Touring - Five bottle cages on my LHT

Getting ready for some spring desert touring and I wanted to find a couple of more places to mount bottle cages.

So, here's two new cages, mounted vertically on a Jannd front rack. I added some bottle straps made out of milspec bungie material. the bungie may be unecessary but will provide psychological security.

Took a ride with them today, I will put them to the test on an Olympic peninsula tour this next week.

looks good, maybe the ones in the front could be placed behind the seat for a little more aero dynamic ride

Looks great Bek!

What's that yellow cord thing underneath the top bottle?

Will your panniers be forward of the water bottles on the front?

Two Ortlieb panniers will be forward of the front bottles. The yellow cord is a front tire retainer for when its parked.

I've already got a snack bag off the saddle that also holds a water bottle, I was going to add more bottle capacity back of the saddle as well.

Cool. thanks.

Looks great Bek!

What's that yellow cord thing underneath the top bottle?

A bungee to keep the wheel from turning when parked?

nice work bek

Winter touring at Snoqualmie Falls, a (wet?) March ride around the Olympic Peninsula, spring touring into the desert...... Bek, you're an animal!

Wow, the thing I like best about touring life is how it tests the resourcefulness in each of us. Your preparation is truly impressive.

That's at least 4 lbs of water, which should make it feel like steering a 4-man bobsled. Let us know how it holds up, I'd be interested to hear if the bottle holders hold tight over bumps and washboards.

-- Mark

Hey that's a neat idea!

Any more info on the mounting clamps?

Home grown/standard parts?

Any concern with the cages turning into your spokes due to the small tube or clamp diameter?

Thanks.

While I appreciate your creativity, given the ease of carrying several liters of water in a camelback (or in extra bottle in panniers instead of cages to be right at hand) could you comment on your thought process here? No disrespect intended, just curious about the tradeoffs you've made--please enlighten

There are the double bottle cages--sort of a staggered piggyback design--you might consider.

weight, up front, down low. It's a couple of pounds per side, no big deal.

Water bottles stored all the time in the panniers, no thanks. I have a 2 liter or a 10 liter water bladder that fit on the back rack nicely for when I need to carry a LOT of water, like riding in North central Nevada. But the water bottle cages on the front rack are a simple and practical solution.

I'll give them a little shakedown out on the Olympic Peninsula, and report back about how well the clamps (hose clamps over tape) hold up to vibration, etc. There may be some obvious problem I'm not seeing with them, but they held up just fine on a ride today.

Once it's out of convenient reach it might as well be on the back rack in 1Gal bottles.

Hey Bek, how are the cages fastened to the rack? thanks

And what are you drinking that's flammable?! :eek: Is it Bacardi 151 that doubles as fuel for the camp stove?

Nice setup and great location for the weight.

I need to do something like that when taking my rigid mountain bike loaded with rear panniers only. On steep technical fireroads my front end always want to seem to float off the ground. That's a nice way to keep the fornt end weighted down....at least while the bottles are still full...:)

Once it's out of convenient reach it might as well be on the back rack in 1Gal bottles.


...ease of carrying several liters of water in a camelback...

uhh why is the obsessive number of cages a practical idea...?

Ortalieb do water bags, 2liter and 5 liter sizes. I 'only' have 4 cages on my bike and found th extra Ortalieb bag carried on the rack wrapped in the tent just about saw us through a day in 40c heat in the south of France a couple of summers back

So, here's two new cages, mounted vertically on a Jannd front rack. I added some bottle straps made out of milspec bungie material. the bungie may be unecessary but will provide psychological security.


That is a "way kewl" idea! Great one. Gives me an idea for my own setup. Thank you for sharing that one with us!

There are the double bottle cages--sort of a staggered piggyback design--you might consider.

Have a photo or link? I'd like to see what your refering to.

here's one

tallac double cage from Nashbar (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=72&subcategory=1025&brand=&sku=13298&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

I need to do something like that when taking my rigid mountain bike loaded with rear panniers only. On steep technical fireroads my front end always want to seem to float off the ground. That's a nice way to keep the fornt end weighted down....at least while the bottles are still full...:)


This is why I opted for front racks/panniers only.

here's one

tallac double cage from Nashbar (http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=72&subcategory=1025&brand=&sku=13298&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=)

Neet little "piggy back" system. Thanks.

I would personally recommend the Topeak water bottle cages that hold 1- 1/2 liter bottles, two would exceed your total five pints and still fit within your frame. Add a square one gallon Crystal Geyser water bottle strapped across the top of the back rack for a water capacity total of very close to 1 and 3/4 gallons. No sweaty Camelbacks either!

I would personally recommend the Topeak water bottle cages that hold 1- 1/2 liter bottles, two would exceed your total five pints and still fit within your frame. Add a square one gallon Crystal Geyser water bottle strapped across the top of the back rack for a water capacity total of very close to 1 and 3/4 gallons. No sweaty Camelbacks either!

