Is it ok/safe to fit 1L meths bottle under top-tube?

[GlynG]

I'm getting my road bike kitted out for a few years cycle tour. I bought two bottle cages with 750ml bottles) and was planning to use a [url="http://www.bikebuddy.co.uk"]BikeBuddy Mk1[/url] to hold a 1L Meths Triangia bottle underneath the downtube.

I didn't measure things beforehand unfortunately and the 1L bottle won't fit under my downtube; the front wheel gets in the way. I'd like to keep two water bottles on there as I've bought them already and I'll be cycling in the tropics and Australia so need a fair bit of water. I was wondering if it would be feasible to mount the 1L triangia bottle underneath the toptube instead, I'm never used meths before and I'm not not sure whether this would be safe / feasible / a good idea? Any thoughts from more experienced cyclists? (I'm just getting started with bikes).

[The Mechanic]

I bought a bike buddy for the very same reason. I haven't fitted it yet but maybe I should. I hope I don't have the same problem. I have only a 0.5L meths bottle but was thinking of getting a 1L one. Will check it out and see if it fits. How are you going to fit the buddy to the frame. I have to elite bottle cage mounts to fit mine with but again I haven't got round to it yet. Will report back soon.

[thirdcrank]

I should have thought that with downtube levers, one problem might be difficulty in reaching past it to change gear. I also suspect, without ever trying it, that the knees would hit a bottle there.

As you won't be wanting to reach the bottle while riding, isn't it possible to position it low down under the downtube so it clears the front wheel? If the set-up is narrow enough to clear the cranks when mounted on the seat tube, I'd expect it to clear them under the BB.

I don't think there's any hazard associated with carrying meths horizontally, except the bottle would need a decent stopper to prevent it running away

[james01]

I don't think there's any hazard associated with carrying meths horizontally, except the bottle would need a decent stopper to prevent it running away

Agreed. The only other danger is drinking it in error

[GlynG]

Thanks all for the replies!

How are you going to fit the buddy to the frame.

I have zero frame mounting thingies on my old 1980s Claude Butler frame, so I bought the Mark 1 version of the BottleBuddy that fits itself to a frame without mounting thingies.

isn't it possible to position it low down under the downtube so it clears the front wheel? If the set-up is narrow enough to clear the cranks when mounted on the seat tube, I'd expect it to clear them under the BB.

I hadn't thought it could fit as I placed around where it's been on other bikes in the online photos, but I've gone back and had a look and it might actually be possible to fit it very low down to the downtube afterall (I feel a bit silly now), assuming it can fit sticking out somewhat lower than the frame. I'll take a proper look later on and try fitting it there, I need to get to town now before the opticians close to sort out cycling sunglasses.

I don't think there's any hazard associated with carrying meths horizontally, except the bottle would need a decent stopper to prevent it running away

Agreed. The only other danger is drinking it in error

Good to hear that it can be carried horizontally if needs be. I should be safe to differentiate it - it's bright red compared to metallic silver for my Klean water bottles.

[hubgearfreak]

I'm never used meths before

then you ought to practice cooking on your (trangia?) stove to see how short/long a litre lasts.

[james01]

There's something in the back of my mind about non-availability of meths in certain countries, it may be worth checking it out.

[JohnW]

I don't know enough to answer your question glyn, but I think you're brave and I hope you have a really good time.

[Raph]

Meths isn't particularly flammable but if you're going to hot sunny places I'd be careful as it becomes more petrol-like as it gets hotter and a bottle in direct sunlight can get pretty hot.

If you've ever re-ignited a trangia when hot (against all the warnings!) there's a little explosion as the vapour goes up - it's not likely there'll be spark inside the bottle but if there's some expansion in the heat then it might well leak vapour. I suppose if you're careful it should be fine but worth bearing in mind that even less flammable liquids can become dangerous when left in the sun.

I know the bottlebuddy site shows a frame-fitting fuel bottle holder but that doesn't mean it's a good idea in a hot climate. I'd pack it in a pannier - it'll still get to ambient temperature and the whole pannier will probably get to above ambient temp in the sun, but the bottle on its own could really soar in direct sun.

When trekking I carry either meths or coleman fuel type stuff (flammable like petrol), even meths I wouldn't dream of having outside the pack in the sun. Fine in the winter but for "the tropics and Australia" I would definitely pack it in the shade.

[james01]

I know the bottlebuddy site shows a frame-fitting fuel bottle holder but that doesn't mean it's a good idea in a hot climate. I'd pack it in a pannier - it'll still get to ambient temperature and the whole pannier will probably get to above ambient temp in the sun, but the bottle on its own could really soar in direct sun.

.

..but if the meths does expand and leak perhaps it's better venting to the atmosphere than into the pannier?
Ref the bike, it's good to see downtube levers on a machine being used on a long tour.

[Raph]

I know the bottlebuddy site shows a frame-fitting fuel bottle holder but that doesn't mean it's a good idea in a hot climate. I'd pack it in a pannier - it'll still get to ambient temperature and the whole pannier will probably get to above ambient temp in the sun, but the bottle on its own could really soar in direct sun.

.

..but if the meths does expand and leak perhaps it's better venting to the atmosphere than into the pannier?

It wouldn't get anywhere as hot in the pannier. If you park the bike somewhere for 20 minutes, direct sunlight on an item can get it pretty hot - the smaller the worse it is, think of how hot stones get in the sun. A transparent water bottle wouldn't absorb as much energy but anything opaque (black is obviously worst) will keep accumulating heat until it's losing it as fast as it's absorbing it, which on a windless day can be pretty slow. The pannier full of stuff is a larger unit, the surface gets the hottest and loses the most heat, there might be a gap between the material and the bottle, and though the pannier as a whole gets hotter it's nowhere as much. After it's been in direct sunshine you can obviously feel the resulting warmth in the stuff inside but a smaller item can be hot enough to be painful to touch.

Having said that, the likelyhood of a spark igniting leaked vapour is probably negligible, and you're right it's better for leaked vapour to blow away. But I did once have a plastic fuel bottle explode in the garden, here in England, cos I'd forgotten it out in the sun. Wasn't a trangia bottle, though I do use them.

[Raph]

PS I usually find 0.6 litre of meths lasts about a week in a trangia, but that's in Europe, maybe in hotter climates it would last longer. In zero-ish temperatures and below it's more like a litre a week. And I like lots of cups of tea!

[meic]

I have tried to carry things under the top tube and it is just not "possible" unless they are as thin as the tube itself (ie a frame pump).

It takes very little to get in the way of your knees when cycling, a 1 Litre bottle is certainly out of the question with my legs.

My bike is similar to yours and I sometimes have to grasp the top tube with my legs to make it recover from the wobbles when going fast down hills, the bottle would prevent this.

[reohn2]

I have tried to carry things under the top tube and it is just not "possible" unless they are as thin as the tube itself (ie a frame pump).

It takes very little to get in the way of your knees when cycling, a 1 Litre bottle is certainly out of the question .........

+1

[clandyfield]

Here's mine on a recent ride in France.

Absolutely no problems with this positioning.

Good luck in your travels.

BTW. I made 2x loops of inner tube to go between the bottle and the BikeBuddy to ensure no rubbing metal/plastic. Worked very well