Water Carriers: Update

A close up of those Elite bottles on my BMC MCD

Recently I posted about two new Elite water bottles I was gifted by some nice marketing people. 

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......

Water Carriers: Update

A close up of those Elite bottles on my BMC MCD

Recently I posted about two new Elite water bottles I was gifted by some nice marketing people. 

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......

Friday News And Views

New Bottle Trap colors from Velocity USA.

Velocity USA Debuts New Bottle Trap Colors:

If you've been an observant reader of this blog for some time you've probably heard about Velocity USA's "Bottle Trap" cages. I have been a faithful user of these for quite some time now.

These injection molded cages come in a variety of colors and now Velocity has added three more to its line. They are, from left to right in the image, "Terra Cotta","Sea Foam", and "Mocha".

Me being an artist and all, I see these as, from Left to Right: Brick, Sage, and Limestone. Your mileage may vary. We all see things differently. The bottom line is that these new colors reflect a bit of a muted palette which may fit your bike's paint scheme better than some of the more garish colors Velocity offers in the Bottle Trap.

If you've never tried a Bottle Trap, well, these are what they say in the name. They can vary a bit in terms of grip from "almost impossible to remove the bottle", to "Kinda Tough To Get Out", to "Meh! No Big Deal!". I have had all three, and let me tell ya, the first type is a pain! They can loosen up a bit with use, but even the loosest ones grip your bottle VERY securely. That's why I recommend them for fork mount cages, or anywhere you want to store a bottle on a bike where you don not need hand access to said bottle while riding.

For cages that you need to get to while riding I'd recommend Blackburn stainless steel, Lezyne side mounts, or the ultimate, King Cage. But if you like the colors, and you need a really safe cage, in terms of not losing a bottle, this is one of the least expensive and best for the job.

Revelate Designs, Wolf Tooth Collab On "ToolCash" Product: 

Tool rolls are a really efficient, highly organized way to carry "in-the-field" tools and small items like valve cores or a rolled up derailleur cable. This genre of products includes a lot of goofy ideas, but some of the better ones are of the 'wallet' type. This new collaboration between Wolf Tooth and Revelate Design is such a beast.

The ToolCash is made from Revelate's "Rev-X-Pac" fabric and ideally made to hold Wolf Tooth's own Pack Pliers and EnCase System, this little tri-fold wallet sells for $44.95.

Of course, you can put whatever you want into this wallet as long as it fits. So, money, quick links, extra bits of chain, wet-wipes, nutrition pills, tire patches- you get the idea. Whatever smaller items that you pack that might normally be easily lost in the whirlwind of stuff in a cyclists bag can be safely corralled in the ToolCash wallet.

The size is nice too. It is said to fit easily into a jersey pocket, so that means it'll easily go into most seat bags, handle bar bags, or feed bags. It might even fit into some top tube bags as well. That makes it a pretty cool organizational item.

One final thought. In these "Pamdemic Times", if you are out on a ride and need to buy something, keeping a card or cash in the wallet, along with a pair of disposable gloves, might not be a bad idea. Anti-septic wipes could go in there as well. Just a thought......

Teravail Tires Now Available On-Line:

Teravail Tires, a brand started up by powerhouse bicycle and bicycle parts distributor QBP, has announced that Teravail Tires are now available consumer direct. Previously Teravail Tires were only available through local bike shops Teravail will give a portion of each online sale to the nearest local Teravail dealer.

Comments: This isn't anything surprising when you look and see that most tires are available direct from manufacturers/brands these days. It makes buying more convenient for riders and that's obviously a good thing for the brands.

However; if you take the time to think about this as a shop owner, "why would you give any shelf space to a company that sells consumer direct?" That space needs to turn a profit, and if the convenience of a store having them on-hand is superseded by  on-line availability, then you maybe start looking at something else that isn't available online that would be worth the trip for a consumer.

