With the growing popularity of eyelet-mounted bags and cargo cages, bike tourers and bikepackers are increasingly looking for ways to add mounts to their fork or downtube to attach such accessories. In addition, many desert routes and trips through warmer climates require extra hydration, so mounting extra bottle cages or oversized cages under the downtube, on the fork, or even on the chainstays is often a necessity for supplementing water capacity. These affordable workarounds can also serve to upgrade older bikes for those looking to try their hand at bikepacking but without the cash to invest in a dedicated rig.
Braze-ons, Bosses, and Eyelets
Before moving on, let’s clear up some terminology.
Braze-on, a common term used to reference a bolt mount on a bicycle, is defined as a small fitting on a bicycle that has been permanently attached to the frame. The term comes from how these parts were attached to traditional steel frames. Even though these fittings may be welded onto titanium or aluminum, or glued and molded into carbon, braze-on lives on as a way to describe these mounts. Typical braze-ons include cable stops/guides, rack and bottle cage mounts, or, even more bemusing, bosses.
Bosses are usually interpreted as welded, brazed, or attached protrusions, such as a cantilever brake bosses, rack bosses, shift lever bosses, or even cable guides. However, in the framebuilding parts world, bottle bosses are also very commonly sold as threaded inserts, or as we know them, bottle bosses. All that said, each of these terms is fine and dandy, but since the term braze-on doesn’t always perfectly describe the threaded attachment used for cages and cage-mount bags, we’ll refer to these as either mounts, eyelets, or bosses.
Ultimately, more and more bike frames are being outfitted with extra cage mounts and bottle bosses, especially bikes intended for touring or bikepacking. Provisions often include a pair (or triplet) on the underside of the downtube, as well as a three-pack of bosses on each fork blade (see our Gear Index of Forks with Bottle Cage Mounts). However, some bike companies are still anti “fork warts.” And, many older bikes were relegated to two pairs within the frame triangle. Fortunately, there is an ever-growing list of products made to add cage mounts to your bike with various connection techniques. Find that full product list below, then scroll down to find several DIY methods for adding bottle cages and mounts.
-
Bedrock Honaker
- Type: Soft Water Bottle Cage
- Made of: X-pac/Rhinotec/Cordura
- Attachment: Velco Straps
- Bottle Size: Nalgene 32oz
^ CloseWe’re firm believers that every bike should feature bottle cage mounts on the underside of its down tube, bar a few suspended 26ers, where clearance is tight. It’s a no-brainer area for water storage; the center of gravity is kept low, and there’s rarely any interference with terrain or obstacles. Unfortunately, all too many bikes skimp on such potential for water hauling. Bedrock’s Honaker Hydro Pack comes in handy for just such scenarios, designed as it is to hold a 1L Nalgene bottle, via a bag strapped to your bike’s down tube.
The Honaker features with a strip of Velcro sewn in vertically, as well as an adhesive backed strip for the down tube of the bike. This doesn’t act as support, but works to keep the bag from rotating or sliding. There are two main straps that hold the bag in place; each has a rubberized backing material where they make contact, providing a secure anchor point. The spindrift collar is designed to keep the bottle clean, a nice feature when riding in cattle country. It was originally designed to fit a standard 700-800ml water bottle, but now has been updated to fit a larger Nalgene. We tested it using the Zefal 1L Magnum.
We used the Honaker mounted to the Marin Pine Mountain 2 on our trip in southern Spain. It worked flawlessly, and we rode some rough stuff. The only complaint is that it was a little tough to get the bottle in and out without undoing the straps a little. But if you approach it as storage for a backup bottle for camp use, it’s perfect. Overall it’s a ruggedly built product that works well for bikes without down tube mounts
- Weight: 77 grams (2.7 oz)
- Price: $50
- Place of Manufacture: Colorado, USA
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
King Cage Universal Support Bolt (USB)
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Stainless Steel
- Attachment: Clamp
^ CloseThe stainless steel King Cage USB (Universal Support Bolt) is a versatile solution for bikes without bottle cages, or suspension forks. Generally speaking, we’ve been impressed by the build quality and thought that King put into these little gadgets. Since our first test, which went relatively well, the USBs have been redesigned. This is a welcome change since we had a couple break when not properly tightened. The updated versions shown here include a beefier post mount area which looks bombproof. We’ll update our review with more feedback once we put them through the wringer.
