Trek Fuel Exe 9.7 - Second Water Bottle Cage

[skcrip]

If I'm using the range extender how can I carry a water bottle? Is there a way to mount a second cage?

 

[Greg Watts]

If I'm using the range extender how can I carry a water bottle? Is there a way to mount a second cage?

Welcome aboard, @skcrip - good question, and a common headache on the EXe. The honest answer: the Fuel EXe only has one set of bottle bosses, inside the front triangle. The TQ range extender mounts to those same bosses, so when the extender's in, that spot's taken - there's no factory second mount for a bottle.

A few ways riders work around it: 1. Wolf Tooth B-RAD. @skcrip, this is the usual fix - a rail/base plate that bolts to your existing bosses and lets you run both a cage and something else, or shift positions. @DylanJM has flagged the B-RAD system here for exactly this kind of bottle/extender juggling: → view post. Worth checking clearance on your size before committing though - and worth noting the Wolf Tooth double bottle cage adapter and base can actually allow two bottles even with the extender in place, though the tradeoff is potential knee interference when you're out of the saddle on climbs.

2. Hip pack / hydration pack. Unglamorous but it's what a lot of folk land on once the extender's eating the only cage spot. Zero faff, no drilling.

3. Fidlock-style side-load setups. Some riders adapt the extender bracket to also take a bottle - @Rockhopper70 mentions a Fidlock plate clipping onto the range extender bracket on other systems: → view post. Whether that translates cleanly to the TQ extender on the EXe, I'd want eyes on the actual bracket first.

One thing worth knowing: the EXe frame does fit a 26oz (750mL) bottle on the Large - @levity confirmed that here: → view post - but that's without the extender in the way.

I can't give you an exact clearance figure for running a cage and the extender simultaneously - that's not something I can confirm, and it'll vary by your frame size and which cage. If you tell me your frame size, I can dig a bit further. But the practical reality is most EXe riders pick: extender or bottle for a given ride, and use a pack to bridge the gap.

EDIT: Corrected point 1 - the Wolf Tooth double bottle cage adapter and base does offer a viable solution for running a bottle alongside the range extender, with the caveat of possible knee clearance issues on standing climbs. Thanks @juggernaut for the heads up.

 

[juggernaut]

SKS anywhere mounts and Topeak versamounts are other bottle cage mounting options. I used the SkS mount for a temporary second bottle cage on the top bar for a 90 klm gravel race I was recently in. Didn’t budge. I used Nitto amalgamating tape to protect the top bar before mounting.

 

[Greg Watts]

SKS anywhere mounts and Topeak versamounts are other bottle cage mounting options. I used the SkS mount for a temporary second bottle cage on the top bar for a 90 klm gravel race I was recently in. Didn’t budge. I used Nitto amalgamating tape to protect the top bar before mounting.

Solid additions, @juggernaut - the SKS Anywhere and Topeak Versamount are exactly the kind of strap/clamp mounts that sidestep the whole "no spare bosses" problem entirely. Good practical knowledge for @skcrip.

The Nitto amalgamating tape on the bar before clamping is a smart move too - protects the finish and adds a bit of grip to stop any rotation under load. Sensible prep for something you're trusting on a 90km race day.

Given you ran that on the Frey Beast's top tube for a full 90km gravel effort without it shifting - that's a decent real-world proof of concept. The EXe's top tube geometry is a bit different but the principle is the same: pick a flat section of tube, protect it, clamp it properly. Worth @skcrip measuring the tube diameter first to make sure the mount fits - both the SKS and Topeak options have diameter ranges they'll accommodate.

 

[skcrip]

Thanks. What about if I used the Wolf Tooth B-Rad double cage adaptor?

 

[Greg Watts]

Thanks. What about if I used the Wolf Tooth B-Rad double cage adaptor?

The B-RAD double cage adaptor is a solid option for the EXe - the basic idea is it mounts to your existing bottle boss bosses and gives you two cage positions from the same footprint. The question is whether you can run it alongside the TQ range extender, or whether you're picking one or the other.

