# whats it like riding with large bottles on either side of your fork



## CarlS (Feb 25, 2008)

I currently have been using a cheap susp fork on my on-one Inbred and I'm thinking of swaping it out a Surley ECR fork with anything cages on either side. 

Was wondering what it is like with a bunch of weight down there when riding? I would think better than up high? I may go without a bar bag. and just have frame bag, seat bag and anything bags / water on fork mounts. 

and another question if anyone has any input. anyone tried a big 29x3.0 up front with a smaller 2.4 in the rear? Or thoughts about trying that combo? Or maybe I will just use a 30mm rim with 2.5 tire for front. I do have a spare hub that needs a new rim.


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

It depends on the route. If it truly warrants a squish fork, I would be very hesitant to put heavy items like water up there. I ran fork bags on the CO Trail for lighter items. The Anything Cages both broke eventually (a known issue at the time), but I was able to jury-rig them well enough to finish. I might try water there in the future, but only where I expect the riding surface to be relatively tame.


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## CarlS (Feb 25, 2008)

Hmm, so maybe not water but just light items like tent or sleeping pad?


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

I've done a few trips with bottles on the fork. I think it works out nicely for mild bumpy terrain because the weight acts to dampen the vibration but it sure makes it tough to get the front end over big rocks and logs. I still do it for "road" trips but don't do it for trail trips anymore. I'd rather a small pack then make the front too heavy.

I am also currently riding a Soma Juice with a 3" on the front and a 2.2" on the back. I'm really enjoying it. Though I used a shorter fork to keep the geo roughly where it should be. I do find that the front will plow through stuff that catches the rear wheel, which makes it a little weird, but I adjusted after the first ride.


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## She&I (Jan 4, 2010)

That's what I did on the CT. One side had sleeping bag and puffy jacket; the other rain gear. I normally lash the sleeping pad on my backpack, since it weighs next to nothing, FWIW.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

I had cages on my fork for a season and hated it. Aside from affecting the steering they make the bike wider so they get hung up on stuff when you ride through thick veg, hike-a-bike and such. When you lean the bike up against stuff or lay it down they get banged around.

Took them off and have never wanted to go back. 

Not having stuff carried there forced me to reconsider my gear, but in the end I found better places to carry things and reduced my load.


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## mikesee (Aug 25, 2003)

vikb said:


> I had cages on my fork for a season and hated it. Aside from affecting the steering they make the bike wider so they get hung up on stuff when you ride through thick veg, hike-a-bike and such. When you lean the bike up against stuff or lay it down they get banged around.
> 
> Took them off and have never wanted to go back.
> 
> Not having stuff carried there forced me to reconsider my gear, but in the end I found better places to carry things and reduced by load.


This.


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

The only thing I've got strapped to the fork is a spare fat bike tube. No water, no cages, for reasons mentioned above.


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## bkirby10 (Feb 23, 2012)

I tried water on my forks but quickly took them off. Now, I use a bar-bag, gas tank, stem bag, and a seat bag (no frame bag and nothing on my forks). For water, I have 2 24oz water bottle in cages in the frame and a Bedrock Honaker on the down tube for a Nalgene. That gives me 80oz of water (48oz for drinking and the Nalgene for cooking) plus a Sawyer mini in my kit as well. I can easily fit all of my stuff in these bags and haven't seen a need for any more space. We don't have many deserts here on the east coast so water resupply is not much of an issue...

I also ride a Soma Juice with a steel Niner fork, 3" tire up front and a Conti 2.4" on the rear. So far it's great but I will be the first to admit that I'm slow and not gonna' win any races anytime soon!


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

I have an enabler fork on the front of my Inbred with two King Iris cages on each side. It is pretty stable, just today I rode with a 21oz hydro flask filled with water on one side and was able to ride no handed without issue.

I would look at a Fargo/Firestarter or a Enabler vs the ECR fork, the A to C on the ECR is going to be rather high at 120mm vs the Fargo/Enabler at 100mm which is built more for suspension corrected bikes.

I am not sure I would do more than simple water bottles or very light items like sleeping bags, sweaters, etc. I would not do something like a 64oz growler water, that I think works best under the downtube (look at getting braze ons on the inbred).


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## evdog (Mar 18, 2007)

Rides I do tend to have lots of HAB. The last place I would want extra weight is on the front end of the bike while I am having to lift it over stuff. 

I haven't tried fork cages but knowing how beat up my fork lowers are I would not want that kind of damage inflicted on any gear I would mount down there. 

In Socal there is too much sharp stuff trailside (rocks, yucca, cactus) for that to be a safe option unless you are just cruising fire roads.


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## CarlS (Feb 25, 2008)

Hey evdog! Yea, thanks. good food for thought. I was just kicking around the idea. I'm sticking with the susp fork for now and I just ordered a frame bag and a Alpkit Airlok drybag for under the seat. That's it for now... Thanks to everyone for all the input. Sounds like a rigid fork w cages is just suited for gravel grinding fireroad stuff, I dont want to limit myself. The bike works pretty good right now on the few small trips I have done


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## big_papa_nuts (Mar 29, 2010)

Mr Pink57 said:


> I have an enabler fork on the front of my Inbred with two King Iris cages on each side. It is pretty stable, just today I rode with a 21oz hydro flask filled with water on one side and was able to ride no handed without issue.
> 
> I would look at a Fargo/Firestarter or a Enabler vs the ECR fork, the A to C on the ECR is going to be rather high at 120mm vs the Fargo/Enabler at 100mm which is built more for suspension corrected bikes.
> 
> I am not sure I would do more than simple water bottles or very light items like sleeping bags, sweaters, etc. I would not do something like a 64oz growler water, that I think works best under the downtube (look at getting braze ons on the inbred).