Considering that many new bikes are missing a pair of bottle bosses under the downtube, and there’s no such thing as a suspension fork bottle mount, the USB is a good option. It comes in four sizes: 1 1/8-inch for handlebars and seat stays, 1 3/8-inch for steel frames and forks, 1 5/8-inch for 32mm suspension forks, and 2-inch for aluminum tube bikes and 36mm suspension forks. Note that because the cage attaches via a post mount, the nut goes onto the cage and some bottle cages might not work if they don’t have a recessed channel.
- Weight: 13 grams (0.5 oz)
- Price: $6
- Place of Manufacture: Colorado, USA
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Rogue Panda Bismarck Bottle Bucket
- Type: Handlebar Bottle Cage
- Made of: X-pac/Cordura/plastic/etc
- Attachment: 2 Straps
- Bottle Size: Standard Bottle
^ CloseYou can use almost any stem mounted bag to hols a standard water bottle, but Arizona-based Rogue Panda built one with around a lightweight bottle cage and made it specifically to carry easy access water without mounts, in a handy location. We’ve been testing one for months and really like it. Stay tuned for the review.
- Weight: 133 grams (4.7 oz)
- Price: $60
- Place of Manufacture: AZ, USA
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Wolf Tooth B-RAD Bases
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount, Alt Position
- Made of: Aluminum
- Attachment: Bolt or Zip Tie
^ CloseShort for Bottle Relocation and Accessory Device, B-RAD was created to expand and maximize the potential of your bike’s preexisting bottle mounts. The system consists of three different machined 6061-T6 aluminum mounting bases—the B-RAD 2, 3 and 4—and a growing number of mountable accessories. Each base has several bosses and multiple cage locations, as well as a sliding slot mount to attach to your bike’s existing bosses. Among many other specific uses, each base can shift a bottle cage away from rear shocks, add room for tools or spare tubes below a bottle cage, or even provide space for a second bottle (or double bottles) on sufficiently long downtubes. In addition, Wolf Tooth provides rubber pads and zip ties so that the B-RAD bases can be attached to a bossless fork blade, suspension fork, or downtube.
- Weight: 26 grams (0.9 oz)
- Price: $17 (2-slot base)
- Place of Manufacture: Minnesota, USA
- Buy local, or at Amazon Jenson We highly encourage you to buy from a local shop when possible, but if you're going to buy online, you can use our affiliate links. We'll get a very small kickback that will help support this site.
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
BarYak Mule Kit
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount, Alt Position
- Made of: Aluminum
- Attachment: Bolt or Zip Tie
^ CloseThe BarYak mule kit works similar to the Wolf Tooth B-RAD system. The kit includes four socket head cap screws, three heavy-duty UV cable zip ties, and the aluminum 17 x ⅜” BarYak Mule. The system is rated at 175 lb tensile strength.
- Price: $69
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Cleaveland Fork Clamp Mount
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Aluminum
- Attachment: Hose Clamps
^ CloseThe Cleaveland Fork Clamp Mount is designed to mount a Cleveland Everything Bag or other large bottle cages to your rigid fork, suspension fork, downtube, or anywhere else it may be useful. The all new hose clamp mount is locally CNC machined from 6061-T6 alloy with three M5 x 0.8 holes at 2.5 inch spacing. This allows it to mount any three hole cargo cage or a single bottle cage. The kit also includes three stainless steel hose clamps, 1.25” – 1.6255” diameter range – measure your fork ahead of time to make sure this will work.
