Is this a safe way to add water bottle mounts?
 

Seems if you are going to drill such large holes, you could weaken the frame. Maybe stick to clamps?
Robert

IMHO done right it will look fine and I don't think it will weaken the frame enough that it is going to fold up on you. That being said, the bikes I have without brazed on cage mounts are nothing special and mostly hi-tensile and I still don't want to do this. Velo-Orange and other places sell better options for clamping the cages to the tubes.

Yeah it probably wouldn’t hurt but it’s not something I’d do. You need to make sure you get those rivnuts absolutely tight or they will start working on you.

I've used rivnuts successfully but wouldn't do it now with the VO clamps available. I bought some of those when they were only available through European sources. Glad they are at VO now!

RJ
The Bike Hack.

"Hey, viewers!" :roflmao2:

I wouldn't.

I dig RJ- especially in the early days- I identified with his brand of 'home mechanic without all the fancy tools.' He fixed **** with adjustable wrenches.

Rivnuts are perfectly fine, that's how bottle cage mounts get added to modern production bikes. Yes, you can spin them loose if you over-torque the bottle cage bolts - but that's not a problem easily avoided, and a spun out rivnut can always be re-tightened or drilled out and replaced if necessary.

This.

I wouldn't use them on a museum quality frame where originality is everything, but I have used them on less important but nice frames that needed a repaint anyway.

+1.

Even though I may do some things differently these days, RJ remains a trusted source for stuff I haven't tried yet.

Unless you are having the frame repainted by someone who is experienced both at painting and brazing bottle mounts, I'd stick with the clamps or use the Velo Orange thingies. I sure as heck would not trust myself to start drilling on a frame.

Small-diameter holes can have a higher "stress concentration factor" than larger-diameter holes.

I would be more wary drilling into butted frame tubing, all else being equal.

I ride a 1981 Bianchi Nuovo Racing with holes drilled into it's seat tube, and a 1976 Centurion Pro-Tour with holes drilled into it's downtube. Both are butted steel and none too heavy.

These? They look butt ugly to me. Not something I'd care to install on a nice vintage bike. Surely vintage bottle cage clamps are available in decent supply, yes?

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/21...g?v=1615475102

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

These look pretty nice. To me.

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/1c/0f...ad49ebf614.jpg

How would you put these on?

Every time I've seen this done, always one hole is out of line with the other.

Five bucks says that those rivnuts will become loose within 10 years and make removing the bottle cage a Dremel affair.

-Kurt

These look different than the VO clamps. Who sells these?

I saw them on Pinterest, along with a bunch of other options. Here's what the verbiage said...

"

Seat Post Bottle Cage Mount

Available for 30.9mm and 27.2mm seat posts. Sold direct from Specialized. Interestingly, I received a phone call from a bicycle shop in May 2012 asking where to buy these since a customer had inquired about them after seeing them on this site. Don't use these on a carbon-fiber seat post.

Here is the link to the Pinterest page. Tons of options.

https://nordicgroup.us/cageboss/

So, it would seem not to be intended for use on frame tubes. Instead, you slip them over the seatpost, then install the seatpost. That's unlikely to be all that useful on most C&V bikes with level top tubes. I don't think there will be enough exposed seatpost to squeeze a bottle cage and bottle between the saddle and the seat stays.

That clears it up. Sounds like these are /were not made as a frame mount clamp.

If that shape was made out of nylon material it could flex enough to get over the tube possibly.

Here are a few options on eBay right now:

• VINTAGE N.O.S. STAINLESS STEEL BICYCLE WATER BOTTLE CAGE CLIPS / CLAMPS SET (2) (Canadian seller has seven available)
• Water Bottle Cage Adapter Brackets For Frames Without Drilled Hole Bosses 1 inch (two available)
• T.A. Downtube mount water bottle cage CLAMPS ONLY TA Vintage Bike ALLOY NOS (not cheap, but authentic)

.
...I honestly don't understand the reluctance to mount a bottle cage on the bars ? They seem to work fine.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...57ed993f64.jpg

I would say nuts to rivnuts. LOL.
I drilled the seat tube on both my old CCM and new Simcoe. Used a broken golf shaft to hold the bolt and then the socket. Later I figured that I should have got the bolt welded to the curved piece of tube reinforcing I used. I tightened a nut on the outside, then the cage and another nut. It's not coming loose.
Then I got 2 old Suntour friction shifters to butcher for use on the downtube. Turned out that they still had different design stubs. So much grinding ensued. Hope I didn't crush the tube over tightening. I would have got it done right if there was somebody to do it here.

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...91fa4abeba.jpg

Tossed that idea around. But my Cannondale bar bag gives me many warm fuzzies.

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...c839a932e.jpeg

My two TiCycles ti frames have three sets each of bottle mount rivnuts. 2008 and 2011. Haven't had a single issue and the bottom, under the DT cage goes on and off for hot and long rides. The Dremel hasn't seen either bike. (I have heard framebuilders say that drilling WB holes is one of the more challenging fits because error is so obvious. I'm guessing most make jigs early on just for this.)