Adding an extra water bottle cage to a bike?
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Adding an extra water bottle cage to a bike?
Vintage bikes typically either have no braze ons and rely on clamps for a water bottle cage or have braze ons for one water bottle cage. A second cage is a big deal on a long ride. I'm curious how some of you have added extra water bottle cages.
The most straightforward (and very old school) is to add water bottle cages to the handlebars. This elite "eroica" handlebar cage looks cool but some of the reviewers don't think it works that well
https://www.amazon.com/Elite-0156001...language=en_US
Also bike packers (light weight offroad touring) have some pretty good solutions as well.
Here is a webpage showing some of those solutions:
https://bikepacking.com/index/add-cage-mounts-bike/
I like the idea of a bag that can hold a 32 ounce Nalgene bottle and attaches underneath the downtube. Other possibilities include fork mounted bags and water bottle mounts for the saddle.
Obviously the easiest solution is a hydration bag but I'm looking for other options. So what have you used to add extra water bottle cages to your old bike and how well has that worked?
The most straightforward (and very old school) is to add water bottle cages to the handlebars. This elite "eroica" handlebar cage looks cool but some of the reviewers don't think it works that well
https://www.amazon.com/Elite-0156001...language=en_US
Also bike packers (light weight offroad touring) have some pretty good solutions as well.
Here is a webpage showing some of those solutions:
https://bikepacking.com/index/add-cage-mounts-bike/
I like the idea of a bag that can hold a 32 ounce Nalgene bottle and attaches underneath the downtube. Other possibilities include fork mounted bags and water bottle mounts for the saddle.
Obviously the easiest solution is a hydration bag but I'm looking for other options. So what have you used to add extra water bottle cages to your old bike and how well has that worked?
#2
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My oldest Trek has no bosses. Went with the clamp on adapters from Velo Orange. I’m too thirsty of a person to not have water.
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Almost done building a bike which will see long miles, and occasional camping. It’s a mid 70’s frame with one set of braze ons for a cage like you mentioned. Downtube of course.
So, this question has been on my mind as well. My thought so far has been to fit the largest bottle I can in the cage, and to carry two extra ~16oz bottles, one in each front pannier.
Looking forward to checking those links out, and to read the comments here to find out what others are doing to meet their hydration needs on the road.
— — —
@natterberry gorgeous Trek btw
So, this question has been on my mind as well. My thought so far has been to fit the largest bottle I can in the cage, and to carry two extra ~16oz bottles, one in each front pannier.
Looking forward to checking those links out, and to read the comments here to find out what others are doing to meet their hydration needs on the road.
— — —
@natterberry gorgeous Trek btw
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What get me thinking about this is that I've been riding my early 70s Fuji Finest a fair bit and I'd like to do some longer events with it. Like your bike, I have one water bottle cage on the downtube and I run my pump on the seat tube.
Last edited by bikemig; 09-07-19 at 09:39 AM.
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Use the same VO clamps and mount under the front tube.
Or ride vintage and then drink vintage, people were not constantly hydrating with camel packs and sports drinks and some how managed to survive but with one (on none) water bottles.
Or ride vintage and then drink vintage, people were not constantly hydrating with camel packs and sports drinks and some how managed to survive but with one (on none) water bottles.
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Almost done building a bike which will see long miles, and occasional camping. It’s a mid 70’s frame with one set of braze ons for a cage like you mentioned. Downtube of course.
So, this question has been on my mind as well. My thought so far has been to fit the largest bottle I can in the cage, and to carry two extra ~16oz bottles, one in each front pannier.
Looking forward to checking those links out, and to read the comments here to find out what others are doing to meet their hydration needs on the road.
— — —
@natterberry gorgeous Trek btw
So, this question has been on my mind as well. My thought so far has been to fit the largest bottle I can in the cage, and to carry two extra ~16oz bottles, one in each front pannier.
Looking forward to checking those links out, and to read the comments here to find out what others are doing to meet their hydration needs on the road.
— — —
@natterberry gorgeous Trek btw
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Yeah the DMR clamps referenced earlier might be perfect for mounting a second water bottle under the down tube. They're on wiggle but not Amazon US.
Last edited by bikemig; 09-07-19 at 09:54 AM.
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This page has been around awhile and some options may no longer be available
Adding Water Bottle Cages to Bicycles without Braze
Adding Water Bottle Cages to Bicycles without Braze
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#11
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Beautiful bike but that's only 1 water bottle cage. I'm interested in how to add a 2d cage. You could add a cage to the seat tube but that's less than ideal in some ways as you lose a great place for the pump.
What get me thinking about this is that I've been riding my early 70s Fuji Finest a fair bit and I'd like to do some longer events with it. Like your bike, I have one water bottle cage on the downtube and I run my pump on the seat tube.
What get me thinking about this is that I've been riding my early 70s Fuji Finest a fair bit and I'd like to do some longer events with it. Like your bike, I have one water bottle cage on the downtube and I run my pump on the seat tube.