- Weight: 57 grams (2 oz)
- Price: $20
- Place of Manufacture: USA
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Cyclewerks Bottle Cage Double Adaptor
- Type: Double Bottle Mount
- Made of: Stainless steel
- Attachment: 2 cage bolts
^ CloseThe Cyclewerks Bottle Cage Double Adaptor is a side-by-side bottle mount for maximizing your on-bike water storage. Each adapter is manufactured in Wellington, New Zealand, from corrosion-resistant 316 stainless steel. It is available in either 45 degree and 90 degree mounting options.
- Weight: 55 grams (1.9 oz)
- Price: $27
- Place of Manufacture: New Zealand
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
DMR Hinged Clamp Bottle Cage Mount
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Alloy
- Attachment: Clamp
^ CloseDMR’s hinged clamps could be sexier with a more trim and sleek constriction, but for the $3 price, they work well with steel bikes and come in 28.6mm, 31.8mm, and 34.9mm sizes to suit various tubing diameters. The design seems like a no-brainer for adding bottle bosses. Note that they reportedly work with only 10mm bolts.
- Price: $3
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
DOM Monkii Cage and Clip
- Type: Oversized Bottle Cage and Mount
- Made of: Plastic
- Attachment: Hinged Clamp
^ CloseThe Free Parable (DOM) Monkii Cage is a universal bottle holder made of Polyamide nylon and designed to fit various bottle diameters. It holds larger capacity bottles with various shapes up to 50 oz (1.5 Liter). DOM claims it’s suited for “bumpy and tough roads, mountain biking, bikepacking and adventure cycling.” The cage includes two cleats for use with regular bottle bosses.
The Monkii Clip has two round cleats that fit their Monkii cage, Monkii frame bag, or Monkii wedge tool bag. It secures via a hinged clamp to any 25mm-38mm tube, such as frame tube, down tube, handlebar stem or fork leg. It has a maximum Load: 1.5 kg / 3.3 lb. Kit includes one adapter, one M5 25mm screw, one M5 50mm screw, and a rubber shim.
*Weight shown below includes both cage (34g) and clip (62g)
- Weight: 96 grams (3.4 oz)
- Price: $22 (cage)
- Place of Manufacture: Taiwan
- Buy local, or at Amazon (cage) Amazon (clip) We highly encourage you to buy from a local shop when possible, but if you're going to buy online, you can use our affiliate links. We'll get a very small kickback that will help support this site.
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Elite L’Eroica Vintage Bottle Cage
- Type: Mounted Cage
- Made of: Aluminum/rubber/stainless steel
- Attachment: 1 Velcro Strap
- Bottle Size: 70 - 78mm diameter
^ CloseElite’s L’Eroica Vintage Bottle Cage is quite the retrofit. We’re not sure how many bikepackers are willing to forego their cockpit bags for this big honking bottle cage, but we thought we’d include it for the sake of being thorough. The vintage clamp-down cage holds any manner of contemporary beverage vessels.
- Price: $33
- Buy local, or at Amazon (single) Amazon (double) We highly encourage you to buy from a local shop when possible, but if you're going to buy online, you can use our affiliate links. We'll get a very small kickback that will help support this site.
-
Fidlock Bottle Twist Uni Base Mount
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Plastic/magnets
- Attachment: Straps
^ CloseThe Fidlock Bottle Twist Uni Base Mount is used with Fidlock’s Bottle Twist bottles or BOA twist bottle gripper (sold separately) to create a magnetic-mechanical mounting system. The system does away with a conventional water bottle cage, allowing the bottle to be attached to any part of the frame. The bottle releases with a twist. We’re not sure how durable these would be on rough dirt roads, but if anyone has experience with them, leave us a comment below. The Uni base fits tubes 28-62mm.
-
K-Lite 3D-printed Cage Adapter
- Type: Triple Cage Mount Adapter
- Made of: 3D-printed Plastic/steel
- Attachment: Zip ties or Hose Clamps
^ CloseK-Lite 3D-printed Cage Adapter is a two or three hole cage mount for adding bottle cages or anything-style cages to a fork our under down tube. It attaches to the frame with zip ties or hose clamps.
