The Bike Bottle Cage – an Accessory for Every Bike
It ensures that your water bottle is always with you. It ensures that you can remove your water bottle in no time at all. It is therefore something you definitely don't want to be without when cycling. We're talking about the bike bottle cage. As the name suggests, these are basically mounts that allow you to attach water bottles to your bike. Bottle cages are available in a wide variety of designs and shapes: Bicycle bottle cages made of carbon, plastic or metal. And last but not least, there are bottle cages for different places on the bike: bottle cages for the frame, bottle cages for the handlebars and bottle cages for the saddle. To find out which bottle cage is right for you, we will go into detail about the different types of bicycle bottle cages below.
Cup Holders for Bikes – What Materials Are Bike Bottle Cages Made From?
The first way to differentiate between bottle cages is the material from which they are made. Like many parts on bicycles, bicycle bottle cages are also made from different materials. For example, bottle cages made of plastic, aluminium and carbon have proven themselves. There are also mounts made of steel, titanium and fiberglass. Which material is best for you depends on your personal preferences. The terrain on which you ride your bike also plays a role.
Bicycle bottle cages made of carbon and fiberglass are very popular with road cyclists, for example. They are ideal when every gram counts and you want to save as much weight as possible on your bike. This is the case in ambitious cycling, such as time trials or road races. However, that is not the only advantage of these mounts: Bike mounts made from the carbon composite material have a classy appearance thanks to the low amount of material used and therefore definitely make a visual impact.
Plastic cup holders are much more common than carbon bottle cages due to their lower price and greater durability. They are lightweight, easy to handle and hold your bottle with neck in place even on bumpy terrain. A big advantage is that plastic bottle cages are more flexible than mounts made of other materials. This means you can use many different types of water bottles and enjoy a rattle-free and safe ride. They therefore perform very well in everyday tests.
Which leads us to bottle cages made of aluminum or steel. They impress with their quality, stability and durability and are therefore particularly popular in the bicycle industry. Aluminum and especially steel bottle cages are extremely break-resistant, making them the most durable type of cup holder. In addition to the classic models, you can now also find metal bottle cages with a modern design and sophisticated innovations. Some manufacturers have considered these optimizations in their newer models to make aluminium mounts more competitive. This is because they are generally not able to absorb vibrations as well as plastic bottle cages. For bottle cages made of aluminum or steel, we recommend that you only use plastic bottles. The bottles with bottle neck scratch less and, above all, sit firmly in the mount. With stainless steel bottles, on the other hand, they can quickly pop out of the mount if they are shaken.
A less commonly used type of bottle cage, but one that is particularly popular with cycling enthusiasts, is titanium bottle cages. They impress with their elegant look and also look very stylish. The only disadvantage is the slightly higher price, as titanium as a material is generally more expensive than plastic, aluminum or steel, for example.
Bike Bottle Cage – These Mounting Options Are Available for Water Bottles on Electric Bikes
On the majority of bikes, you will find one or more mounting options for water bottle holders on the frame – on the down tube and seat tube. The distances between the frame holes are usually standardized, which is why you can attach any bottle cage. If the spaces are occupied or you find the bottles with bottle neck more practical elsewhere, you can use bicycle bottle cages for the handlebar, stem, saddle or seatpost.
This usually plays a role for electric bikes, as the rechargeable battery sits right on the frame. As a solution, some manufacturers offer special bottle cage adapters for larger tube diameters. You attach the adapter to the frame using a Velcro strap. You then attach a conventional bottle cage to it. There are also special bottle cage adapters for all other types of bike. For example, if you don't want to use screws or want to attach your water bottle in a place without screw holes.
Bottle cages for the saddle or seatpost are not only popular with electric bikers, but especially with performance-oriented cyclists due to their aerodynamic properties. Particularly in triathlons and therefore on triathlon bikes, bottle cages are often mounted behind the saddle due to the lower air resistance.
If you are taking your bike on a bikepacking tour and want uncomplicated handling of the bottle with bottle neck, side-mounted bike bottle cages are recommended. Instead of reaching for the bottle from above, you move it in and out of the mount from the side. Bottle holders for the handlebar are also popular. However, these usually come in the shape of a bag. These handlebar bags with water bottle inserts are usually attached to the upper handlebar tube with hook-and-loop fasteners.
By the way: Have you ever heard of bicycle bottle cages with a magnetic system? Their suitability for everyday use is amazing. Thanks to the magnets, the bottle with bottle neck always moves into the optimal position. This means you can move faster, are less distracted and can concentrate better on biking, your surroundings and potential dangers.
Buying Advice: What a Good Bike Cup Holder Must Be Able to Do
A good bike bottle cage makes your cycling experience safer, simpler and easier. That's why it's worth giving some thought to which bottle cage might be right for you before you buy. The following questions will help you:
- What type of bike am I looking for a cup holder for and what mounting options can and would I like to use
- What terrain am I mainly riding on and what are the resulting requirements?
- How stable, robust and durable should the bottle cage be?
- What material should the bike bottle cage be made of?
- Should the bottle cage for the bike weigh as little as possible?
- Do I want to be able to ride as aerodynamically as possible despite the bottle cage and water bottles?
- What visual requirements do I have for my bicycle bottle cage?
- Do I want to take the bottle out of the mount sideways or vertically?
- Do I want to be able to concentrate as much as possible on my bike riding and not be distracted from putting the bottle with bottle neck into the holder correctly?
- Is it important to me that I have to think as little as possible about which bottle I need for which bottle cage?
Water Bottle Cages for Bicycles – Summary
- Mounting systems for water bottles on the bike are essential if you want to take a water bottle with you on your tours.
- Water bottle cages for bikes are available in different designs, shapes, materials and for different purposes.
- Bottle cages can be mounted in various places on the bike. The most common are the down tube and the seat tube of the bike frame.
- Most bike frames are equipped with holes on the down tube and seat tube. These are standardized, so you can mount almost any bottle cage here.