Any good recommendations for bottle cages to use on a Minoura rear mount holder?
I’ve seen the Profile Kage’s launch bottles at will and right now I’m using el-cheapo steel cages, but was looking for something “sleeker”
I have had very, very good luck with the Specialized '04 Rib Cage Pro.
http://www.specialized.com/SBCEqProduct.jsp?spid=5027&JServSessionIdroot=f1gyshjfnj.j27002
I have put these on a lot of bikes with behind the seat mounts from the X-Lab to the Minoura. The have not failed me yet.
Consider using a NeverReach system.
A pair of Elite Ciussi cages just arrived on my doorstep for that exact purpose (Minoura rear mount). I’ll let you know how they work out. BTW, they were $21 shipped for the pair, new on eBay.
Andy
this has been discussed before and myself and a few people swear by the elite cussi, mainly because they are fairly cheap, don’t break, and don’t launch bottles much. If they feel loose, you can bend them up to tighten around them. I haven’t launched yet.
I am certain that the Never Reach is a fine device that is most efficient. However the appearance of the thing is a high speed port-a-potty. Come to think of it that may prove handy on a long ride.
LOL
If that option doesn’t work…wait a year. I hear a manufacturer yet to be named is considering a model with with a slightly larger downtube (hollow of course), fitted with a removeable/replaceable water skin, with a sipper tube that can be plugged in. No appearance issue and certainly eliminates the launching factor…
Front mounted is actually more aero. Little justification for rear mount unless you’re going long.
http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/waterbottles.html
It seems the Elite Ciussi comes in both stainless steel and some alloy version: http://www.elite-it.com/jsp/c-Prodotti.jsp?ID=070
Anybody know of any performance differences between the two versions?
CG,
I agree. Frame mounted cages and bottles are not the parachutes that people think they are.
The rear mounted cage/bottle set-ups seeme to be a foolish diversion. I witnessed it first hand at the Bala triathlon on the weekend - no bottles launched, but a number of people weaving all over the road, sitting up and reaching back for their bottles.
Frame mounted is the way to go:
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Easy to access
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mounted low on the bike, so handling not comprimised
Using the justification of your comment as the post…read the next to the last paragraph. Ease of using the system can be a huge item for a large percentage of anyone interested in the comparison. Fleck’s following post makes that point quite well. Reach and weave, or stay tight and straight.
" people weaving all over the road, sitting up and reaching back for their bottles. "
I almost got wiped out one time. Came up to pass a guy just as he was reaching behind for his rear mount. He weaved across the road and tapped me. Fortunately I held control and continued on.
I have seen some people’s bikes at Tri races and they will have two bottles mounted up high with rear mounts, then a bottle mounted in front, then assorted other stuff( spares, co2 cartridges, food and other things) all mounted high up on the bike. A $4,000 bike kitted out like this handles like a tank. It completely distorts and disrupts how the bike handles.
My girl friend used to do this with her bike. Then I got her to go with frame mount bottle/cages and then to carry some other stuff in a back pocket of a racing top and eliminate some other “stuff”. She was amazed at how fast she could corner and how good her bike felt and fast her bike splits were.
"I’ve seen the Profile Kage’s launch bottles at will "
Hmmm… I’ve been using the profile Kages for a while now and have yet to launch one bottle. I find they hold bottles better than the Tacx cages of the Elite’s, and will actually hold undersized bottles - like Gatorade bottles or water bottles that you may get on the course.
I’d love to go with frame mounted cages as I’ve had great luck with that on my TCR. But unfortunately on my new P3 I only have one cage mount on the frame.
I’ll second the recommendation for the Ribcage Pro. I use them on my Xlab Flatwing on my P3 and haven’t launched a bottle yet.
I haven’t had to do much of that in triathlon.
No pun intended…it just always seems to come down to a balancing act.
My handling skills are admittedly less than what they could be, at least when it comes to reaching for and grabbing a bottle…and then getting it back where it belongs…and doing that flawlessly when I need/want the fluid, not when traffic is clear.
When I first started doing this ('91), I ran a small diameter plastic tube into the downtube mounted bottle and up and over my bars. The idea of messing around with a bottle did not go over very well. So, I adapted and “neverreached” back then. The Jetstream later took care of that issue…especially since my Slingshot has no downtube. On longer rides and events now, I can’t imagine being without the NeverReach. For me, it is a great compliment to my lack of lack of skills. Anyone else around me is safer as a result. I feel better about the process so I ride better. It seems to be a good mix. Surely won’t work for everyone though.
I had a $17 Tacx cage fail on me this weekend at a half IM…fortunately I was almost done with my seat tube bottle so I held the bottle from the failed Tacx cage until I got to an aid station so I could toss the seat tube bottle. What a pain! The cage failed at where it was fastened to the xlab saddle wing thingy. The little oval jobbies that the screw goes through broke off from the cage so all I have left is two little ovals. It was my first ride with this cage after being told “it is AWESOME!” Next time I’ll just start throwing 17 one dollar bills out on the bike course…it will at least make someone elsehappy.
As for ideas for cages…well…I thought plastic wouldn’t fail like metal cages have for me (metal cages tend to break at the weld on rear mounted setups…for me) but I guess I was wrong. Maybe I was using a cheap metal.
I snapped a frame mounted ribcage pro at a recent race. They look good, but a little too flimsy for my heavy handed placement. I was looking at the tacx, but we’ll see.