- Price: $18AUD
- Place of Manufacture: Australia
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Kieft Racing Truss fork clamps
- Type: Truss Fork Cage Mounts
- Made of: Plastic/steel
- Attachment: Clamps
^ CloseMade by Kieft Racing for Jones Truss forks, this kit allows you to mount a bottle cage or Anything cage on your Jones Truss fork. Purchase options include two clamps for a single water bottle cage, four clamps for two bottle cages, or six clamps for two Anything-style cages.
- Price: $10 (Two clamps)
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
King Cage Top Cap Cage Mount
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Aluminum
- Attachment: Top Cap Bolt
^ CloseKing Cage has a unique option for carrying an extra bottle. The Top Cap Cage Mount is a simple, affordable, and easy to use solution that is made in the United States. Simply install it in place of your top cap and bolt on the cage.
- Weight: 9 grams (0.3 oz)
- Price: $15
- Place of Manufacture: Colorado, USA
- Buy local, or at Amazon We highly encourage you to buy from a local shop when possible, but if you're going to buy online, you can use our affiliate links. We'll get a very small kickback that will help support this site.
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
M-Wave 2 Bike Bottle Cage Adapter
- Type: Double Bottle Mount
- Made of: Alloy
- Attachment: 2 cage mounts
^ CloseThe M-Wave 2 Bike Bottle Cage Adapter is made from a single piece of aluminum alloy and bolts to any pair of bottle cage mounts to convert it to two pair. We haven’t used one of these yet, but it looks fairly simple.
- Weight: 9 grams (0.3 oz)
- Price: $15
- Buy local, or at Amazon We highly encourage you to buy from a local shop when possible, but if you're going to buy online, you can use our affiliate links. We'll get a very small kickback that will help support this site.
-
Overlander Suspension Fork Cage Mount
- Type: Suspension Fork Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Aluminum, steel, plastic
- Attachment: Clamp for Suspension Fork
^ CloseOverlander makes a couple versions of their Suspension Fork Cage Mount. The Dual Water Bottle Mount has two bottle attachments and comes powder coated in a textured matte black finish. The Rack and Cage mount is a similar design with a three-pack mount on one side and a double on the other. We don’t know much about the clamping mechanism or durability of these products, but they look interesting.
- Weight: 118 grams (4.2 oz)
- Price: $30CAD (Dual Bottle Mount)
- Place of Manufacture: Canada
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
SKS Anywhere Water Bottle Mounts
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Plastic/Rubber
- Attachment: Velcro Straps
^ CloseAs its name implies, the SKS Anywhere bottle cage adapter mounts anywhere on the bike frame using velcro straps. The pair includes long straps for wider frame tube diameters from 50 to 80mm.
-
SKS Bottle Cage Adapter
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Plastic/Rubber
- Attachment: Velcro Strap
^ CloseThe SKS bottle holder adapter can be attached to the seat post, the stem, or about anywhere with its adjustable SKS quick-release mount system. It also pivots for angle adjustment.
-
Topeak Alt-Position Mount
- Type: Alt Cage Position
- Made of : Aluminum
- Attachment: 2 bolts/bosses
^ CloseSimilar to the Wolf Tooth B-RAD, Topeak’s Alt-Position Cage Mount provides a simple way to raise or lower water bottle cages so they can work better with frame bags, large bottles, other gear, or in tight spaces. It is a simple solution that can raise or lower a bottle cage by 32mm. Each mount measures 10.8 x 1.2 x 9 cm (4.3” x 0.5” x 3.5”).
- Weight: 25 grams (0.9 oz)
- Price: $12
- Place of Manufacture: Taiwan
- Buy local, or at Amazon We highly encourage you to buy from a local shop when possible, but if you're going to buy online, you can use our affiliate links. We'll get a very small kickback that will help support this site.