#12
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I have the same issue with the Superior. I'm doing a century (tomorrow!) and definitely need two bottles. I'm not crazy about bar mount bottles and I use the seat tube for mounting a pump, so I was able to find an option that mounts to the seatpost. This works in my situation because my fit has a lot of post to work with. Might work with less post if you use a regular bottle.
The bottle tucks in nice under the saddle and doesn't interfere with my pedal stoke or the brake cables. I can't tell it's there. The construction is all aluminum and seems sturdy enough. $8 shipped.
I was considering a dual cage set up, but it's pricey and doesn't look well made.
The bottle tucks in nice under the saddle and doesn't interfere with my pedal stoke or the brake cables. I can't tell it's there. The construction is all aluminum and seems sturdy enough. $8 shipped.
I was considering a dual cage set up, but it's pricey and doesn't look well made.
#13
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Unless you had some custom super fancy frame, all water bottles were attached with straps until the end of the 70s. Almost all water bottle cages were TA. The straps to hold them on came with them, and were once a ubiquitous bike shop item. VO is the only place that still sells them. FWIW that's the historically correct way to do it. The standard move if adding a second cage was to put it on the seat tube. The frame pump then was moved to the top tube, or sometimes behind the seat tube if there was room. Top tube pump location requires a pip or umbrella clip, and a velcro strap for safety.
Anyhow, BITD, that's what I would do on a really hot day. Strap on a second bottle to the seat tube. Move the pump.
Moving to the modern day, most bottle cages won't even work with the old style straps. If working with a vintage bike, King sells those modded band clamps that should do the trick. I think the seat tube is still the best place for a second bottle. Handlebar cages are a viable option. Weight on the bars does slightly effect handling. If you've got a handlebar bag anyway, you could put a bottle in there. My modern classic bikes have dual cage braze ons. DT and ST. For camping, I'll take a couple Nalgene 32oz bottles and stuff 'em into my panniers. FWIW they fit into the pocket of Carradice Kendals. There's also those modern bladder things. Probably a good idea.
Which reminds me, when touring circa the early to mid 80s, standard configuration for me at least was: downtube tube bottle, seat tube bottle (w straps), and a bota bag for extra water. Yep, good old bota bags. Flexible hydration reservoir long before their time...
Anyhow, BITD, that's what I would do on a really hot day. Strap on a second bottle to the seat tube. Move the pump.
Moving to the modern day, most bottle cages won't even work with the old style straps. If working with a vintage bike, King sells those modded band clamps that should do the trick. I think the seat tube is still the best place for a second bottle. Handlebar cages are a viable option. Weight on the bars does slightly effect handling. If you've got a handlebar bag anyway, you could put a bottle in there. My modern classic bikes have dual cage braze ons. DT and ST. For camping, I'll take a couple Nalgene 32oz bottles and stuff 'em into my panniers. FWIW they fit into the pocket of Carradice Kendals. There's also those modern bladder things. Probably a good idea.
Which reminds me, when touring circa the early to mid 80s, standard configuration for me at least was: downtube tube bottle, seat tube bottle (w straps), and a bota bag for extra water. Yep, good old bota bags. Flexible hydration reservoir long before their time...
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#15
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Sometimes the pump can be positioned between the rear q/r lever (pointed toward the saddle) and the seat cluster. That’s what I do on my Ross (which has cage mounting points on both dt and st) and never a problem. I did have to notch the fender a bit for clearance.
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Unless you had some custom super fancy frame, all water bottles were attached with straps until the end of the 70s. Almost all water bottle cages were TA. The straps to hold them on came with them, and were once a ubiquitous bike shop item. VO is the only place that still sells them. FWIW that's the historically correct way to do it. The standard move if adding a second cage was to put it on the seat tube. The frame pump then was moved to the top tube, or sometimes behind the seat tube if there was room. Top tube pump location requires a pip or umbrella clip, and a velcro strap for safety.
Anyhow, BITD, that's what I would do on a really hot day. Strap on a second bottle to the seat tube. Move the pump.
Moving to the modern day, most bottle cages won't even work with the old style straps. If working with a vintage bike, King sells those modded band clamps that should do the trick. I think the seat tube is still the best place for a second bottle. Handlebar cages are a viable option. Weight on the bars does slightly effect handling. If you've got a handlebar bag anyway, you could put a bottle in there. My modern classic bikes have dual cage braze ons. DT and ST. For camping, I'll take a couple Nalgene 32oz bottles and stuff 'em into my panniers. FWIW they fit into the pocket of Carradice Kendals. There's also those modern bladder things. Probably a good idea.
Which reminds me, when touring circa the early to mid 80s, standard configuration for me at least was: downtube tube bottle, seat tube bottle (w straps), and a bota bag for extra water. Yep, good old bota bags. Flexible hydration reservoir long before their time...
Anyhow, BITD, that's what I would do on a really hot day. Strap on a second bottle to the seat tube. Move the pump.
