DreamRider85

Gosh. My water bottle has fallen off my bike before but his time it fell off and tripped me while riding. I almost lost my balance and there were several cars moving.

Has anyone experienced this? I might no longer be able to carry water on my bike. Now my bottles were regular grocery store bottles. I guess they’re too small for the holders.

Bigbus

You really think so? I couldn't resist. Sorry. I have a dedicated aluminum bottle that I keep clean. It fits snug and doesn't require touching the spout where you drink. CONTIGO(sp)

BikeLite

"if water bottles dont fit they may fall out" ~ captain obvious

Iride01 

Yes.

Well carry something else besides water. Gatorade, Vitamin Water, diluted fruit juice. But if you don't get bottles that properly fit your bottle cages, then they'll have a good chance of falling out as a bottle full of water. Or perhaps breaking the cage or deforming it to the point that those bottles start falling out again.

I have liked using a particular brand of Gatorade bottles. About a 24 fl oz bottle. I'd get them at convenience stores. Never saw them in grocery stores for whatever reason. I'd pour out the contents and put my own water or mix in them. However, they changed the bottle shape on me since my previous acquisition of them a couple years ago. So now they rattle around in my bottle cage and likely will bounce out at some point.

So since I figure having loose bottles flying off my bike isn't a good thing for me or others around me, I guess I'll have to get a proper fitting bottle. Most bottles sold as bicycle bidons do tend to fit bicycle bottle cages well.

Much better than risking that I get this fear of carrying water on a bike you talk about. What would that be? Hydroportarecyclistaphobia <grin>

10 Wheels

Get Proper Size Bottles. Goodwill will have some to choose from.

livedarklions

Get a beer can hat.

79pmooney

Keeping stuff secure on a bicycle is very important. Crashes can be bad. Waterbottles coming out have caused many crashes. Preventing that from happening isn't hard. Use bottles that fit securely in that cage or get a different bottle or cage. Most plastic bicycle waterbottles work well in most waterbottle cages. Some cages can be adjust somewhat to better fit bottles. (Steel cages such as the old TAs and the easily available King cages. Don't "adjust" aluminum cages beyond very slight tweaks as they age or they will break on you, probably while riding.)

Some of the newer bottle cages are designed to handle a variety of bottles. I have zero experience with them so I will say no more.

The same attention should be paid to bags and panniers, anything on a rack, anything attached to your handlebars, sticks on the road ... I know I sound like a fuddy-duddy saying this but I've been riding and around bikes all my life. I seen a lot of stuff and experienced some. A very preventable crash cost me much of my professional life, years, thousands of dollars, opportunities. A crash from poor bungee cord management cost a symphony level flute player her embouchure and tone (for the rest of her life). My dad's best friend was lucky to be young and still immortal when he crashed doing stupid stuff around his front wheel.

Bicycles are inherently dangerous toys. They are also the gift of freedom. I love the freedom, have paid my dues and ride on, doing my best to be conscientious. This doesn't take a bunch of money, It does mean paying attention.

The cheap solution to the ill fitting bottle you have to carry? Get a secure rubber band, velcro strap ... Yes, drinking while riding won't be possible (without other risks) but the crash you saw won't happen again.

indyfabz

I can just see the thread: “Worried about getting heat stroke from my beer can hat.”

bikebikebike

I have a front bag that had its strap get loose and almost kill me.
endo into steet
do a pre flight
Not funny
Don't die

That said , have you ever seen what can be done by a frame pump?

1989Pre 

I use stainless steel 27oz Klean Kanteens,and even though they fit well in my carriers, I have, when fatigued, fumbled (but never dropped) them before. It has occurred to me that these steel bottles, if dropped, could easily take down a bike.
I am extra careful with them when with my club.

1989Pre 

Bikebikebike, We're glad you survived that malfunction. I had a frame pump (relatively valuable Bluemels) fall off from having inadequate length/tension.
It smashed as I rode over it, but didn't land in the spokes. Is that what you mean?

Chistophe516

Can you provide a picture of your bottle cage, and of your water bottle? The bottles'(Gatorade, seltzer water, etc.) from the grocery store, even in the small sizes. Are not made for bottle cages' on bikes'. They can have a different circumference, and diameter. At their widest point. The cage can also make a difference. While the standard bottle will fit in a standard bottle cage. I upped the size of my bottle cage. So I could accommodate a 1L bottle. Also, The standard bottle cages don't have straps on them. My 1L cage does.

CliffordK

You need to send a report here about disposable water bottles being undersized for bicycle cages.

A mighty serious issue that needs immediate government attention.

zandoval 

Ha - I don't even need a water bottle to do this. A better question would be how many of use have tripped or lost balance on things that were not even there. Now days when I ride I make sure I have a plan on where to place my next fall. And I'm not even mountain biking.

We all need to heed our warnings, check our gear, and continue to learn from our mistakes...

alo

I have had bottles fall out on bumpy tracks.

I bent one bottle holder so the bottom is slightly narrower. Then put some bottles in upside down, with the neck of the bottle going through the bottom of the bottle holder. The wider section, just below the lid, locks it in place. It is a bottle holder like this.



I have another one which is adjustable for different sized bottles, like this.

indyfabz

Stock photos. Hmmmm?

79pmooney

No!!! Get CPSC involved and they will certainly find serious fault with the King cages, require changes to some monstrosity and put them out of business. Just the fact that a King cage can be easily bent to fit those smaller bottles makes them very suspect. CPSC probably has on file the case of some 7 year old who hurt himself on the 13th cycle between fitting a regular bottle and being squeezed down to fit the smaller one. ("Ma! I can bend it just like Dad!")

Iride01 

Another OP that's gone missing.

Reflector Guy

Aquafina bottles from the local convenience store have a little rib (or valley) molded into it that snaps just right into whatever kind of cage I have on my bike currently. Nice and secure.

And eventually when I've re-used the same bottle long enough that it starts getting scratched or unsightly, a brand new one is waiting for me at the store. Full of water. Bonus!

Milton Keynes

I have never once had a water bottle fall out of its cage. Guess I'm just lucky. But I use insulated water bottles and make sure they stay snug in the cages. And of course the hydration pack I wear on my back on long, hot rides never falls off.

indyfabz

It's his M.O.

rumrunn6

I've dropped & struck a proper bike bottle. broke the nozzle off ;-(

I've forgotten my bike bottle & just grabbed the common water bottle from my car, more than once. in those cases I bend the cage making it tighter. I guess you can't do that w/ plastic cages

Chuckles1

Some folks, me included, don't hang out on the site all day. I usually am on for a while in the morning, and try to respond the next day to any replies that warrant a reply. Give us missing Ops a little slack...

Iride01 

It's been 20 days now. The OP is not giving any guidance to the thread they started. If you look at many of the posts the OP has made, it doesn't seem like the OP wants to have a conversation with anyone.

I-Like-To-Bike

Why do you think the OP is under some kind of obligation to give further "guidance," or any response at all to other posters?

What would the OP gain by responding to the handful of posters who have an MO/track record of mocking him as well as numerous other posters who post on subjects that bore these would be moderating-Columbos? This handful of Kool Kidz routinely post popcorn eating gifs, insults, "I-B-T-L" attempts to shut down the "unworthy" subject, and other snarky memes, as well as accusations of the suspicious activity of alleged trolls, sockpuppets and other unworthy posters not considered serious or "enthusiastic" enough about "serious" cycling topics to post in the company of themselves.