This is why the days of super-stocked bike shops is coming, or more correctly, already has come to a close. Repair parts? Yes. Those have to be at hand for obvious reasons. But for those who look to upgrade and want that "different" thing? Well, there is where the old days are gone. And that is a workable deal for shops as long as their service department is good and open to "cooking other restaurants hamburgers", as it were.

It used to be that shops would turn up their noses and refuse to work on stuff not purchased through their retail business, but if any shops are still doing that, well, I don't see that as being a workable strategy going forward. Obviously, there are certain things a shop just cannot do. Things like working on unsafe bicycles, putting things together that shouldn't be together, or working on specialized product, like some HPC/electrified bicycles that require specialized diagnostic equipment. (yes- like automobiles)

But outside of those obvious exclusions, shops just have to focus more on service and less on offering a wide array of parts and accessories. Decisions like those of QBP/Teravail and others like them just make it so that shop owners cannot afford to carry items, and really- have no motivation to do so when consumers can order things direct from the confines of their own bathroom throne- if that's what they dig. Whatever..... I'm just saying that there needs to be a compelling reason to go to a store these days, and the internet has pretty much usurped any of those reasons to make the effort to go. Add in these crazy times and the reasons are even less than ever.

Maybe in the area where things need to fit, in terms of actual color perception, and when things are very technical, there are reasons to visit a store. But when things we buy experience commoditization, no- Then the reasons to make the effort to go to a shop to see them becomes less and less.

Special Shout-Out: To my son, Jacob, who turns 17 today. I love you, Son!

Well, that's it for this week! have a great weekend and stay safe! Roll those miles of smiles!

Friday News And Views

New Bottle Trap colors from Velocity USA.

Velocity USA Debuts New Bottle Trap Colors:

If you've been an observant reader of this blog for some time you've probably heard about Velocity USA's "Bottle Trap" cages. I have been a faithful user of these for quite some time now.

These injection molded cages come in a variety of colors and now Velocity has added three more to its line. They are, from left to right in the image, "Terra Cotta","Sea Foam", and "Mocha".

Me being an artist and all, I see these as, from Left to Right: Brick, Sage, and Limestone. Your mileage may vary. We all see things differently. The bottom line is that these new colors reflect a bit of a muted palette which may fit your bike's paint scheme better than some of the more garish colors Velocity offers in the Bottle Trap.

If you've never tried a Bottle Trap, well, these are what they say in the name. They can vary a bit in terms of grip from "almost impossible to remove the bottle", to "Kinda Tough To Get Out", to "Meh! No Big Deal!". I have had all three, and let me tell ya, the first type is a pain! They can loosen up a bit with use, but even the loosest ones grip your bottle VERY securely. That's why I recommend them for fork mount cages, or anywhere you want to store a bottle on a bike where you don not need hand access to said bottle while riding.

For cages that you need to get to while riding I'd recommend Blackburn stainless steel, Lezyne side mounts, or the ultimate, King Cage. But if you like the colors, and you need a really safe cage, in terms of not losing a bottle, this is one of the least expensive and best for the job.

Revelate Designs, Wolf Tooth Collab On "ToolCash" Product: 

Tool rolls are a really efficient, highly organized way to carry "in-the-field" tools and small items like valve cores or a rolled up derailleur cable. This genre of products includes a lot of goofy ideas, but some of the better ones are of the 'wallet' type. This new collaboration between Wolf Tooth and Revelate Design is such a beast.

The ToolCash is made from Revelate's "Rev-X-Pac" fabric and ideally made to hold Wolf Tooth's own Pack Pliers and EnCase System, this little tri-fold wallet sells for $44.95.

Of course, you can put whatever you want into this wallet as long as it fits. So, money, quick links, extra bits of chain, wet-wipes, nutrition pills, tire patches- you get the idea. Whatever smaller items that you pack that might normally be easily lost in the whirlwind of stuff in a cyclists bag can be safely corralled in the ToolCash wallet.

