bikecrate

I was riding along when I heard a loud "tink". My water bottle and metal cage went bouncing out into traffic. After pulling over to retrieve them I noticed the metal had snapped right in front of the top screw. Apparently the back screw had come loose and perhaps the stress had weakened it. The weird thing was I hadn't even touch the bottle in awhile. On the good side nobody ran over my newly purchased water bottle and the remaining screw was still holding my frame pump.

The_D

If your frame's CF or AL, odds are that "back screw" is actually an SS rivet; mine came loose on a previous bike and the shop was able to punch a new one back in with the right tool.

Machka 

In the old days bottle cages were attached with clamps ... and they regularly rusted through and broke. You'd go to put your bottle back in the cage and the cage would disappear onto the road behind you somewhere.

bikecrate

I think that was a contributing factor. It used to be fine, but maybe with years of pushing and pulling the water bottle out of the cage it did something to how tightly the screw fits in the hole. I've moved my frame pump elsewhere and now I can get the screw to hold the cage properly.

cachehiker

Broke my first bottle cage, a tacx taos, this year. It was 3 years old so I wasn't too upset. It's light and it's cheap, so durability was already anticipated as the sacrifice. I still think they're a good value.

And broke teeth off of a cassette for the first time as well. This p!ssed me off. It only had 3000 commuting miles on it. It was way overpriced or underengineered. Either that or I'm getting to be a very strong rider.

itsmoot

This never happened back when cages were still made of steel, with lugs.

coffeecake

I destroyed a suspension seatpost. SO noticed my seat was at a funny angle, so he tried to move it...came off in his hand. Wish I had a reaction shot.

DieselDan

Bottle cages get bent and twisted often. Aluminum does not take well to bending and twisting.

Square & Compas

Two words: Camel Bak

Retro Grouch 

You sure? Check out your cassette teeth exactly opposite the "broken ones". If you see teeth with exactly the same shape, the "broken teeth" are actual designed into the cassette to make it shift better.

Pat

I had something similar happen in a group. I put my water bottle back in its cage and it fell and bounced on the ground amongst the group causing a cascade of oaths and curses. I went back for my bottle, retrieved it and it was still in the cage. The cage had come off the clamp because the weld had failed. Small stresses are cumulative.

cachehiker

Does this look like broken teeth to you?



22,000 miles in 5 years on 5 bikes and 8 wheelsets, most of which I built myself.