Correct me if I'm wrong but doesn't the ECR fork have the same axle to crown measurement, 468mm, and the Fargo and Enabler?

The Fargo (V2) fork and the Enabler are both corrected for an 80mm travel fork, and are both out of production as far as I know. The ECR was designed to be rigid only, thus the shorter fork.

The Krampus fork would be a better option for most modern bikes, as it's corrected for 100mm travel forks (483mm). Just be sure to get the one with mounts if you intend to use it with cages or racks.


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## CarlS (Feb 25, 2008)

exactamundo there papa nut. I was checking the Surly site with my local bike shop guy and we came up with the same conclusion. and yes, he also said you can get the Krampus fork with anything cage mounts / braze ons if you want. but after adding the cost of the fork, cages, bags, new wider front wheel... etc.. I decided it is too expensive of an experiment. and from what others in this thread said, the type of riding I like to do just doesn't make sense to run a rigid fork anyhow. money better spent finding a bar bag and harness set up that works for me.


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## jbphilly (Feb 22, 2012)

Worked fine for me, on a number of trips. None of them involved technical riding, though. Best just to try it yourself and see if it works for you - hose clamps cost like a buck fifty, so you're not exactly making a big investment in a risky technology!


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## Wild Wassa (Jun 4, 2009)

Carls, G'day Mate.

When I'm touring off-road, carrying about 3.5 litres of water at the start of each day on the front fork, in four bidons (4 X 850ml), is my standard practice. The weight doesn't stay there all day of course, it is the first water that I use or drink. Here in Australia, the term buff track means nothing to us. Our long distance trails here in Eastern Oz wouldn't know what a buff track was, even if one jumped up and bit the track on the arse. Having a bit of extra weight up front doesn't go astray on our goat tracks. Absolutely.

Tomorrow I'm fitting out my bike for a series of short off-road tours along the Great Dividing Range (from the Northern Alps in the Australian Capital Territory towards Esk in Queensland) that I'm starting in a week's time ... I'll post some shots of how I attach the cages to the fork, if that can be a benefit to you? On my fork I don't have mounting points.

I spent several off-road rides around home trying to find if there was any difference to the feel of the bike and came to the conclusion that the bike handled the same no matter where I positioned the weight on the fork, consistant with my plodding pace. Whether in front, or behind the fork or on both sides, nothing much changed ... so I settled on mounting the cages/bidons both forward and aft and relatively close to the spokes. But not too close.




























Warren.


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## fotooutdoors (Jul 8, 2010)

I would second what jb suggested; try it with some hose clamps (and a tube for padding) on your current fork if you have need for more space. Personally, for a mixed route or if it is really hot, I will use the fork to haul stuff (usually water or tools). In cooler weather, I am not as bothered by a backpack, so I go for the better handling (for lofting the front wheel) unless my route won't include much rocky rooty terrain. This is a pretty personal thing and depends a lot on your trails, so try it yourself in various terrains.


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## stremf (Dec 7, 2012)

Even cheaper than hose clamps is simply using electrical tape. Plus you don't have to worry about cutting yourself on the sharp ends of the clamps or messing up the finish on your fork.

(tip from gypsybytrade. Scroll down about half way.)
https://gypsybytrade.wordpress.com/2013/05/13/recent-mods/

_"John, our host in Rotterdam suggested I attach a standard bottle cage with a durable adhesive tape such as electrical or duct tape. The solution is simple, lightweight, and presumably durable. He claims to have done this on a Santa Cruz Nomad, eventually breaking the bottle before the tape ever failed"_


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## bugshield (Jun 22, 2012)

I run bottle cages on my fork for commuting and light trail use because frame bag. The issue is not so much the weight as the propensity to eject bottles when the trail gets rough. I also worry about stuffing a bottle in my spokes.


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## life behind bars (May 24, 2014)

bugshield said:


> I run bottle cages on my fork for commuting and light trail use because frame bag. The issue is not so much the weight as the propensity to eject bottles when the trail gets rough. I also worry about stuffing a bottle in my spokes.


Cateye bc 100 cages are virtually ejection proof.


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## vikb (Sep 7, 2008)

You can make any cages ejection proof with a short piece of shockcord over the nipple.


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## Matterhorn (Feb 15, 2015)

I regularly ride with a gallon of water strapped to my fork. Since I ride in the desert(hot as..) water is a premium and while it does impact handling for part of the ride it seems insignificant compared to dehydration. Putting bottles on the fork allows me to ride without a backpack. Most of the rides that require me to carry water involve deep sand, rocky two-track, and often rough singletrack. I don't have any trouble keeping up with my dehydrated sweaty backed friends. 

I'd say it works fine, give it a try.


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## Wildman98 (Apr 28, 2016)

To answer your question about the 29+ front end, it is the best thing I've done to my bike so far. The only thing I miss about the suspension fork is small bump absorption at high speeds. The 3" tire will eat rocks and roots for breakfast. As for the different size tire in the rear, I have a 2.2" Maxxis Ikon in the back with that big 3" surly Knard in the front on a Krampus fork. I think those extra 15mm of length make the Krampus fork much more stable on the downhill compared to the ECR fork. The front tire flotation makes getting through mud and loose washouts and rocks suuuuuper easy. The phrase that comes to mind is monster truck. Oh, and it climbs like a bat out of hell.


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