Last weekend I launched a bottle off my rear cage for the first time. It was a full Camelbak Podium 25oz in an XLab P-Cage set at less than a 45* angle (more upright). Is there anything I can do to prevent bottles from launching? Are there bottles that are more suited for rear cages & others that are more “launchable”?
I’m asking what I can do with what I have. I’m not looking to go out & get two Gorilla cages to replace the P-Cages.
You can put a rubber band over the top of the bottle that goes all the way down to the bottom of the cage. When you are ready for your bottle, just reach back and pull the rubber band over the cap of the bottle towards the inside of your saddle, and then grab the bottle. The rubber band will hang on the inside of the bottle cage so you can reuse it next ride.
There is something to the shape of camelbak bottles that make them much more prone to launching, only brand I’ve had launch. I think it’s the gentle angles of the bottle that allow it to work itself out. I’ve had zero bottles with a more defined “cage ridge” like the purist line don’t launch.
In the right conditions you can launch pretty much anything but I can lift my bike by the bottle using a specialized rib cage and purist bottle.
The first one I had actually came on the GFs bike and I had to swap it out since she was unable to get her water bottle out.
Skateboard deck tape, basically it’s like a sandpaper sticker. Works great! Just wrap a few strips around the bottle and you’re good to go.
Honestly, I never found a truly foolproof reliable way to avoid launching bottles with my X-lab when I used it.
Rubber bands work, but then you have to unstrap them to drink.
The grip tape helps, but even then, they popped out
I even bent the cages so tight that I needed TWO hands to pull them out - and amazingly enough, they STILL popped out after awhile on long rides - I’m amazed they did, but they did, consistently.
Best solution on training rides - wear a normal bike jersey and carry the bottles in your rear pockets. They typically have 3 pockets, so between your bike and your jersey you can carry 4-5 bottles, which is enough for even long rides.
XLab Gorilla cages are pretty much launch proof.
You may also want to consider having the cages more horizontal - It’s counter-intuitive, but most of the shaking is in an up/down direction as you go over bumps.
Another strategy is putting skateboard tape on the inside of the cage. If you look at various tech reviews around Paris-Roubaix bikes then you’ll see examples of this.
X-Lab cages don’t work with Camelback Podium bottles. Candace at XLAB has stated this before on the forums. You need a bottle that matches up with the hook on the cage to prevent launching
Get a x-lab Gorilla XT cage and those 24oz fuel belt bottle (probably any bottle with that shape will work just avoid the camelback type!), I have never had a launch since then. NEVER!
I wrap my CamelBak bottle with electrical tape towards the bottom and top (or old bar tape). I wrap it so it’s much wider than the natural opening of the cage. It takes a lot of effort to get it in and out but it’s only training so I stop, pull it out, fill my down tube bottle with the contents inside it and plug it back in behind me. This method doesn’t work while racing but I’ve not launched a single bottle out of my Gorilla cages this way.
I had similar issues. As others have said, the camel back podium ones just dont match up with most carbon (or other kind) water bottle holders. I switched to the 24 ounce, insolated Polar water bottles. Havent had one launch since, and the roads i am on are bumpy as could be. Try that see how it works.
I’ve used an old stretchy shoe lace with good results.
jaretj
No special tricks. Get a tighter cage or get fatter bottles, or both? Some combinations offer more friction than others.
Some combinations are a joke and only the gravity is keeping the bottle in the cage. Hit a pothole and you are going to lose a bottle.
In my experience, properly secured bottle feels too tight at the store when you first buy the cage or bottles. But it very quickly loosens up and works quite well.
Check this thread out http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=4391148;search_string=xlab%20aqua%20shot;#4391148
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Ride on the trainer
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Dont use camelbak bottles. The Specialized ones are lovely.
I run clean up on some bike courses and I pick up a lot of the Camelbak bottles. I have two or rather had two, lost one recently and some ran over it. The do seem to jump out more than other bottles in my X-lab rig. Other bottles do jump out but not as much.
Going to try some grip tape before I toy with the angle anymore.
Thanks for the feedback everyone. To be honest, this was the first long ride where I used the Camelbak Podium, and that was because all my other bottles are dirty. It looks like the issue is witht eh Camelbak, not the cages so much. I usually use the Polar insulated bottles or regular non-insulated bottles & those stay put very well. I looked at the Specialized/Purist bottles & they look like the best of both the Polar (better fit) & the Camelbak (squeeze & squirt top).
For the cost, the P-Cage holder is awesome. It does lack the tab at the top like most traditional cages (see below), so the shape of the bottle notch is a non-issue. It relies on the rubber band to provide pressure to keep the bottles in place. Candace at XLab sent me some extra rubber bands & I may layer a couple on each cage to see if they provide extra holding strength. I will also look to see if I can find thicker/stronger O-rings in the same size at Home Depot.
I also like some of the other ideas in the thread. The rubber bands, skateboard grip tape, and tape around the bottles sound like the best ones. I may have to try them all out.
Squirt a little of the sugary liquid inside the bottle (your fuel) out and coat the bottle with it. The sugar will act as glue on the cage and it should stay put.
Put an old Livestrong bracelet or one of the millions of knockoffs you can get anywhere on your bottle. It’ll provide the extra grip and resistance to keep a bottle in place.