I don't run this anymore, but I used to run a 2-rear cage metal setup on a behind-the-seat Xlab. I chose metal after having repeated launches with plastic cages.

I guarantee that those metal cages were wayyyyy tighter than any of your fancy $70 cages after I had bent them into the 'locked' position on my rides. You couldn't hpull the bottle out riding even if it were mounted between your legs. (I had to stop and use TWO hands to force the things out AFTER bending the metal cage back some, and it was never easy!)


I somehow could manage to STILL eject a bottles regularly on long 70-90 mile training rides when hitting lots of bumps with these crazy tight metal cages. There's something about that behind-the-seat setup with repeated hits or something that I suspect deforms the bottles (I used Camelbak bottles) enough that they'd eventually squeeze through even super tight cages.

I even duct-taped the bottles for 'grip', and they still ejected. The only thing that stopped it finally was to put ugly rubber bands encircling the entire cage+bottle setup but that was fugly.

It got annoying enough that I just ditched the behind-the-seat setup and now run a BTA bottle and a tube between the legs. Those never eject, even with cheap plastic cages. I think the position of the bottles makes a difference, with bottles behind the seat being at much higher ejection risk.

For me, the cage made zero difference. The position made all the difference.

I have a question that somewhat ties into this topic. And maybe it was covered in other people's answers in this thread but I have not read down through them. Last year at my first 70.3 I had my bike setup with specialized rib cage behind the seat cages. The water bottles that the race Aid stations had were the oversized Deer Park water bottles and they would not stay in the rib cage holders. What I saw a lot of guys doing that was working was buying cheaper aluminum ones and bending them tighter so I'm wondering as I prepare for my first full Ironman this year what bottles they will have along the bike course because at Outer Banks last year I ended up just stuffing them in my jersey which was A. a giant pain in the ass and B. not exactly aerodynamic.

The rubber wrist bands that charities and companies dish out are the perfect diameter for keeping bottles in cages



I have a tool tub mounted in a bottle cage, behind the seat on one of my bikes, one of these bands keeps it in place

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http://www.thetrinerd.com

I've never had a bottle launched from Elite Custom Race cages, even on rough gravel races. They cost about $9.

I suspect the angle the cages are mounted behind has an effect as well. My profile design plastic cages mounted behind the seat are at an angle. I see other cages mounted where the bottles point straight up. Makes sense if you hit a bump the straight up cages would allow bottles to launch out more easily

I somehow managed to eject a torpedo (using the xlab torpedo cage, btw) going over the first or second railroad tracks and had to get to the right in order to turn around and go get it. It was locked in with the back screw so I am going to use a velcro strap to secure it into the bottle cage next time. I slowed down over the other tracks and kept my hand on the torpedo to make sure it didn't happen again. Ejecting a bottle is embarrassing ...

I think it also has quite a bit to do with the bottles. If they have the round indent near the top, they hold in much better than the camelback bottles. My gorilla XT cage BTS never ejected the Gatorade bottles (which have the indent) so that was a plus.

XLab Torpedo Versa? Did you have the computer mount on?

My torpedo comes lose from its cage on every bump of consequence. I've never had it come completely out, but only because I have the Garmin mount out front which keeps the bottle from flying away. You'd have though that for a bottle which only needs to come out for cleaning they'd have designed a more secure attachment.

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"They're made of latex, not nitroglycerin"

how lose does it come? is it lose "forward" or "upwards"?

was about to buy a replacement for my Profile Design Aero HC System (wanted a better computer mount integrated system, but I've never seen the bottle coming off), but now you guys got me wondering...

I've also ejected a Torpedo bottle before during a particularly nasty stretch of road. Now I have the computer mount always in the "up" position - that should prevent the Torpedo bottle from fully ejecting. in the future. I think it's fine - not super worried about it. Just wish there was a way to tighten the actual Versa plate down to the aero bars a little more snugly.

You werent at IM Gulf Coast when this happened by any chance were you?

Not the versa, but the torpedo with the carbon torpedo cage since I have the mono-extension on my speed concept. My 520 was on a k-edge mount that sits just between the grips, below my hands.

I ejected a BTS bottle for the first time ever on a training ride a few weeks ago. When I got back home and checked the bottle, I found that the shape of the bottle didn't mate particularly well with the retaining hook part of the cage. Perhaps it's the shape of the bottle not the cage itself that's to blame sometimes.

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http://www.howesgreg.com

Try riding on Belgian roads and cobbles. It litteraly tore apart the PD mounts i used bta and behind the seat. Not to mention the amount of time i spent dodging another bottle that just flies out of those plastic cages, even after i added extra elastic bands.

Bought a torpedo and tape that thing to the cage before every ride. And have a elite aero bottle on the downtube, which never seems to move.

I’m assuming typical race roads for a triathlon which hopefully would not include too many cobbles. Chattanooga has railroad tracks which are the main issue for bottle launching at that race

Oh right, well we do race those roads aswell over in europe. But i get your point. Still a man has to go out and train with some bottles right?

+1

one of my el cheapos just broke though, after only 15 years.. sheesh now I have to spend another $5..

I have had good luck with these Elite cages. They have a rubber end on the cage that is snug on the disposable water bottles thar are used on the course and it will stretch to accommodate a standard bottle.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour