# Water Bottles For Small Frames



## BlueWheels (Mar 15, 2010)

My girlfriend just bought a Specialized Myka Elite 29er and loves it. We went out on her first mtb ride ever yesterday (she's been road riding for a while) and she had a blast. There is one issue with the bike, though, and that is that the tubes don't really leave enough room for a bottle to fit in. I put a side release cage on there thinking that might help, but even the stumpy bottle I have can barely squeeze in and it rubs against the cables when it's force in there. Does anyone know of any small bottles that would fit in there? If not, is there a better way to carry bottles on a bike with a small frame?


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Aloha,

I had the same problem with my small Turner frame. Originally, a large bottle would rub the cap on the bottom of the top tube and eventually the bottle would leak and fail. I ended up machining a little piece to move my bottle about 1.5" lower in the frame. PM me if this might be helpful. 

g


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## czechgurl (Jul 28, 2008)

I have also small frame, Specialized Era 26er and for that bike I used to use Pro race bottles. I think Quick Steps, Saxo Bank & Lampare. from two years ago were just perfect size. I also used to use Tour de France promo bottle. Last year some teams changed the shape and Columbia bottle was too big for example.

Oh, and I cut out a bit of bottle cage on the right size to be able to remove the bottle easily.
Also right sided bottle cage is fine.
Now I have Specialized Fate and I love that bike and no bottle issue.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

If Specialized puts bottle cage mounts on there, I'd hope they have a good way to use them...I'd try a Specialized dealer.


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## miss rides a lot (Jul 23, 2008)

Specialized also has seat post cages you can get. They come with the Epic bikes. I've used it successfully.

21oz bottles otherwise still have issues?


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## iKenndac (May 20, 2012)

My fiancée has a 2012 Myka FSR Comp, and the frame size is _just_ enough to get a smaller bottle in there too with a side-loading cage.

However, we couldn't get a bottle into the space in her older Myka hard-tail no matter how hard we tried, and she ended up with a saddle bag big enough to put a bottle in. We didn't actually try asking the bike shop, though - maybe they can come up with a more inventive solution.

Oh, the mount points weren't for nothing, though - she attached a pump to them!


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## csledd281 (Aug 21, 2009)

I currently have the same issue on my small Niner Jet 9. Unfortunately I don't think I could make a cage so the bottle could sit in any lower, because with my current side swipe it's already sitting super close to the shock. I just ordered the Vincero Design bottle system to give it a shot, a lot of people have said it works on their niner's so we will see when it gets here. A little pricey, but it's a carbon fiber piece with a magnet and you have to use when of their bottles that has a magnet as well.

http://www.vincero-design.com/


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## Berkeley Mike (Jan 13, 2004)

Try the Quick Cage Bottle Holder from Twofish:

Twofish Unlimited - Bicycle Accessory Fasteners

We use them to suppliment carrying capacity on hot days. we put them on our seatpost.


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## TenSpeed (Feb 14, 2012)

Wife is experiencing this on a small Titus Racer X. The bottle hits right on the lever for the rear shock. Tried a Specialized Z side release cage and it still hits. She will wear a Camelbak in the summer but sometimes likes to ride light, with just a bottle. I have seatpost cage mounts, might give those a shot.


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## csledd281 (Aug 21, 2009)

TenSpeed said:


> Wife is experiencing this on a small Titus Racer X. The bottle hits right on the lever for the rear shock. Tried a Specialized Z side release cage and it still hits. She will wear a Camelbak in the summer but sometimes likes to ride light, with just a bottle. I have seatpost cage mounts, might give those a shot.


A lot of people said that cage would work on a small frame bike, I think it really matters where the shock is too. My vincero design cage/bottle hasn't shipped yet but I hope it does real soon and gets here this week. I'll post up pics if it works/doesn't work.


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## gmats (Apr 15, 2005)

Stripes said:


> Gmats: can this work the other way? If so, I'm definitely interested.
> 
> I have enough room in my small Ventana frame for a bottle cage, but the CCDB has screws that hits the bottom of the bottle and will poke holes in it


It could be turned around to move the bottle up. Should work.

What I did was take some initial measurements between where the bottle mounts before and where I wanted it to be. I used the mounting holes as reference.


