Hola Pablo,
I have used the TA handlebar mounted water bottle for many years on various bikes with different stem/bar set-ups.
What I have done to avoid marring handlebar engravings is to simply trim some cotton handlebar tape into strips and adhere them to the inside of the clamps.
The bolts that are included are too short for most bar diameters, so you'll have to dig in your parts bin for bolts that will allow you to cinch up on the clamps.
Both the classic chrome TA downtube water bottle cage and handlebar cages are functional classics, someone should do a repro.
Salute,
David Martinez
Fremont Ca
US of A
From: Paul A. Grens <pgrens@yahoo.com> Subject: [CR] TA handlebar-mount water bottle cage experience To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Date: Saturday, February 19, 2011, 2:25 PM
Amigos,
I was lucky enough to stumble upon an NOS TA handlebar-mount water bottle cage recently, model 213 as shown on this web site:
http://www.blackbirdsf.org/
Its destined for my '74/'75 Motobecane Grand Jubile, which has some attractive and well preserved Pivo handlebars with the winged engravings.
I'm apprehensive to mount the NOS cage, though, and not because it's NOS, but because it doesn't seem to have any support beyond the two tabs you lash to the handlebars, unlike the REG "erector set" style handlebar cages with the reinforcement on the bottom of the cage that clamps to the stem quill to stabilize things.
The TA cage seems to put a lot of reliance on just those two tabs, while I suspect the weight of a full water bottle and the bumps and bounces of a long ride will eventually force the cage to slip down, with unfortunate consequences for the handlebar finish. Unless, of course, I tighten it to the extent that it is well dug into the decorative sleeve on the Pivo bars, which I'd rather not do, and even then, I'm dubious that it could handle the awkward weight distribution.
Also possible is that my bar/stem configuration is too "new" and that older stems were more compatible in providing support and possibly running the handlebar clamp bolt through the cage itself (though I'd have to really re-shape this one to do that, and it probably wouldn't work with the keyed bolt on the Belleri stem).
Any thoughts or advice would be much appreciated.
And here's a link to the Grand Jubile, for, ahem, reference:
http://s176.photobucket.com/
and in tiny form: http://tinyurl.com/
Cheers,
Paul Grens
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.