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Topeak VersaMount Clamps
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Engineering grade polymer
- Attachment: Strap
^ CloseMade of engineering grade polymer, Topeak’s Versamount clamps provide a pair of eyelets for an additional water bottle cage or other accessories. The band style clamp is made of engineering grade polymer and provides a pipe-clamp style worm-screw installation. The clamp fits tubes from 20-60mm and has a load limit of 1.5 kg (3.31 lbs).
-
Tubus Mid-Fork Eyelets
- Type: Rack Mount
- Made of: Aluminum/Rubber
- Attachment: Clamp
^ CloseWhile we haven’t seen these in use as bottle mounts, and it’s doubtful that Tubus would endorse them as such, it seems only logical that a pair could be used to mount a cage. Mid-Fork Eyelets bolt on and are available in two sizes: 20-32mm, and oversized 33-40mm. That said, they are likely a bit too heavy to justify for this application. And, at $24, they’re not cheap.
-
Twofish Quick Cage (24oz)
- Type: Mounted Bottle Cage
- Made of: Stainless Steel/Rubber
- Attachment: Velcro
- Bottle Size: 24oz Stainless
^ CloseThe 24 oz vinyl-coated stainless steel Quick Cage is specifically designed to hold reusable stainless steel bottles such as the Klean Kanteen. Otherwise, it holds bottles from 16 oz to 26 oz, including standard bidons and single-walled, insulated, or plastic bottles. The cage mounts with a single large velcro strap.
-
Twofish Quick Cage (32-40oz)
- Type: Mounted Oversized Bottle Cage
- Made of: Stainless Steel/Rubber
- Attachment: Velcro
- Bottle Size: 32-40oz
^ CloseThe 40 oz vinyl-coated stainless steel Quick Cage is designed to hold large bottles like the 40 oz Klean Kanteen, a popular option amongst bikepackers. It also holds other bottles from 32 oz to 40 oz sizes, including a standard Nalgene. The cage adapter mounts with two large velcro straps.
-
Twofish Quick Cage (64oz)
- Type: Mounted Oversized Bottle Cage
- Made of: Stainless Steel/Rubber
- Attachment: 2 Velcro Straps
- Bottle size: 64oz/growler
^ CloseThe Growler Quick Cage is specifically designed to hold 64 oz stainless steel bottles. It’s available in two sizes, to accommodate either single-walled (64 oz Klean Kanteen) or insulated bottle made by manufacturers such as Klean Kanteen and Hydro Flask. The cage adapter mounts with two large velcro straps.
-
TwoFish Quick Cage (Standard)
- Type: Mounted Bottle Cage
- Made of: Stainless Steel/rubber
- Attachment: Velcro Strap
- Bottle Size: Standard water bottle
^ CloseGoes on any bike, anywhere room is available on the frame or seat post. A convenient and cost-effective way to put a water bottle cage on a bike without braze-ons. Includes a 23oz water bottle with the Twofish insignia.
-
Twofish Quick Cage Adapter
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Aluminum/Rubber
- Attachment: Velcro strap
^ CloseThe Quick Cage Adapter has a flexible rubber block and hook-and-loop strap that loops around an aluminum bracket. This secures any standard cage onto downtubes, seatposts, or anywhere space is available, according to Twofish. We’ve heard pretty good reports on this solution, but have yet to try it.
-
Velo Orange Bottle Cage Clamps
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Stainless Steel
- Attachment: Clamp
^ CloseSimilar in nature to a pair of pipe clamps, albeit a bit more elegant, the velo Orange Bottle Cage Clamp is used to hold a water bottle cage on bikes without braze-ons. And, as with pipe clamps, they work best with cages that have elongated mounting tabs, such as the Salsa Nickless Cage. The VO Bottle Cage Clamp is designed to be used only on non-oversized frame tubes.
- Price: $3
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Velo Orange Handlebar to Bottle Cage Mount
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Alloy
- Attachment: Clamp
^ CloseThe VO Handlebar to Bottle Cage Mount allows you to affix water bottle cages on your handlebars. They are constructed out of extruded aluminum and only fit bars up to 25.4mm.
