My LHT has three places for water cages, one of which is on the bottom side of the down tube. I don't understand this - wouldn't this get the bottle all dirty? Am I missing something here? Just wondering...
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My LHT has three places for water cages, one of which is on the bottom side of the down tube. I don't understand this - wouldn't this get the bottle all dirty? Am I missing something here? Just wondering...
It's just there for extra water carrying capacity (meant more for touring since it's a touring specific bike). You probably wouldn't use it unless you were touring, or on a long ride when you might need the extra fluids. I have a bottle cage on the underside of my Bike Friday tube. When I carry a bottle there, I just use it to refill the bottle on the top- since it does tend to get a bit dirty.
A friend of mine always covers his water bottle with a tube sock ... keeps it clean. You can never have enough beverage with you if you're going on a long, rural ride.
But of course, both of you make perfect sense :) My water cage brackets on the seat tube seems awfully close to moving parts - but I think they make water cages where you can pull the bottle from the side so am going to see if I can find that again. The space is only so tight since the bike is so small.
I miss my LHT - I want it back from the LBS NOW - hopefully tomorrow. Then he will have snazzy new blue/black bar tape to go along with the new levers and Salsa bars :cool:
As Tri Girl said, it's just there for extra carrying capacity.
Nalgene makes a bottle with a flip cover to keep the nozzle clean. We use these on our mtn bikes when there is clearance.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...ene+atb+bottle
Yep, there for extra capacity. You can get bottles that have a plastic flip lid to cover the drinking apparatus. Or you can just dump it into your other bottles when they empty.
You can also use the mount for something like a tire pump if you don't want/need a bottle down there.
I think it's also there to carry your fuel bottle - so if it leaks it doesn't contaminate anything.
Huh! I used to mount a portable pump there (now I carry cartridges). Never thought of mounting a bottle cage there :-) Why not?! That reminds me--have to go find my camelbak..............
For self-contained touring, you can use the bottom bottle cage to hold an extra water bottle for use when you get into camp in the evening, or as many do, you can use it to carry the fuel bottle for your camp stove so that if it leaks, you don't get Coleman fuel soaking into everything in your pannier. MSR makes a little red aluminium fuel bottle that fits very neatly into a bottle cage. Being a belt & suspenders type of fellow, I usually carry a JetBoil to make coffee or cocoa with, and to heat water for those nice Mountain House dehydrated meals. But it's also nice to have a regular camp stove and some sort of pot so that you can cook from scratch if you have to, or want to...
TOm
Catrin: You'll need it when you do your first RaIN ride in a couple months;)
you can also use a wide mouthed bottle or tennis ball tube on the undertube to carry your tool kit,spare tire, multi tool, CO2 cartridge and injector, opener, id, mmoney etc. thus eliminating the under seat bag and clearing room for a bike trunk that has plenty of room for water and snacks without being filled up with the contents of your underseat bag.
Just a thought. If you are really going to be riding without any sort of `support and think you might need water, carry a camelback which will hold enough extra water plus your odd bits and pieces of clothing. If you pass a gas station, road side grocery, etc,stop in ,use the facilities , buy a pack of gum or someething and two bottles of water. Drink one immediatly and use the other to top off whatever needs topping off, or if you are hot and steamy, pour it over your head, wipe off with the bandana you are carrying in your short leg and tie it around your neck and head out again.
If you are riding with a group, buy a bag of ice and share it out.
Just thoughts from cross country distance/endurance riding.
marni