How do I add cages to a track frame w/ no braze ons?

[Mike Quetel]

Hi all,

I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has suggestions
for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way. I'm not real excited about resorting to a camelback
or using hose clamps. BTW, the pista is a steel frame.

Thanks in advance,

Mike

 

[David Reuteler]

Mike Quetel <mquetel@_nospam_attbi.com> wrote:
: I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
: road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has
: suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way.

i have the same problem. usually i just stuff a small water botle into my jersey pocket. you could
try a behind the seat waterbottle cage like this one by profile design:

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Aqua+Rack&vendorCode=PROFILE&major=3&minor=12

it may interfere with a saddle bag, tho.
--
david reuteler [email protected]

 

[Mike Murray]

Zip ties work perfect on mine. I am using a plastic cage. A little Shoe Goo would make a metal cage
a bit more friendly for the zip tie mount.
--
Mike Murray

"Mike Quetel" <mquetel@_nospam_attbi.com> wrote in message news:HpPS9.281483$qF3.27321@sccrnsc04...
> Hi all,
>
> I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
> road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has
> suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way. I'm not real excited about resorting
> to a camelback or using hose clamps. BTW, the pista is a steel frame.
>
> Thanks in advance,
>
> Mike

 

[Roy H. Drinkwat]

"Mike Quetel" asked:

>...the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has suggestions for solving this
>shortcoming in an elegant way.

Check out the different mounts Minoura offers <http://www.minoura.co.jp/acc-e.html>, I really
like the handlebar mounts BH-60, BH-2B and QB-90. Your LBS should be able to order some.

Roy H. Drinkwater

 

[Erik Brooks]

I found a longish web page dedicated to exactly this, with lotsa pictures:

http://www.nordicgroup.us/cageboss.htm

BTW, a local framebuilder told me that it would cost about $25 to add the new style bottle
braze-ons, not including paint repairs. Just a thought.

erik Brooks

 

[A Muzi]

"Mike Quetel" <mquetel@_nospam_attbi.com> wrote in message news:HpPS9.281483$qF3.27321@sccrnsc04...
> Hi all,
>
> I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
> road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has
> suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way. I'm not real excited about resorting
> to a camelback or using hose clamps. BTW, the pista is a steel frame.

The RivNuts ( that's a brand name for threaded pop-rivets) that are used for alternate materials
work just fine in steel frames. Many LBS have them, and the special tool to set them.

If you're looking for a bolt-on solution, Zefal's "Gizmo" nylon bottle cage clamps are IMHO superior
to all others. They do not move and they do not scratch paint. Cheap, too.

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[Richard]

Zefal Gizmo clamps! Got a set from Excel Sports and put 'em on several years ago. Haven't had a bit
of trouble with them!

"Mike Quetel" <mquetel@_nospam_attbi.com> wrote in news:HpPS9.281483 $qF3.27321@sccrnsc04:

> Hi all,
>
> I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
> road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has
> suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way.

 

[Tony Healy]

http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Saddle+Wing&vendorCode =XLAB&major=3&minor=12

I use one of these things on my Bianchi track bike and it works great. You may have to bend it a
little (very little) so it doesn't hit your butt. You can use a saddlebag with it. Plus you can
mount a mini-pump under one of the cages (since it uses standard bottle cages, and mini pumps
usually come with brackets to be mounted under a cage).

But you may need to get used to reaching behind to get the bottle. Actually, it's more of an issue
when you're first trying to reach and put the bottle back, since you have to keep pedaling and can't
really steal a glance at the cage. So you end up feeling around a bit to get the bottle
located/oriented properly with the cage. Got used to it pretty quickly tho.

Tony

"David Reuteler" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Mike Quetel <mquetel@_nospam_attbi.com> wrote:
> : I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear
for
> : winter training on the road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm
> : curious if anyone has suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way.
>
> i have the same problem. usually i just stuff a small water botle into my jersey pocket. you could
> try a behind the seat waterbottle cage like this one by profile design:
>
>
http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Aqua+Rack&vendorCode=P ROFILE&major=3&minor=12
>
> it may interfere with a saddle bag, tho.
> --
> david reuteler [email protected]

 

[Sheldon Brown]

Mike Quetel

>>I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
>>road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has
>>suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way. I'm not real excited about resorting
>>to a camelback or using hose clamps.

Check out the cool Minoura handlebar mounts, let you pretend you're Jacques Anqueteil!
http://sheldonbrown.com/harris/accessories.html

Sheldon "Still A Good Idea" Brown +------------------------------------------------------------+
| A touchstone to determine the actual worth of an | "intellectual"--find out how he feels about
| astrology. | --Robert A. Heinlein |
+------------------------------------------------------------+ Harris Cyclery, West Newton,
Massachusetts Phone 617-244-9772 FAX 617-244-1041 http://harriscyclery.com Hard-to-find parts
shipped Worldwide http://captainbike.com http://sheldonbrown.com

 

[A Muzi]

> On Wed, 08 Jan 2003 06:19:19 GMT, "Mike Quetel" <mquetel@_nospam_attbi.com> wrote:
> >I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
> >road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has
> >suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way. I'm not real excited about resorting
> >to a camelback or using hose clamps. BTW, the pista is a steel frame.