-
WOHO ANTI SWAY Saddlebag Stabilizer
- Type: Bottle Cage Mounts (2)
- Made of: Steel
- Attachment: Saddle clamp
^ CloseInspired by triathlon-style bottle mounts, the original WOHO Xtouring ANTI SWAY Bag Stabilizer was designed to eliminate saddle bag sway, or tail wag, due to heavy, large bikepacking seat bags. And, it offers two additional bottle cage mounts, an interesting solution for bikepacking routes or races in hot environments. See our full press release.
- Weight: 77 grams (2.7 oz)
- Price: $25
- Place of Manufacture: Taiwan
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Wolf Tooth B-RAD Bottle Shift
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount/ Alt Position
- Made of: Aluminum
- Attachment: 2 bolts
^ CloseThe B-RAD Bottle Shift is designed to make bottles easier to access by shifting the bottle cage 9mm outward and angled by 10°. It looks ideal for full-suspension mountain bikes, where the rear shock limits the amount of useable space in the front triangle. In true B-RAD fashion, slotted mounts help fine tune the position of the cage and offset mounting holes allow for a bottle cage and hand pump to be mounted side-by-side.
The B-RAD Bottle Shift is machined from 6061-T6 aluminum, weighs 24g, and has a load capacity of 1700g (3.7lb). The new mount retails for $19.95 and can be purchased from your local Wolf Tooth dealer or online from WolfToothComponents.com.
- Weight: 24 grams (0.8 oz)
- Price: $19.95
- Place of Manufacture: USA
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Wolf Tooth B-RAD Double Bottle mount
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount, Alt Position
- Made of: Aluminum
- Attachment: 2 bolts per pair
^ CloseThe B-RAD Double Bottle Adapter consists of two of slotted mounts designed to mount two water bottle cages side by side. The mounts require the use of a B-RAD base, typically the B-RAD 3 or 4. Theoretically, when mounted on the downtube, the B-RAD 3 or 4 moves the bottles up so they don’t interfere with your legs.
- Weight: 20 grams (0.7 oz)
- Price: $23
- Place of Manufacture: Minnesota, USA
- Buy local, or at Amazon Jenson We highly encourage you to buy from a local shop when possible, but if you're going to buy online, you can use our affiliate links. We'll get a very small kickback that will help support this site.
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Wolf Tooth B-RAD Strap Base
- Type: Bottle Cage Mounts
- Made of: Aluminum/Velcro
- Attachment: Velcro/Straps
^ CloseThe Wolf Tooth B-RAD Strap Base includes two silicone-backed hook and loop straps and an aircraft-grade aluminum base with ED coated hardware. Like other boltless bottle cage mounts, the Strap Base system allows riders to add a bottle cage to forks or frames that are lacking bosses. The silicone-backed hook and loop straps are designed to offer a grippy, non-slip connection and can be installed or re-positioned as needed. In addition, the Strap Base alone can function as a mini B-RAD base, offsetting existing bottle cage bosses by up to 22mm (.85 in) to make room for half frame bags, shocks, or other accessories. Read the full press release.
- Weight: 33 grams (1.2 oz)
- Price: $24.95
- Place of Manufacture: USA
- Manufacturer's Details: Link
-
Zefal Gizmo Universal Mount
- Type: Bottle Cage Mount
- Made of: Plastic/aluminum
- Attachment: Zip Tie straps
- :
^ CloseThe Zefal Gizmo includes two clamps for mounting a single bottle cage. Each clamp has two zip-tie straps, a plastic mount with a threaded bolt hole, an M5 bolt, and rubber padding strips. The Gizmo fits tubing diameters from 15 to 75mm.
Adding Permanent Bottle Cage Mounts to Your Frame
If you aren’t up for clamping, strapping, or taping mounts to your frame, there are two ways to permanently add bottle bosses to your frame or fork.