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## mtbAndy (Jun 7, 2004)

My wife's road bike and cross bike both had seattube bottle bosses that were too high to allow even the smallest water bottle. I used the Elite Universal cage mount to create a lower cage boss and used the original lower boss as the new upper boss. I hope that makes sense. It works great and allows her to use a full size water bottle on her bikes.


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## warimono (Nov 23, 2010)

Specialized Bicycle Components : 22 oz. Purist WaterGate Bottle

This is the shortest bottle I was able to find so far for my Tomac Diplomat. It's shorter than the smaller camal back brand bottles.


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## csledd281 (Aug 21, 2009)

I got my Vincero Design system in and it fits great. I compared the bottle to my 20oz polar and the bottle is shorter and fatter, since it doesn't go in a cage it works.


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## bloodyknee (Jul 29, 2008)

I just resolved to use my camelbak on my Jet 9 and Racer X. I can squeeze a smaller 20 oz bottles on my road bike and when it gets hot I have a two bottle holder that fits on my seatpost so I can carry more water.


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## BlueWheels (Mar 15, 2010)

So far, she has decided that me carrying the water for both of us is an excellent solution. I have kept my eyes peeled for small bottles and someday I will find one that will work, but for now, it looks like I'm doing the pack duty for the two of us. We'll see what happens when she decides for head out on her own (I'm guessing camelback will be the solution), but for now I'm doing double duty.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

Specialized makes clamps to fit 30.9 posts (which all their bikes use) to hold a bottle cage behind the seat post. A specialized dealer could order them for you. There are lots of options for behind the saddle bottle holders due to the TT / Tri bike market. Single and double-cage options. And finally...the solution that is 20 years plus old for everyone, and actually works great with modern full suspensions...

Best solution would be MoreOn double cage adapters. They are a mount that shifts the bottle cages further up the downtube and offset outwards about 30 degrees to either side. I got a LOT of these, NOS and still in the packaging.


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## Jenni1225 (Aug 1, 2012)

I've had luck witht he specialized purist bottles, they're pretty short, and a specialized plastic side mount cage where you can literally take the bottle out at a 90 degree angle


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## Andrea138 (Mar 25, 2009)

DeeEight said:


> Best solution would be MoreOn double cage adapters. They are a mount that shifts the bottle cages further up the downtube and offset outwards about 30 degrees to either side. I got a LOT of these, NOS and still in the packaging.


Do you have any issues with your knees hitting the bottle cages with these? They look like they'd be pretty boss on my SS since it's only got 1 cage.


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## DeeEight (Jan 13, 2004)

I havent myself but i dont use narrow q factor cranks.


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## cockroach (Jun 12, 2009)

Another thing to look out for is, some bottle cages fit closer to the frame than others.
I use the Blackburn Switchback (stainless) cage, which sits about 1/4" closer to the frame than the Blackburn Competition (alloy) cage. Doesn't sound a lot, but it made the difference in my bottle fitting in the frame.


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## TheGoat31 (Feb 3, 2009)

Does the water bottle stay on the magnet mount when the trails get rough or when you hit a drop?


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## csledd281 (Aug 21, 2009)

TheGoat31 said:


> Does the water bottle stay on the magnet mount when the trails get rough or when you hit a drop?


I've rode several different trails with this bottle and it's never come off the mount. I am an XC rider so I couldn't say for true DH but in all my riding it's been perfect. It's a very strong magnet.


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## kat71 (Mar 30, 2008)

I have a 14" Fatback that has no room also. I don't like wearing anything on my back because I get too sweaty, and I had one spring a leak in the winter... not fun. I use a Outdoor Research thermal water bottle holder. It has wide velco straps that I wrap around the stem and holds a large nalgene bottle (32 oz). I then take a separate strap and wrap it around the head tube... but I also ride in the winter (Alaska). I have a second one I strap to my rear rack for long rides. I have been using this set up for the past 5 years and it works great both in the summer and the winter.


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## mtbxplorer (Dec 25, 2009)

I have the smallest Fatback too, one of the last of the Taiwan batch (now US made) I bought Fall 2011. This bottle cage works on it, at least one on the downtube: Universal Cycles -- Elite Ciussi Side Entry Cage You may need smaller (what used to be standard-sized) water bottles.


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