The range extender uses the same bottle bosses, so you'd need a B-RAD base that accommodates both - Wolf Tooth do make a B-RAD base with a range extender slot as well as cage positions, but I'd want you to confirm the TQ extender bracket dimensions before ordering. The EXe's front triangle is also fairly compact, so clearance between a second cage and the frame/extender body is worth checking for your specific frame size.

There's a useful data point from the community: @j_s found that a B-RAD base with double bottle adaptor works to run a Fidlock bottle alongside other hardware on a Haibike - different bike, but the B-RAD system is the same. The principle transfers; the exact fitment on the EXe needs a bit more verification.

My honest steer: if you're seriously considering the B-RAD route, contact Wolf Tooth directly with your frame size and confirm their TQ extender compatibility - they're generally pretty helpful. Alternatively, combine the extender with one of the tube-clamp options @juggernaut mentioned, which sidesteps the boss conflict entirely.

 

[juggernaut]

Installed the Wolf Tooth double bottle cage adapter and base for a more permanent solution. Pro’s obviously double bottles,, adjustable base means you can slide the adapter up and down to suit your bottles and frame, can also fit the 710 ml water bottles and easier access to bottles. Con’s knees rub on the bottles when standing on the pedals on steeper climbs. If you don’t pedal when standing up steep inclines then no disadvantage.

Probably use the double cage for events and the single cage otherwise.

Pics for attention with 620 ml water bottles in the cages.

 

[Greg Watts]

Installed the Wolf Tooth double bottle cage adapter and base for a more permanent solution. Pro’s obviously double bottles,, adjustable base means you can slide the adapter up and down to suit your bottles and frame, can also fit the 710 ml water bottles and easier access to bottles. Con’s knees rub...

@juggernaut - that's a proper real-world review right there, cheers for closing the loop with pics.

The adjustable base is genuinely the killer feature on that system - being able to slide the whole lot up or down to clear the shock reservoir, cables, or just find the sweet spot for a 710ml bottle is exactly what makes it worth the money over a fixed adapter.

The knee-rub on steep standing climbs is a known trade-off with any double cage setup in the front triangle - there's just not a lot of room between your legs and the bottles when you're grinding something punishing out of the saddle. Given the kind of terrain you've been putting the Frey Beast through (90km gravel efforts with 2,000m+ of climbing is not a quiet Tuesday), it sounds like for most riding it's a non-issue and only bites on the genuinely brutal stuff.

The fact that it'll swallow 710ml bottles is a meaningful win for longer days - that extra capacity adds up over a big ride.

Good to see it all in place and working. Hopefully @skcrip gets some use out of the install pics - they're exactly what was needed to make the decision.

 

[skcrip]

This looks good, thanks @juggernaut. My last concern is weight of the range extender battery leaning out to the side. I wonder if using the Fidlock twist force connector that is specifically made for the range extender would be a good / more secure choice. But then I'm not sure if the dual mount would mean the twist motion would be blocked by the other bottle cage? Even if it is the case I guess I could put it on first and then the bottle cage on the other. Removes the quick release option but I suspect I would just leave the range extender on for most of the summer anyway.

 

[juggernaut]

This looks good, thanks @juggernaut. My last concern is weight of the range extender battery leaning out to the side. I wonder if using the Fidlock twist force connector that is specifically made for the range extender would be a good / more secure choice. But then I'm not sure if the dual mount would mean the twist motion would be blocked by the other bottle cage? Even if it is the case I guess I could put it on first and then the bottle cage on the other. Removes the quick release option but I suspect I would just leave the range extender on for most of the summer anyway.

I'm guessing your range extender is a couple of kg's or thereabouts. Depending where you ride, I probably wouldn't rely on a cage to support that sort of weight securely and would definately opt for the fidlock connector. I don't see it as a major downside as it only takes a minute to remove the bottle cage anyway.