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| A close up of those Elite bottles on my BMC MCD |
Last Wednesday I decided to check out how those big Elite water bottles would do on my pink BMC MCD. I test fit the Jet + bottle Tuesday evening under the down tube on two bikes and found that the Jet + just barely clears the front wheel on the pink BMC and it is actually the same situation on my Noble GX5. There is about an inch there, if that, between the top of that cap and the tire. Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, so, on with the show....
The bigger Jet Green bottle worked, but again, just barely. The side entrance Lezyne cage on my BMC was the only reason it worked at all, to be honest, and the nipple of the bottle actually prevented the upper bottle from seating into the Velocity Bottle Trap completely. But I figured it could work, and in reality, it did. It just looks all wrong. (See the image) By the way, there was no way that bottle would work on my Noble GX5. I decided these bottles were going on my pink BMC then.
My Strategy: So, my plan was to use the Jet bottles as sources to refill my two Twin Six bottles from. I did not plan to try to grab that enormous Jet Green bottle, and of course, the Jet + was out of reach anyway. In this case, I had two hours worth, more or less, of fluids available without stopping. I had approximately three small bottles worth of fluid in those two Jet bottles, plus a little. So, in effect, this set up carried five-plus water bottles worth of fluids. If it rode well, it would work as my set up for Gravel Worlds with ease.
How It Worked: So, my main concern up front was how the Jet + underneath there would ride. I noted that the bottle rocked up and down due to the Velocity Bottle Trap's flexing. Would this cause issues with keeping the bottle on the bike, or cause safety concerns? After some of the roughest gravel I've ridden in a long time, I think the answer is 'no'. However; I have some changes in mind there. The Jet Green bottle stayed put and was not a problem whatsoever. I didn't ever notice that my upper bottle wasn't 100% in its cage, but again- I have some ideas here as well.
Changes: First of all, I have to swap out the cage underneath for something a little more reassuringly solid without losing the capacity to hold the bottle securely. I happen to have a Cat Eye bottle cage which has a bit better design and should keep the Jet + from wobbling up and down. I feel that the Bottle Trap would be okay, but the possibility that this movement could crack, and even break off the cage is concerning. If the Cat Eye cage arrests the movement I am noting, I will run it instead. That cage has a stellar reputation for holding a water bottle in even the most severe situations.
The Jet Green bottle will get a Wolf Tooth B-Rad cage mount which will allow me to scooch that cage it is in a little more down on the down tube which, theoretically, should get the upper bottle all the way back into its cage. I also will be replacing that upper cage with another Lezyne side load water bottle cage. The Lezyne cage has its mounting holes in such an arrangement that I can get it a tiny bit higher up the down tube than the Velocity cage. Between the Lezyne cage and the B-Rad I should be able to fit that ginormous Jet Green bottle with no problem.
Stay tuned......
6 comments:
I have some experience with the B-Rads. While they do work to change a cage position along the tube They also raise the whole works about 4 mm. Looking at the green bottle on your bike, there’s not enough space to move it down, before it hits the front derailleur clamp. I would recommend using a B-Rad on the upper cage, and as you indicated, switching to a side loader.
Wrap that underside down tube bottle with a Voile strap and never look back. It will be rock solid and you don't have to worry about vibrations or breakage of the cage. Plus, you'll have a strap on hand should things go really pear shaped!
Where would one find these bottles in the Midwest? I can’t find any distributors outside Europe that carry them. Would an LBS have to special order one?
@Matt Steele - You can have your LBS contact Thorpe Marketing to see if they can hook them up. I don't have any other distribution information on Elite.
@Matt Steele - My contact at Thorpe Marketing has told me that the latest round of Elite bottles should be in the US by late July. Hope that helps!
@Guitar Ted Thanks for the update, hope to pick one up just in time for Gravel Worlds!
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