Drink bottle rubbing on frame. How to stop it?

Darius_Jedburgh

I gave a carbon fibre Canondale Syntace, which has Canondale drink bottle holders fitted. They are both a little too far down the tubes for my liking. The problem is with the seat tube.

The bosses are so low that my drinks bottle rubs against the down tube. It has already worn a slight mark in the lacquer, and it is only going to get worse.

I've got the cage as high as I can get it, and there is no scope to enlarge the holes with a dremel or similar.

I want some means of lifting the height of the cage but cant workout how to do this. Anyone any ideas?

imposter2.0

Use different cages with longer slots and/or more holes. Elite Custom would be a good choice...

slowbike

Alternative could be to put a stop on the bottle cage to prevent the bottle going down quite so far - shouldn't need much - a few mm may do it?

Darius_Jedburgh

Thanks. @Slowbike...I've just been doing that. I sacrificed a couple of the cheapo interlocking brake levers. Cut them to length and zip tiesd them to the bottom of the cage. We will see how that works.

If all else fails I'll wander round LBS and see what they have as alternatives. Knowing my luck I'll finish up buying one of every make before I find one that fits!!

Matthewfalle

getting rid of one cage and fitting an underseat replacement is a drastic yet feasible solution in a hydrational dilemma such as this.

#hydration

manglier

File the bottom of the bottle cage slots to allow more upward travel.

Alejandrosdog

Matthewfalle wrote:

getting rid of one cage and fitting an underseat replacement is a drastic yet feasible solution in a hydrational dilemma such as this.

#hydration

This is not a solution, it's wrong on so many levels here are 2

1 it looks wrong
2 triathletes do this sort of thing

#respectthebike

Darius_Jedburgh

Manglier wrote:

File the bottom of the bottle cage slots to allow more upward travel.

Can't do that as mention in opening post.

webboo

Franco di Banco wrote:

Manglier wrote:

File the bottom of the bottle cage slots to allow more upward travel.

Can't do that as mention in opening post.

What about a metal strip that you fix to bottle cage holes but has two other threaded holes that sit your bottle cage higher up the tube.
I’m sure I have seen something for sale that does this but I can’t think where.

Matthewfalle

just make it - strip of metal from b&q, cut to lebgth needed, drill the holes where you want, fit. 10 minute job

#hydration

Matthewfalle

Alejandrosdog wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

getting rid of one cage and fitting an underseat replacement is a drastic yet feasible solution in a hydrational dilemma such as this.

#hydration

This is not a solution, it's wrong on so many levels here are 2

1 it looks wrong
2 triathletes do this sort of thing

#respectthebike

it was touted for discussion as a solution to the OPs hydrational issue. it would work.

#hydration
#betterthandying

Darius_Jedburgh

Matthewfalle wrote:

just make it - strip of metal from b&q, cut to lebgth needed, drill the holes where you want, fit. 10 minute job

#hydration

And how do I fit the cage to the metal strip without nuts and bolts rubbing into the seat tube whilst still not protruding so far into the cage that I can get the bottle in or out.

That has already been tried and failed.

Darius_Jedburgh

Matthewfalle wrote:

Alejandrosdog wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

getting rid of one cage and fitting an underseat replacement is a drastic yet feasible solution in a hydrational dilemma such as this.

#hydration

This is not a solution, it's wrong on so many levels here are 2

1 it looks wrong
2 triathletes do this sort of thing

#respectthebike

it was touted for discussion as a solution to the OPs hydrational issue. it would work.

#hydration
#betterthandying

Nope. No way. Wrong on so many counts.

Matthewfalle

alternatively, a bit of tape over where it rubs?

#stickysolution

Darius_Jedburgh

Matthewfalle wrote:

alternatively, a bit of tape over where it rubs?

#stickysolution

I have had a piece of inner tube zip tied there, but it looks effin' ugly, so I'm after a nice tidy solution.

The bike cost a tidy sum so I don't want it looking scruffy.

Alejandrosdog

Just buy a different bottle cage.

Matthewfalle

Franco di Banco wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

alternatively, a bit of tape over where it rubs?

#stickysolution

I have had a piece of inner tube zip tied there, but it looks effin' ugly, so I'm after a nice tidy solution.

The bike cost a tidy sum so I don't want it looking scruffy.

is it all ok under ties/tube?

jermas

If you don't want to change the cage, put a small circle of helicopter tape on the downtube. Alternatively try a Camelbak podium bottle. The bottom of the bottle has a large chamfered edge which might stop the bottle touching the frame.

webboo

Franco di Banco wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

just make it - strip of metal from b&q, cut to lebgth needed, drill the holes where you want, fit. 10 minute job

#hydration

And how do I fit the cage to the metal strip without nuts and bolts rubbing into the seat tube whilst still not protruding so far into the cage that I can get the bottle in or out.

That has already been tried and failed.

You could glue in some bottle cage bosses or drill and tap the holes to fit the bottle cage screws.

Darius_Jedburgh

Alejandrosdog wrote:

Just buy a different bottle cage.

Please tell me which one I should buy?
There's no way I'm going to buy every bleeding cage in the hope that eventually I will get one that suits.

These are Canondale cages on a Canondale frame. The obvious conclusion is that they are fit for purpose. They are not. So which manufacturer makes appropriate ones?

Maybe you would like to send me a sample of every cage on the market and I'll decide which I want to keep.

There are some good replies on here, but a couple of total *****s as well.

