Big Bottle and Cage Recommendations

[Deacon Patrick]

For those of you with experience using them, recommendations on big bottle and cage combinations? My current plan for the 3-hole downtube brazons at the cranks on GBW is King Kage's Manythings Cage and Kleen Kanteen's 64oz. widemouth. Anyone try this combo or a similar volume bottle on the Manythings? How stable is it on the jouncy bits?

With abandon,

Patrick

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[J Imler]

I've used this guy for years now. Only good to say.

https://widefoot.com/product/litercage/

[Drw]

How often do you plan to get the bottle out? I’ve found the king cage to be extremely durable, with the only real downside being how cumbersome it is to remove and reattach the bottle. I use mine to hold the very last reserves of water, a sleeping bag, whiskey, etc...things I’ll only access once a trip. I’d use a VO Mojave or widefoot for regularly accessed bottleage.

[Friend]

I have Blackburns make of this.  I can attest that the dangling straps are not ideal and typing them up when you aren't carrying a bottle is a hassle.  However, I can strap in things that aren't a nalgene such as a rolled up jacket, small dry bag, etc.  When the Nalgene is in it, it doesn't budge.

[Coal Bee Rye Anne]

VO Mojave has served me well though only with light use... fits a variety of 32oz insulated bottles though tolerances were different between kleen kanteen, hydro flask, etc. so a few rattled much more than I’d have liked. I just wrapped the narrowest bottles with extra cloth rim or handlebar tape, duct tape or anything else I could find to shim and eliminate rattling. I believe some bottles could be found with the same diameter but taller with even greater capacity but I have no need for them right now.

Brian Cole
Lawrenceville NJ

[Deacon Patrick]

Aye, bottle width looks to be an issue. Diameter of the Kleen Kanteens:
40oz: 3.6" (should fit well on the downtube brazons)
64oz: 4.3" (Too big for the Downtube brazons, but may work with the strapon mounts on the seattube.)

Ideas for tall bottles (preferably not plastic) that are more the 3.6" diameter range? I'd like to be able to carry two-three 64oz ish sized bottles, and they can but up to 12" tall or so.

With abandon,
Patrick

[ted]

DP,
I fear you may be looking for unobtainium.
I think all the 64oz containers out there are too large diameter for even oversized bottle cages like the VO Mojave. Largest one I have used is the hydroflask 40oz widemouth insulated bottle, which works great with the VO cage on the seat tube of my 56 AHH.
For 64oz I think you’ll need the more general stuff holding strap stuff on sort of “cages”
Have you considered water bags like the dromedary?

[Drw]

i have a prototype tumbleweed rack that has 3 eyelets on each vertical strut, for anything cages. i havent used it, and could let it go if youre interested. might be a way to get giant bottles on a bike without impeding anything. 

[Tim Baldwin]

I use the VO Mojave cage with a 40 oz. Kleen Kanteen on a daily basis. Works great. Jandd stem bags also fit 40 oz bottles perfectly and have some insulation. I've used the 64 oz. bottles with a King cage but only on tours. The straps take too much fiddling for easy on/off. I liked the idea of big 64 oz bottles but in practice I like the 40 oz ones much better. You could put two by the stem, one on the down tube, one on seat tube and one under the down tube. That's 200 oz of water! I'm thinking of doing something along these lines for my next trip.

[Deacon Patrick]

Thanks, Ted and Drw. The clearance issue is from the cranks (I think they are raising the brazons on the production run), not the cage (the Many Things cage has no width issues). Drw, thank you for the offer. I'll stick with my Nitto rear rack and panniers, and figure out what works with the many Things cage(s) and aux. mounts.

With abandon,
Patrick

[ted]

Re clearing cranks:
The Mojave cage has a very long mounting rail with the bottom hole close to the bottom of the cage. Might allow clearing the crank even with a lower than normal braze on placement.

[Deacon Patrick]

Yes, the Mojave and any 40 oz option clears just fine.

[Kiley Demond]

I have a VO Mojave for sale... Brand new. Also have the standard version for sale as well. PM me with your zipcode and I will give you (or anyone else for that matter) a price with shipping.

[tuolumne bikes]

If you want to use the Blackburn Outposts to carry bottles, consider adding nylon tubing to the areas where the cages contact the bottles. It will reduce (not eliminate) how badly the bottles get scarred. Slit the tubing lengthwise and slide on.

Wide Jandd velcro ankle straps are perfect for replacing the straps to hold the bottles. They will thread between the cage and frame or fork, are just the right length for Nalgenes, and grip well. Because they hold their shape well (don't sag), they are much less fiddly than the provided straps when removing/inserting the bottles. They are also my favorite for securely strapping jackets/pants onto stems or bag loops etc. They seem to always be available for as seconds for $5.00 on their website.