"John Everett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Probably the most elegant way, other than braze-ons and a repaint, would be Rivnuts. See:
>
> http://www.bollhoff-rivnut.com/
>
> There's an "American" sized nut that works just fine with the metric screws we use for holding
> water bottle cages. I'm sort of guessing here but perhaps it's a 10-24 and the screw is an M5 x .8
> or so. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
>
> Anyway, I had a Rivnut on my Vitus 992 replaced several years ago at a local FBO. Most A&Ps have
> Rivnut tools, but I've heard some Cannondale dealers also are so equipped. They probably would
> have the correct metric size.

Nearly right. The SEA bolt nearest an M5x0.8 is a #10-32

--
Andrew Muzi http://www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April 1971

 

[David L. Johnso]

On Wed, 08 Jan 2003 01:19:19 -0500, Mike Quetel wrote:

> Hi all,
>
> I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
> road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has
> suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way. I'm not real excited about resorting
> to a camelback or using hose clamps. BTW, the pista is a steel frame.

I use; well not hose clamps, but extra fancy made just for a bike clamps that of course are
functionally equivalent. They work fine.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | The lottery is a tax on those who fail to understand _`\(,_ | mathematics. (_)/ (_) |

 

[Ed Ness]

For those interested in using Rivnuts, don't worry about the need for the setting tool. The tool is
great to speed up the setting process but is not strictly necessary. The key is to make a small
holding bracket which is used to keep the nut from turning while crimping. Take a small strip of
metal approx. 4+ inches long and drill a hole in one end slightly larger than the threads in the
Rivnut. Take a hex head screw with threads that match the Rivnut threads, put the screw though the
hole in the bracket and then thread it all the way down into the Rivnut. Next, hold the bracket with
one hand and tighten down the screw with the other in order to crush down the Rivnut. The bracket
will keep the Rivnut from turning by blocking the rotational forces of the screw head against the
head of the Rivnut.

I've used this process many many times without issue. Works like a champ.

Ed Ness

 

[John Everett]

On Wed, 8 Jan 2003 21:22:04 -0600, "A Muzi" <[email protected]> wrote:

>"John Everett" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>news:[email protected]...
>> Probably the most elegant way, other than braze-ons and a repaint, would be Rivnuts. See:
>>
>> http://www.bollhoff-rivnut.com/
>>
>> There's an "American" sized nut that works just fine with the metric screws we use for holding
>> water bottle cages. I'm sort of guessing here but perhaps it's a 10-24 and the screw is an M5 x
>> .8 or so. Someone please correct me if I'm wrong.
>>
>> Anyway, I had a Rivnut on my Vitus 992 replaced several years ago at a local FBO. Most A&Ps have
>> Rivnut tools, but I've heard some Cannondale dealers also are so equipped. They probably would
>> have the correct metric size.
>
>
>
>Nearly right. The SEA bolt nearest an M5x0.8 is a #10-32

Nearly right. It's SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers).

BTW, I found a nice write-up on Rivnuts at:

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/hapages/rivnuts.php

Note that a 1/2" 10-32 Rivnut costs $0.33(US). The insertion tool is slightly more expensive.

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

 

[Eric]

Be careful to not crank it too tight. I couldn't get the thing to hold tight and ended up splitting
the metal the first time I used it.

Would have worked better with rubber between it and the seatpost.

David Reuteler <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:<[email protected]>...
> Mike Quetel <mquetel@_nospam_attbi.com> wrote:
> : I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear for winter training on the
> : road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled to accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has
> : suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant way.
>
> i have the same problem. usually i just stuff a small water botle into my jersey pocket. you could
> try a behind the seat waterbottle cage like this one by profile design:
>
> http://www.excelsports.com/new.asp?page=8&description=Aqua+Rack&vendorCode=PROFILE&major=3&-
> minor=12
>
> it may interfere with a saddle bag, tho.

 

[Mark Lee]

> > Mike Quetel <mquetel@_nospam_attbi.com> wrote:
> > : I've got a track bike (Bianchi Pista) that I am using as a fixed gear
for
> > : winter training on the road. Unfortunately, the frame is not drilled
to
> > : accept cages. I'm curious if anyone has suggestions for solving this shortcoming in an elegant
> > : way.
> >
I had my 30 yr old Hoffy (NOT Huffy) modified and painted by a framebuilder in April last year
http://216.118.66.244/~leearc/lee/mark/trk_bk1.jpg Mark Lee