.


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## manhattanproj (Jul 13, 2006)

one question about cages. if the bike comes with only one cage, can you have the shop to add another? or will it damage the structure of the bike? i see bikes with two cages but not sure if they were designed to carry two at the outset.


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## paint (Jul 25, 2005)

manhattanproj said:


> one question about cages. if the bike comes with only one cage, can you have the shop to add another? or will it damage the structure of the bike? i see bikes with two cages but not sure if they were designed to carry two at the outset.


Most frames can carry two, but may only come with one installed and sometimes none at all since some people are picky about cages. Look at the seat tube and see if there are two little pegs like in this picture. If there are, you can put a second cage on there. If not, you're SOL without major work on your frame (which isn't really worth it).


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## skepticman (Dec 25, 2005)

Kerry Irons said:


> No problem for your frame, but they will tend to turn your bottles black.


I went with Blackburn stainless cages last time, which I haven't noticed leaving much for marks on my bottles. They aren't the most attractive, but they are lightweight, seem well built and hold securely.

http://www.blackburndesign.com/cages.html


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## manhattanproj (Jul 13, 2006)

paint said:


> Most frames can carry two, but may only come with one installed and sometimes none at all since some people are picky about cages. Look at the seat tube and see if there are two little pegs like in this picture. If there are, you can put a second cage on there. If not, you're SOL without major work on your frame (which isn't really worth it).


so however many cages the bike come with is what you're gonna get. is that right? what's SOL by the way. can't figure it out.


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## paint (Jul 25, 2005)

manhattanproj said:


> so however many cages the bike come with is what you're gonna get. is that right? what's SOL by the way. can't figure it out.


Sort of. However many pegs the frame came with to accomodate the cages is the amount you can have. Except on department store bikes, typically a bottle cage is an accessory not included in the price of the build. I don't think it's something you should worry about. I've never noticed a good frame that couldn't accomodate 2 cages. 

SOL = sh#t outta luck.


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## Mark McM (Jun 18, 2005)

manhattanproj said:


> so however many cages the bike come with is what you're gonna get. is that right? what's SOL by the way. can't figure it out.


There are a variety of ways to add water bottle cages to a bike. In the "olden days" threaded fittings for waterbottle cages were less common, and clamp on cages were used frequently. These are small band clamps around the circumference of the down or seat tube to attach the water bottle.

There are also bottle cage attachments that can be clamped onto the handlebars, and some attachments that attach a cage behind the seatpost of behind the saddle.

This page shows some of the commercially available hardware (mounts and clamps) to attach a water bottle cage to a variety of different locations on a bike:

http://harriscyclery.net/page.cfm?PageID=49&action=list&Category=126&type=T


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## manhattanproj (Jul 13, 2006)

i just checked out some bikes today. most, if not all, do have two places for cages.


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## BobH (Jul 6, 2006)

*Bottle cage mount problem*

I have a second mount for a bottle cage but the cage must straddle the front derailleur clamp. How does one do this?  
Thanks.


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## IAmCosmo (Jul 26, 2005)

BobH said:


> I have a second mount for a bottle cage but the cage must straddle the front derailleur clamp. How does one do this?
> Thanks.


There are a couple ways. Most cages are made so the mount is raised above the surface it will be mounted on. That in itself may clear the clamp. If not, you can put a washer under the cage at each screw, and that should fix it.


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## Mark McM (Jun 18, 2005)

*Inner tube valve nuts*



IAmCosmo said:


> There are a couple ways. Most cages are made so the mount is raised above the surface it will be mounted on. That in itself may clear the clamp. If not, you can put a washer under the cage at each screw, and that should fix it.


I have found that those little valve nuts that come with new inner tubes (you know, the ones everyone immediately throw away) work great as water bottle cage spacers.


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