Hire a Framebuilder
While it’s possible to have a carbon expert drill and glue bottle mounts in a carbon frame, and there’s likely a way to weld in bosses on an aluminum frame, both of those scenarios get pretty complicated. We won’t even get into it. However, if you have a steel frame, it’s pretty straightforward. We had bosses added to the underside of two v1 Surly Trolls’ downtubes (before they became a standard feature). It works like a charm and doesn’t cost too much. However, framebuilders are a busy lot, so you might have to wait. In addition, when deciding where the bosses are going to go, consider tire clearance when your suspension fork is compressed, if you run one. And, realize that brazing will damage the finish on your bike, which might require a repaint, or at least a partial respray.
Rivnut Bottle Bosses
“Rivnuts,” also known as rivet nuts or threaded rivet inserts, are one-piece, internally threaded tubular rivets that can be anchored from one side. To clarify, a rivnut attaches by way of a threaded tool that compresses it, buckles one side, and clamps it onto the panel into which it’s being riveted. If you don’t mind drilling your fork or frame, this is a good solution that can be implemented for a fairly reasonable price. We did it on a Surly Troll and rode it thousands of miles with no issue. Read about the process here. Note that one advantage to Rivnuts is that they don’t require a respray, but the disadvantage is they could rattle loose. Also, this process is best done on burly forks rather than ones that are lightweight and slender.
Attaching Bottle Cages to Your Bike (DIY)
Hose Clamp Bottle Cage
Hose clamps (aka pipe clamps) are the most common method used to attach bottle cages onto suspension forks or a boss-less metal bike frame. We don’t recommend this method for a carbon fork, although we’ve seen it done with padding and a light touch. Hose clamps are measured in diameter, so you’ll need to calculate the tubing size plus the cage you’re clamping; I typically use a 3.0″ clamp on a fox 34 or RockShox fork (common suspension forks have a 1.75″ diameter) sandwiching a layer of recycled inner tube or electrical tape to protect the tubing. Tighten it enough to hold the cage in place (but not too tight on a suspension fork). Note that some cages work particularly well for this. Widefoot’s oversized cage has strap slots and Salsa’s Nickless Cage has slots through which the straps can be threaded. Others have tabs. With some cages, you might need longer pipe clamps to strap around the tubular rails.
Electrical Tape Bottle Cages
First seen in our list of Bikepacking Hacks, electrical tape is probably the safest and most trustworthy method of attaching standard bottle cages to a fork, downtube, suspension fork, or just about anywhere, even on oversized tubes. For a secure mount, use about 2/3 of a roll of electrical tape. The Lezyne Power Cages work great for this. To protect your frame, first apply a little tape where the cage will make contact. The cage shown above lasted close to 1,000 miles while bikepacking and trail riding all over the rugged southwest, and it was removed before showing any signs of wear. The great thing about electrical tape is that is comes off easily without residue.
Zip Ties and Tubes
Although this is our least favorite method for attaching a bottle cage to a fork or downtube, it can work with the right zip ties and appropriate load. While zip ties are strong, they’re not as strong as metal straps, and they have a tendency to dry rot and wear down over time. Either way, this method works. Use the beefiest zip ties you can find, and like the pipe-clamp method, sandwich cut pieces of recycled inner tube between the cage and tubing to prevent slippage and abrasion.
Voile Straps
Voile straps are highly useful for bolstering large water bottles in more flimsy cages, especially on very rough terrain. However, strapping a cage onto a frame with Voiles is also doable. You can do it with some cages that have slots big enough to fit the straps. Or, on oversized cages, you can simply strap on the cage, then strap the bottle to that. It’s a little messy, but doable. Note that it’s better for use with carbon or aluminum oversized downtubes.
Other Hacks
There are plenty of other hacks out there for attaching additional water bottle cages to your bike. Check out this tutorial for adding a carrier to a Tubus rack, and this method for utilizing a rack bolt to mount cages on the seat stay. And, although not really a hack, Bedrock Bags makes the Honaker for attaching a bottle to the downtube. You can also use almost any stem bag as a soft bottle cage.
As with our other Gear Indexes, please let us know in the comments if you are aware of another product or hack to add bottle cage mounts to your bike, or ways to carry an extra water bottle.