Darius_Jedburgh

Webboo wrote:

Franco di Banco wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

just make it - strip of metal from b&q, cut to lebgth needed, drill the holes where you want, fit. 10 minute job

#hydration

And how do I fit the cage to the metal strip without nuts and bolts rubbing into the seat tube whilst still not protruding so far into the cage that I can get the bottle in or out.

That has already been tried and failed.

You could glue in some bottle cage bosses or drill and tap the holes to fit the bottle cage screws.

In carbon fibre?
Someone else who hadn't bothered to read the first line of the thread.

Think I'll try and get a mod to shut this down.
Idiots to the right, idiots to the left, into the forum of idiots rode the unsuspecting.

webboo

Franco di Banco wrote:

Webboo wrote:

Franco di Banco wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

just make it - strip of metal from b&q, cut to lebgth needed, drill the holes where you want, fit. 10 minute job

#hydration

And how do I fit the cage to the metal strip without nuts and bolts rubbing into the seat tube whilst still not protruding so far into the cage that I can get the bottle in or out.

That has already been tried and failed.

You could glue in some bottle cage bosses or drill and tap the holes to fit the bottle cage screws.

In carbon fibre?
Someone else who hadn't bothered to read the first line of the thread.

Think I'll try and get a mod to shut this down.
Idiots to the right, idiots to the left, into the forum of idiots rode the unsuspecting.

Before you start calling me out you need to actually read what I have posted. So as you appear to have difficulty grasping what I mean. I will try again. Get a metal strip an inch or so longer than the spacing of your bottle cage bolts, drill two holes so you can fix it where your bottle cage goes. Have these positioned so they are towards one end of the strip.
Drill two other holes which you will need to tap a thread that the bottle cage screws will screw in to. These holes will need to be off set so you can fasten your bottle cage to the strip so it’s higher up your down tube.
Where you got the idea anyone was suggesting drilling your frame god knows.

imposter2.0

Franco di Banco wrote:

Think I'll try and get a mod to shut this down.
Idiots to the right, idiots to the left, into the forum of idiots rode the unsuspecting.

Firstly, there are no mods on these forums. Not even a decent admin, now that Josh is gone. Secondly (and thanks entirely to the first point) this is what passes for discourse on here these days.

cougie

+1 for the helicopter tape. I'd go with that before swapping out bottle cages. Costs pence and protects the frame.

monkimark

Something like this?
https://m.bikester.co.uk/708317.html?_c ... BwQAvD_BwE

webboo

monkimark wrote:

Something like this?
https://m.bikester.co.uk/708317.html?_c ... BwQAvD_BwE

That’s the thing I’d seen but I couldn’t think where though. However I think the op has flounced off somewhere.

Alejandrosdog

Franco di Banco wrote:

Alejandrosdog wrote:

Just buy a different bottle cage.

Please tell me which one I should buy?
There's no way I'm going to buy every bleeding cage in the hope that eventually I will get one that suits.

These are Canondale cages on a Canondale frame. The obvious conclusion is that they are fit for purpose. They are not. So which manufacturer makes appropriate ones?

Maybe you would like to send me a sample of every cage on the market and I'll decide which I want to keep.

There are some good replies on here, but a couple of total *****s as well.

Why don’t you take your crap bike and your crap attitude to a lbs and ask them to offer a few cages up to your crap frame and see which work.

Matthewfalle

Webboo wrote:

monkimark wrote:

Something like this?
https://m.bikester.co.uk/708317.html?_c ... BwQAvD_BwE

That’s the thing I’d seen but I couldn’t think where though. However I think the op has flounced off somewhere.

exactly - its a strip of metal with two washers under it where the bolts go to space it out. he's not the cleverest or most grateful so stuff him. he's probably worn a load of the paint off it under the cable ties and bit of inner tube he stuck on there.

none of this is actually very difficult anyway if you have a brain.

its a cr4p bike anyhow so the scratches probably improve it.

#zerocares

Matthewfalle

Franco di Banco wrote:

Webboo wrote:

Franco di Banco wrote:

Matthewfalle wrote:

just make it - strip of metal from b&q, cut to lebgth needed, drill the holes where you want, fit. 10 minute job

#hydration

And how do I fit the cage to the metal strip without nuts and bolts rubbing into the seat tube whilst still not protruding so far into the cage that I can get the bottle in or out.

That has already been tried and failed.

You could glue in some bottle cage bosses or drill and tap the holes to fit the bottle cage screws.

In carbon fibre?
Someone else who hadn't bothered to read the first line of the thread.

Think I'll try and get a mod to shut this down.
Idiots to the right, idiots to the left, into the forum of idiots rode the unsuspecting.

anyhow, yes in carbon fibre.

drill a hole. stick a riv nut in. screw in bottle cage. its not that difficult - its a mass produced Taiwanese plastic frame. You don't honestly think its hand crafted exotica do you?

either way, no one actually cares.

jermas

anyhow, yes in carbon fibre.

drill a hole. stick a riv nut in. screw in bottle cage. its not that difficult - its a mass produced Taiwanese plastic frame. You don't honestly think its hand crafted exotica do you?

either way, no one actually cares.

How could a bottle causing a slight frame rub turn into get you drill out and start drilling and riveting your frame? BAD ADVICE!!
As you would put it #sledgehammertocrackanut.
Also all carbon frames are handcrafted, "exotica" or not.

jeddy11

The simple solution is to buy another cage - take the old one and measure up against new ones would save buying loads to try or even use a tape measure ?

I think all the comments are helpful ..