The size is nice too. It is said to fit easily into a jersey pocket, so that means it'll easily go into most seat bags, handle bar bags, or feed bags. It might even fit into some top tube bags as well. That makes it a pretty cool organizational item.

One final thought. In these "Pamdemic Times", if you are out on a ride and need to buy something, keeping a card or cash in the wallet, along with a pair of disposable gloves, might not be a bad idea. Anti-septic wipes could go in there as well. Just a thought......

Teravail Tires Now Available On-Line:

Teravail Tires, a brand started up by powerhouse bicycle and bicycle parts distributor QBP, has announced that Teravail Tires are now available consumer direct. Previously Teravail Tires were only available through local bike shops Teravail will give a portion of each online sale to the nearest local Teravail dealer.

Comments: This isn't anything surprising when you look and see that most tires are available direct from manufacturers/brands these days. It makes buying more convenient for riders and that's obviously a good thing for the brands.

However; if you take the time to think about this as a shop owner, "why would you give any shelf space to a company that sells consumer direct?" That space needs to turn a profit, and if the convenience of a store having them on-hand is superseded by  on-line availability, then you maybe start looking at something else that isn't available online that would be worth the trip for a consumer.

This is why the days of super-stocked bike shops is coming, or more correctly, already has come to a close. Repair parts? Yes. Those have to be at hand for obvious reasons. But for those who look to upgrade and want that "different" thing? Well, there is where the old days are gone. And that is a workable deal for shops as long as their service department is good and open to "cooking other restaurants hamburgers", as it were.

It used to be that shops would turn up their noses and refuse to work on stuff not purchased through their retail business, but if any shops are still doing that, well, I don't see that as being a workable strategy going forward. Obviously, there are certain things a shop just cannot do. Things like working on unsafe bicycles, putting things together that shouldn't be together, or working on specialized product, like some HPC/electrified bicycles that require specialized diagnostic equipment. (yes- like automobiles)

But outside of those obvious exclusions, shops just have to focus more on service and less on offering a wide array of parts and accessories. Decisions like those of QBP/Teravail and others like them just make it so that shop owners cannot afford to carry items, and really- have no motivation to do so when consumers can order things direct from the confines of their own bathroom throne- if that's what they dig. Whatever..... I'm just saying that there needs to be a compelling reason to go to a store these days, and the internet has pretty much usurped any of those reasons to make the effort to go. Add in these crazy times and the reasons are even less than ever.

Maybe in the area where things need to fit, in terms of actual color perception, and when things are very technical, there are reasons to visit a store. But when things we buy experience commoditization, no- Then the reasons to make the effort to go to a shop to see them becomes less and less.

Special Shout-Out: To my son, Jacob, who turns 17 today. I love you, Son!

Well, that's it for this week! have a great weekend and stay safe! Roll those miles of smiles!

Caged

Lezyne side loader cage in (VERY) Purple

The BgP was used in two events and during those events I realized that there was one small detail of my build that was annoying. That being that the second bottle on the down tube, the one closest to the seat tube, was a bearcat to get out while you are riding the bike. I could get it out, but it was a struggle and mostly due to the fact that you have to pull the bottle in line with the downtube. This ends up making you run into the bottle cage mounted directly in front of this bottle you are trying to get at. Frustrating and not good.

I figured that a different type of bottle cage might work. I had heard that Lezyne might make some cages that would work and so Todd, my co-worker, and I did some internet sleuthing and came across this side loader cage from Lezyne. Bonus......it is offered in a purple color! 

Order placed, I patiently awaited its delivery to the shop where I work. When it came in, I was curious as to just what shade of purple I was getting. Of course, I had no expectations that it would match the Velocity Bottle Traps I already had. That would be asking too much, but I was hoping it wouldn't be too far off or weird in hue. Much to my delight, it turned out to be almost a dead ringer for the Wolf Tooth head set I used.

