Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - How to lower bottle cage

I've notice on my bike and on many bike photos on this forum, that it appears that there is room to lower one of the 2 bottle cages either on the seat tube or the down tube.

Why would I want to do this?

I have a wedge bag, that limits the size of the bottle on the seat tube. If I could lower the seat tube cage down a few inches, then I could fit a 750ml bottle or larger. It seems all the cages I have seen at the LBS and online have the mounts at the exact same distance to the bottom of the water bottle. I want a cage where the mounts are higher. Not sure if I am explaining this clearly enough.

If I can't find something off the shelf, then I plan to shift the cage down and use the bottom seat tube braze-on to the top mount of the cage, and then use the top braze-on to zip tie, or someway secure the top of the cage. There is the front derailler clamp, but this can easily be cleared.

Seems like I should be able to find someone who has jerry rigged their cage lower.

This would allow me a 1L bottle on the down tube, and 750ml on the seat tube.:D

Other options for locating additional water, like CamelBak, handlebar mount, jersey pocket, saddlebag, etc. are not interesting to me at this time.

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SharpT

(Thinking out loud here but...) Take a strip of aluminum (or similar) that you have drilled at the top and about half way down, with the holes spaced so you can mount it on the downtube using the existing cage holder holes.

Then drill two holes below these mounting holes, however many inches lower you want to mount the bottle, and affix the cage to these two holes. Would that work too?

(Thinking out loud here but...) Take a strip of aluminum (or similar) that you have drilled at the top and about half way down, with the holes spaced so you can mount it on the downtube using the existing cage holder holes.

Then drill two holes below these mounting holes, however many inches lower you want to mount the bottle, and affix the cage to these two holes. Would that work too?


If I were to try this, I'd try it on the seat tube!:D

An 1/8" thick aluminum strips come in handy for these modifications. I've used them to mount racks and have made camera bike mounts out of them also. Offsetting the bottle cage is easily doable.

If I can't find something off the shelf, then I plan to shift the cage down and use the bottom seat tube braze-on to the top mount of the cage, and then use the top braze-on to zip tie, or someway secure the top of the cage. There is the front derailler clamp, but this can easily be cleared.


I don't get it. You're going to clamp the top of the cage to the bottom braze-on, and also attach the top of the cage to the top braze-on?

http://www.minoura.co.jp/acc-e.html. Scroll almost all the way down to Extra Cage Clamp Band Set. Then you can either bolt the top of the cage to the lower braze-on and clamp the bottom of the cage to the seat tube, or just ignore the braze-ons entirely and clamp the cage wherever you want it.

Thanks. 1/8" thick aluminum strip seems like the way to go. 4-40 taps on the lower cage setting should then allow 3-4 full threads to bolt the cage into.

Just seems like wasted space to not use that part of the frame for storage.

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SharpT

Just seems like wasted space to not use that part of the frame for storage.

Yeah, but if you were really clever, you'd seal the inside of the frame, fill it with water, and use the waterbottle braze-ons for sticking straws into. :p

Try this idea, I've had one on my bike for about a year.

http://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?category=600072&subcategory=60001023&brand=&sku=3478&storetype=&estoreid=&pagename=Shop%20by%20Subcat%3A%20Cage%2FBottle%20Accessories

This cage holds the bottle about 3/4 of an inch lower than standard cages:

http://www.performancebike.com/shop/profile.cfm?SKU=23342&subcategory_ID=4341

Rivnuts and a drill.