Getting a new bike and want to see if there is a better way to transport water bottles. For Olympic/sprint races I just have one bottle on frame and that's fine but I need a second one for longer races and more importantly for training. My new bike only has bosses for one cage on the frame and I do not want to carry one behind the seat (they fly off and are too hard to reach for) so I think my best option is a BTA set up. On my current bike I have a profile design cage/mini bars zip tied to the aerobars and it works ok, but just ok (kinda hard to reach + getting the angle right with the zip ties was tough so that the bottle did not tip forward making it easier to fly out - usually have to add a rubber band to make sure it does not fly out). My requirements/hopes and questions about a new set up:
-holds regular size water bottles
-water bottles do not go flying out
-easy to pull bottle out and drink from it (I have no interest in the straws - tried them and don't like them)
Has anyone tried setting it up so that the bottle faces backward? I thought that might make it easier to take in and out.
Has anyone with a P2/3/5 tried setting up a bottle cage on the top tube behind the stem using the bosses for the screw on storage box? Not sure how'd I'd do it or if it would fit but I was curious as it would be out of the wind and most easy to reach.
I would very interested to see (or failing that get a description) any DIY set ups that folks have come up with that fit these requirements. While I have looked online at some of various commercial options - torpedo, xlab profile design and they all seem pretty expensive for what they are and not particularly suited for what I want (easy to switch out bottles easily, can hold regular bottles, no straw, etc. That said, I am ready to be further educated if there is some thing out there I am missing. Thanks in advance.
-holds regular size water bottles
-water bottles do not go flying out
-easy to pull bottle out and drink from it (I have no interest in the straws - tried them and don't like them)
Has anyone tried setting it up so that the bottle faces backward? I thought that might make it easier to take in and out.
Has anyone with a P2/3/5 tried setting up a bottle cage on the top tube behind the stem using the bosses for the screw on storage box? Not sure how'd I'd do it or if it would fit but I was curious as it would be out of the wind and most easy to reach.
I would very interested to see (or failing that get a description) any DIY set ups that folks have come up with that fit these requirements. While I have looked online at some of various commercial options - torpedo, xlab profile design and they all seem pretty expensive for what they are and not particularly suited for what I want (easy to switch out bottles easily, can hold regular bottles, no straw, etc. That said, I am ready to be further educated if there is some thing out there I am missing. Thanks in advance.