Moving to the modern day, most bottle cages won't even work with the old style straps. If working with a vintage bike, King sells those modded band clamps that should do the trick. I think the seat tube is still the best place for a second bottle. Handlebar cages are a viable option. Weight on the bars does slightly effect handling. If you've got a handlebar bag anyway, you could put a bottle in there. My modern classic bikes have dual cage braze ons. DT and ST. For camping, I'll take a couple Nalgene 32oz bottles and stuff 'em into my panniers. FWIW they fit into the pocket of Carradice Kendals. There's also those modern bladder things. Probably a good idea.
Which reminds me, when touring circa the early to mid 80s, standard configuration for me at least was: downtube tube bottle, seat tube bottle (w straps), and a bota bag for extra water. Yep, good old bota bags. Flexible hydration reservoir long before their time...
https://www.benscycle.com/King-Cage-Universal-Support-Bolt/Water_Bottle_Cage_Hardware_KingCage_SupportBolt_584/Product?ad_id=MAgoogle&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqs3rBRCdARIsADe1pfTLoPAgIT1DgsopxmDqVYizeJHWwaaFuiOU0CNIOIPnWvO Qh9zGglEaArzsEALw_wcB
These are very clever but pricey at $6 each. They look very solid. They look like a modded hose clamp and they do look like they'll hold a water bottle cage securely. I would trust these under the down tube or on the seat tube.
I agree by the way. The combo of a modern water bottle cage with the old school clamps is often not a solid one which is why I started this thread.
VO clamps are a heck of a lot cheaper at $3 for a pair but the VO site says they do not work with VO water bottle cages. Huh?
That's too bad because I like VO cages and I'm running one on my Fuji with an old school clamp. It is working but it was a pain to get on and the clamps are not holding as well as they might.
https://velo-orange.com/products/bottle-cage-clamp
Last edited by bikemig; 09-07-19 at 02:22 PM.
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I added a second cage with a Zefal Gizmo kit (available from Amazon, like just about everything), and switched to a Lezyne Road Drive pump (largest size) with it’s clamp secured under the original DT bottle cage. Black tape under the Gizmo straps to protect the nice black Miyata finish on the ST. Very happy with both for years, and I’ve used that pump for several road side flat fixes with no complaints. BTW, the available Lezyne pressure gauge, which replaces the normal hose for this pump, works quite well.
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There are those fantastic Rivnuts that are great for adding a second (or third) water bottle location to a bicycle. All you need to do is carefully drill two holes the size the Rivnuts are, insert the Rivnut into the hole and the tighten the Rivnut with a (usually M5) long bolt with a nut on it. The bolt is threaded into the Rivnut so that the bolt extends beyond the Rivnut in the frame and then the nut on the bolt is tightened against the Rivnut and crushes it inside the frame in a manner very similar to how a Pop-Rivet works. I thread the bolt onto the Rivnut BEFORE pushing the Rivnut into the hole. I've used Rivnuts on a number of bicycle frames and find them very secure. Whats great about Rivnuts is that they are flush against the frame when installed and they look a lot like a brazed-on bottle mount.
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#21
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I added a second cage with a Zefal Gizmo kit (available from Amazon, like just about everything), and switched to a Lezyne Road Drive pump (largest size) with it’s clamp secured under the original DT bottle cage. Black tape under the Gizmo straps to protect the nice black Miyata finish on the ST. Very happy with both for years, and I’ve used that pump for several road side flat fixes with no complaints. BTW, the available Lezyne pressure gauge, which replaces the normal hose for this pump, works quite well.
#22
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I use a couple of Minoura handle mounts, both singles and at least one double.
I have some Bell Sports mounts like this but they are not the best.
I have one of these Zefal sets somewhere. They work OK but the rubber shims I used under them left marks on my frame after a year or so.
Here is one of the inexpensive Bell mounts in action
I have some Bell Sports mounts like this but they are not the best.
I have one of these Zefal sets somewhere. They work OK but the rubber shims I used under them left marks on my frame after a year or so.
Here is one of the inexpensive Bell mounts in action
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Last edited by Bianchigirll; 09-07-19 at 03:41 PM.
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@Bianchigirll’s last photo above is just like mine. Read the first review to get a better idea how to use it.
https://www.amazon.com/Zefal-Gizmo-B...ustomerReviews
And I see that there’s an updated version that uses two straps/screw:
https://www.amazon.com/Zefal-Gizmo-I...ustomerReviews
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In addition to that Zefal, there are plastic type mounts from topeak and SKS that look pretty good as well. The SKS comes with a cage:
https://www.amazon.com/SKS-Germany-1...g%2C156&sr=1-2
https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Versa-...0GFJ37ZSVXWNW6
And here's a review of the topeak:
https://road.cc/content/review/243199-topeak-versamount
https://www.amazon.com/SKS-Germany-1...g%2C156&sr=1-2
https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-Versa-...0GFJ37ZSVXWNW6
And here's a review of the topeak:
https://road.cc/content/review/243199-topeak-versamount