Sorry, forgot to include the linky:
http://www.topeak.com/products/bottle_cage_001.html

I'm still looking for a way to carry a few Nalgene (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=467&parent_category_rn=0&vcat=REI_SEARCH) sized bottles (Klean Kanteen (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48002906&parent_category_rn=5760749&vcat=REI_SEARCH) is the stainless version) on my bike. The Topeak XL is tall but not fat enough. Suggestions?

Sorry, forgot to include the linky:
http://www.topeak.com/products/bottle_cage_001.html


I have used the Blackburn cages like this (NLA) that fit the 1.5 litre bottled water bottles for some time. Two do very well when camping. An MSR water bladder is back up if needed and can be a solar shower too.

One of the great advantages of the 1.5 litre bottles is they don't have that plastic taste most bike shop water bottles seem to give, and are pretty easy to replace. They even come with water. In some places, bottled water may be the only water you want to drink. I have always wondered why they (the 1.5 litre cages) were not more popular.

I do like the idea of moving the bottles onto the front racks though.

Just got back from a five day tour on the Olympic peninsula and the bottle holders worked FINE.

Easy to grab while in the drops. So secure I took the bungie safties off and just used the cages. I did both on road, rail to trail, and two track touring on this trip, so put them through a good rattling. any more technical stuff I might add the bungies back. Didn't have to mess with the hose clamps at all.

I've been using zefal mega bottles that are a full quart apiece, but I used some 28 ounces on the front cages this tour. significantly more than a 16 oz pint bottle.

i still pack a MSR hydration bag for more capacity, (hangs onto the Tubus Cargo rack like it was made for it!) and will possibly add a topeak xl cage in the main triangle, to accomodate buying bottled water at stops. good idea.

Excuse me, tourbike--do you mean the topeak modula cage XL? Its the adjustable height one. Sorry Bekologist, I dont mean to hijack your thread.

OOPs! Sorry, I didnt see spokewrench55's answer.

i still pack a MSR hydration bag for more capacity, (hangs onto the Tubus Cargo rack like it was made for it!) and will possibly add a topeak xl cage in the main triangle, to accomodate buying bottled water at stops. good idea.

Thanks! Two things: most frames won't fit two Topeak XLs on the downtube and the seat tube, but possibly the top tube can be drilled and tapped to support both. Aaaaannd, have an old Blackburn 1 1/2 liter bottlecage, and have heard that the Topeak XL is a bit wobbly, so it might be wise to hold it down on both ends with zipstrips for stability, I'm thinking on doing the same for my Blackburn.
Cheers.

One of the great advantages of the 1.5 litre bottles is they don't have that plastic taste most bike shop water bottles seem to give, and are pretty easy to replace. They even come with water. In some places, bottled water may be the only water you want to drink. I have always wondered why they (the 1.5 litre cages) were not more popular.


I wonder sometimes too, but it might be because such a design appeals mostly to tourers like ourselves, a relative "niche" market.

The difference in the plactic that imparts the taste is that standard cycling water bottles are made of the plastic that has been "softened" with other (mutagenic!) chemicals- like squeeky toys for pets- and the water bottles sold in most stores is made from hard PET 2 plastic that doesn't release chemicals and off-flavors even when heated in the sun. The best thing is that you can drop a store-bought water bottle on the tarmac numerous times and never fear damage, as they are virtually unbreakable.

I'm still looking for a way to carry a few Nalgene (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=467&parent_category_rn=0&vcat=REI_SEARCH) sized bottles (Klean Kanteen (http://www.rei.com/online/store/ProductDisplay?storeId=8000&catalogId=40000008000&productId=48002906&parent_category_rn=5760749&vcat=REI_SEARCH) is the stainless version) on my bike. The Topeak XL is tall but not fat enough. Suggestions?

No, sorry. I suggest engineering your own, I might well do the same for Nagene-sized bases.

Here's a pic of the bike with bottles, loaded, next to some big gun water bottles I'd like to have when the nuclear apocalypse hits. Might need a BOB trailer...

I'm carrying the nalgene bottles, the lexan ones, they fit my cages:

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=69234&page=16&pp=25

i've recently upgraded my 'light tourer' with five water bottle cages as well, to feed my reasonable obsession with staying hydrated during long unsupported tours without adequate water sources.

Here's a photo of my Trek 520 with five water bottle cages.....carrying over one gallon of water as pictured. bottom cage hauls either the coffee flask, fuel bottle, or more water. small brake boss rack is rated for 15 pounds but mainly carries my tarp, sleeping pad and groundcloth.

You can also add up to two water bottle cages to the handlebars if you don't use a handlebar bag. You know the old saying. " Better a bottle in front of me than a frontal labotomy."

http://www.bikesportz.com.au/assets/products/minoura/bidons/qb90/mounted_BIG.jpg