Touring - Third bottle cage

So I noticed that my bike* has what appears to be a third bottle cage mount below the bottom tube. Is that really what it is? It seems like a very odd place to carry a water bottle - no way you could reach it while riding, it would be at risk of falling out of the cage, and the nozzle would be taking spray and dirt directly off the front wheel.

What's the story?

Steve
* Specialized tricross sport

They do make bottles with clear plastic fliptop that goes over the drink spout. I use it for my "tool kit in a bottle" on a couple bikes. I secure it with a toe strap too just in case.

you might not be able to reach it while riding, but you could certainly stop, switch out the full, stored-under-the-bottom-tube bottle for the empty one that is where you can reach it, and then commence riding.

So I noticed that my bike* has what appears to be a third bottle cage mount below the bottom tube. Is that really what it is? It seems like a very odd place to carry a water bottle - no way you could reach it while riding, it would be at risk of falling out of the cage, and the nozzle would be taking spray and dirt directly off the front wheel.

What's the story?

Steve
* Specialized tricross sport

I don't use it, but if I would, I'd carry a smaller bottle that fits snugly, and upon running of water on the 2 other bottles (larger), I'd just transfer the liquid.

Another common use for the third bottle cage is to keep your fuel bottle there (if you have a stove that takes bottled fuels, that is). Not being able to reach it while riding becomes a safety feature. :D

--J

I had one on my volpe. I had trouble with the bottle touching the front wheel until I found a cage that held the bottle low enough and a short bottle. For touring or centuries the extra bottle is a huge help.

Another common use for the third bottle cage is to keep your fuel bottle there (if you have a stove that takes bottled fuels, that is). Not being able to reach it while riding becomes a safety feature. :D

--J

be careful with this, if your fuel bottle has a pump handle that could extend and catch the wheel.

i just put a small water bottle in mine, and pour out the water, as others have said

Another common use for the third bottle cage is to keep your fuel bottle there (if you have a stove that takes bottled fuels, that is). Not being able to reach it while riding becomes a safety feature. :D

--J

And also large batteries for halogen commuting lights.

When your route takes you through a long stretch with no water and it's hot, it's hard to carry enough water. A third water bottle cage is one way to counter this. I always drink from the water bottle on the downtube. When it's empty I stop and switch the one from the seat tube. If I'm carrying a third bottle, I make that switch next. Last summer I put two cages on my BOB trailer, and my old bike had two cages, for a total of four. One hot day when I had to climb a dry mountain pass, four bottles was barely enough.

I have my Topeak Road Morph pump mounted in the 3rd bottle position. Also, it helps to have fenders.

I use it to carry a water bottle cage bag with my tools, spare tube, patch kit and valve adaptor. I can usually find enough water along the way to keep two bottles filled without the need for a third.

I'm in the habit of carrying a Sigg bottle of fuel under the downtube, but my LHT has 5 bottle cages on it and am looking for spots to bolt a couple more.

call it overkill, but I like to be prepared with lots of water. Filled in the morning, 4-5 bottles is good to hold me the whole day without looking for resupply till its about time to camp.

I often wind up with a bottle of soda in my snack bag off the rear seat, so want a couple more bottle racks. Having the full days' water, plus the luxury to have one holding a coffee mug and one for a soda or whatever picked up during the day would be a perfect compliment for my type of touring.

None of my current bikes have a cage in that position, but when I did I found it to work out fine.

It doesn't get all that dirty if you have fenders and I didn't find it that hard to reach while riding. I didn't reach for the bottle there each time I wanted a drink, but rather swapped the full one from there with an empty from one of the other cages.

I probably looked funny doing the swap while riding, but it wasn't that hard. It worked like this:
1. Hold empty in teeth.
2. Grab the full bottle from the third cage.
3. Put the full bottle in the 1st or 2nd cage.
4. Put the empty in the 3rd cage.

I guess for folks who either aren't very flexible or ride in a more upright position it may be hard to reach the third cage. Body proportions and frame size probably make a difference too.

Also on some bikes the clearance from the front tire can be really skimpy and that can be a problem.

I carried a 500ml Nalgene in the 3rd cage, usually it was filled with powder (electrolyte drink, milk, etc). When I wasn't routinely mixing up drinks, I kept my tool bottle there.

I have that on my LHT. It will only hold a small bottle (a large will hit the fender), but I use it to hold sports drink and use the other two in the triangle for water.
I just drink out of it when I stop.

I have my Topeak Road Morph pump mounted in the 3rd bottle position. Also, it helps to have fenders.

My Blackburn pump has a handy snap in bracket that bolts to the 3rd bottle bosses - how do you mount your Road Morph? Does Topeak have a bracket?

Another common use for the third bottle cage is to keep your fuel bottle there (if you have a stove that takes bottled fuels, that is). Not being able to reach it while riding becomes a safety feature. :D

--J

That is what I typically use mine for. When they were first introduced (the third bottle mounts) the standard water bottle was on the small size. IIRC the larger sized water bottles didn't come out until the mid 80's.

Aaron:)

Ah, these are good ideas, thanks all.

Steve

I'm in the habit of carrying a Sigg bottle of fuel under the downtube, but my LHT has 5 bottle cages on it and am looking for spots to bolt a couple more.
call it overkill, but I like to be prepared with lots of water...


Out of curiosity, where have you mounted them? I have three mounting positions on my 520, but have been able to mount 4 by attaching two bottle holders on the downtube. Zip ties work great on that.

My air zound bottle is in the third mount on my bike... I actually had to move my fender closer to the tire to clear it.

I used to put the battery pack for my light there, but I moved that to my rear pannier some time ago.

To anwser Michel Gagnon about where 5 bottle cages fit, I've got a bottle cage mounted to each side of the front rack, situated behind the panniers and within easy reach. Thinking two more up front, or off the back of the back rack.

pics here: http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=205018&highlight=

I see. Thanks.

I'm rather surprised how few people here use it to actually carry water. I figured it was pretty much "standard" for long-distance tourists. I might only dip into the third bottle once every other day or so, but I'd feel naked if I knew it wasn't there.

I use a short (what used to be "normal") bottle so that it fits, and while fenders do help a lot, after hanging down there for a couple weeks, it does get pretty gunky. So most of the time, I don't actually drink out of it, I just pour the contents into one of my empty bottles.

What`s surprising to me is how many folks like drinking and driving, so to speak. I`ve gotten to like the 16 oz "big mouth" bottles that Gatorade and Snapple come in even though I have to stop and put a foot or two on the ground to take a swig. I`m never so opposed to taking a breather that it causes me any inconvenience. I know I`m sort of a rarity on the mtb trails, but I kind of figured there would be more tourists with the same mind-set. It also bears mentioning that the mountainbike I`ve been riding for the last six years only has one bottle cage, so I have to refill from a bigger bottle on my rack from time to time. Well, actually the bike has two sets of bosses, but it`s a small frame and I couldn`t get a bottle in or out of the ST rack when I had one so I took it off. I wouldn`t mind having more, but one seems to do.

I'm rather surprised how few people here use it to actually carry water. I figured it was pretty much "standard" for long-distance tourists...

I used 1.5 liter bottles in my other 2 cages, and had carried extra bottles (and a bladder) in my bags as needed. Most water I carried was ~10L+, with the least being 3L (the 2 bottles in the cages). On my year tour, the only place I ran out of water was in France (of all places!) on a climb.