Although there are an increasing number of bikepacking-specific bikes on the market, many models don’t have the necessary eyelets required to attach bottle cages, cargo cages, or boss-mounted bags to the fork or under the downtube. As such, you may need to add cage mounts or attach bottle cages to your bike using unconventional solutions, or move them ever so slightly to accommodate other gear. Nowadays, there are plenty commercially available options and DIY solutions to turn older/secondhand bikes into capable bikepacking steeds. Here’s the full list.

compose Logan Watts

time Jun 9, 2020

comment 122

Updated on June 9, 2020

With the growing popularity of eyelet-mounted bags and cargo cages, bike tourers and bikepackers are increasingly looking for ways to add mounts to their fork or downtube to attach such accessories. In addition, many desert routes and trips through warmer climates require extra hydration, so mounting extra bottle cages or oversized cages under the downtube, on the fork, or even on the chainstays is often a necessity for supplementing water capacity. These affordable workarounds can also serve to upgrade older bikes for those looking to try their hand at bikepacking but without the cash to invest in a dedicated rig.

Braze-ons, Bosses, and Eyelets Before moving on, let’s clear up some terminology. Braze-on, a common term used to reference a bolt mount on a bicycle, is defined as a small fitting on a bicycle that has been permanently attached to the frame. The term comes from how these parts were attached to traditional steel frames. Even though these fittings may be welded onto titanium or aluminum, or glued and molded into carbon, braze-on lives on as a way to describe these mounts. Typical braze-ons include cable stops/guides, rack and bottle cage mounts, or, even more bemusing, bosses. Bosses are usually interpreted as welded, brazed, or attached protrusions, such as a cantilever brake bosses, rack bosses, shift lever bosses, or even cable guides. However, in the framebuilding parts world, bottle bosses are also very commonly sold as threaded inserts, or as we know them, bottle bosses. All that said, each of these terms is fine and dandy, but since the term braze-on doesn’t always perfectly describe the threaded attachment used for cages and cage-mount bags, we’ll refer to these as either mounts, eyelets, or bosses.

Ultimately, more and more bike frames are being outfitted with extra cage mounts and bottle bosses, especially bikes intended for touring or bikepacking. Provisions often include a pair (or triplet) on the underside of the downtube, as well as a three-pack of bosses on each fork blade (see our Gear Index of Forks with Bottle Cage Mounts). However, some bike companies are still anti “fork warts.” And, many older bikes were relegated to two pairs within the frame triangle. Fortunately, there is an ever-growing list of products made to add cage mounts to your bike with various connection techniques. Find that full product list below, then scroll down to find several DIY methods for adding bottle cages and mounts.

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Adding Permanent Bottle Cage Mounts to Your Frame If you aren’t up for clamping, strapping, or taping mounts to your frame, there are two ways to permanently add bottle bosses to your frame or fork. Hire a Framebuilder While it’s possible to have a carbon expert drill and glue bottle mounts in a carbon frame, and there’s likely a way to weld in bosses on an aluminum frame, both of those scenarios get pretty complicated. We won’t even get into it. However, if you have a steel frame, it’s pretty straightforward. We had bosses added to the underside of two v1 Surly Trolls’ downtubes (before they became a standard feature). It works like a charm and doesn’t cost too much. However, framebuilders are a busy lot, so you might have to wait. In addition, when deciding where the bosses are going to go, consider tire clearance when your suspension fork is compressed, if you run one. And, realize that brazing will damage the finish on your bike, which might require a repaint, or at least a partial respray. Rivnut Bottle Bosses “Rivnuts,” also known as rivet nuts or threaded rivet inserts, are one-piece, internally threaded tubular rivets that can be anchored from one side. To clarify, a rivnut attaches by way of a threaded tool that compresses it, buckles one side, and clamps it onto the panel into which it’s being riveted. If you don’t mind drilling your fork or frame, this is a good solution that can be implemented for a fairly reasonable price. We did it on a Surly Troll and rode it thousands of miles with no issue. Read about the process here. Note that one advantage to Rivnuts is that they don’t require a respray, but the disadvantage is they could rattle loose. Also, this process is best done on burly forks rather than ones that are lightweight and slender.

Attaching Bottle Cages to Your Bike (DIY)

Hose Clamp Bottle Cage Hose clamps (aka pipe clamps) are the most common method used to attach bottle cages onto suspension forks or a boss-less metal bike frame. We don’t recommend this method for a carbon fork, although we’ve seen it done with padding and a light touch. Hose clamps are measured in diameter, so you’ll need to calculate the tubing size plus the cage you’re clamping; I typically use a 3.0″ clamp on a fox 34 or RockShox fork (common suspension forks have a 1.75″ diameter) sandwiching a layer of recycled inner tube or electrical tape to protect the tubing. Tighten it enough to hold the cage in place (but not too tight on a suspension fork). Note that some cages work particularly well for this. Widefoot’s oversized cage has strap slots and Salsa’s Nickless Cage has slots through which the straps can be threaded. Others have tabs. With some cages, you might need longer pipe clamps to strap around the tubular rails. Electrical Tape Bottle Cages First seen in our list of Bikepacking Hacks, electrical tape is probably the safest and most trustworthy method of attaching standard bottle cages to a fork, downtube, suspension fork, or just about anywhere, even on oversized tubes. For a secure mount, use about 2/3 of a roll of electrical tape. The Lezyne Power Cages work great for this. To protect your frame, first apply a little tape where the cage will make contact. The cage shown above lasted close to 1,000 miles while bikepacking and trail riding all over the rugged southwest, and it was removed before showing any signs of wear. The great thing about electrical tape is that is comes off easily without residue.

Zip Ties and Tubes Although this is our least favorite method for attaching a bottle cage to a fork or downtube, it can work with the right zip ties and appropriate load. While zip ties are strong, they’re not as strong as metal straps, and they have a tendency to dry rot and wear down over time. Either way, this method works. Use the beefiest zip ties you can find, and like the pipe-clamp method, sandwich cut pieces of recycled inner tube between the cage and tubing to prevent slippage and abrasion. Voile Straps Voile straps are highly useful for bolstering large water bottles in more flimsy cages, especially on very rough terrain. However, strapping a cage onto a frame with Voiles is also doable. You can do it with some cages that have slots big enough to fit the straps. Or, on oversized cages, you can simply strap on the cage, then strap the bottle to that. It’s a little messy, but doable. Note that it’s better for use with carbon or aluminum oversized downtubes. Other Hacks There are plenty of other hacks out there for attaching additional water bottle cages to your bike. Check out this tutorial for adding a carrier to a Tubus rack, and this method for utilizing a rack bolt to mount cages on the seat stay. And, although not really a hack, Bedrock Bags makes the Honaker for attaching a bottle to the downtube. You can also use almost any stem bag as a soft bottle cage.

As with our other Gear Indexes, please let us know in the comments if you are aware of another product or hack to add bottle cage mounts to your bike, or ways to carry an extra water bottle.