One other thing I noted was that this cage allowed for a slight amount of adjustment to the mounting position as the holes are slotted. Then I noted that this cage is made from some pretty beefy looking plastic. Pliable, but tough. Also- you might note that you can get this in a left or right side load version. I got the right side version. I Instagrammed my purchase and received a lot of encouraging words on how these cages worked for others. So, I'm pretty hopeful that it will do the trick.

Coming out sideways now!

I mounted it up and it really looks great. Definitely a more intense shade of purple than the Velocity cages are. So......I have to make a decision here. Maybe I leave it, run two diferent shades of purple, or maybe I get all the cages switched over to this Lezyne cage hue.

Some of that will depend upon how I like the Lezyne cage. I haven't ridden with it yet due to certain technical upgrades happening here which took me away from riding this weekend. (See yesterday's post for why that was.)

Otherwise I think this will solve my only nit with how this bike came together. Once that is tidied up I will decide about color and maybe make the switch. Another experiment I need to engage in will be swapping over to 650B wheels and tires to see what I think of that on the Black Mountain BgP. I've got to get a couple more TRP center lock rotors before I get to that though.

In the meantime the mountain bikes have been getting refreshed for the upcoming Fall season and next on the maintenance schedule are the fat bikes which need cleaning and going over before Winter arrives. So, there will be no shortage of work to do in between riding, getting the house ready for Winter, and doing whatever needs done for the website work.

Caged

Lezyne side loader cage in (VERY) Purple

The BgP was used in two events and during those events I realized that there was one small detail of my build that was annoying. That being that the second bottle on the down tube, the one closest to the seat tube, was a bearcat to get out while you are riding the bike. I could get it out, but it was a struggle and mostly due to the fact that you have to pull the bottle in line with the downtube. This ends up making you run into the bottle cage mounted directly in front of this bottle you are trying to get at. Frustrating and not good.

I figured that a different type of bottle cage might work. I had heard that Lezyne might make some cages that would work and so Todd, my co-worker, and I did some internet sleuthing and came across this side loader cage from Lezyne. Bonus......it is offered in a purple color! 

Order placed, I patiently awaited its delivery to the shop where I work. When it came in, I was curious as to just what shade of purple I was getting. Of course, I had no expectations that it would match the Velocity Bottle Traps I already had. That would be asking too much, but I was hoping it wouldn't be too far off or weird in hue. Much to my delight, it turned out to be almost a dead ringer for the Wolf Tooth head set I used.

One other thing I noted was that this cage allowed for a slight amount of adjustment to the mounting position as the holes are slotted. Then I noted that this cage is made from some pretty beefy looking plastic. Pliable, but tough. Also- you might note that you can get this in a left or right side load version. I got the right side version. I Instagrammed my purchase and received a lot of encouraging words on how these cages worked for others. So, I'm pretty hopeful that it will do the trick.

Coming out sideways now!

I mounted it up and it really looks great. Definitely a more intense shade of purple than the Velocity cages are. So......I have to make a decision here. Maybe I leave it, run two diferent shades of purple, or maybe I get all the cages switched over to this Lezyne cage hue.

Some of that will depend upon how I like the Lezyne cage. I haven't ridden with it yet due to certain technical upgrades happening here which took me away from riding this weekend. (See yesterday's post for why that was.)

Otherwise I think this will solve my only nit with how this bike came together. Once that is tidied up I will decide about color and maybe make the switch. Another experiment I need to engage in will be swapping over to 650B wheels and tires to see what I think of that on the Black Mountain BgP. I've got to get a couple more TRP center lock rotors before I get to that though.

In the meantime the mountain bikes have been getting refreshed for the upcoming Fall season and next on the maintenance schedule are the fat bikes which need cleaning and going over before Winter arrives. So, there will be no shortage of work to do in between riding, getting the house ready for Winter, and doing whatever needs done for the website work.