LOOSE BOTTLE HOLDER OR STIFF LEVER

CAUSE:

1. Loose Bottle Holder – It is very important not to ride a bike where the Bottle Holder is loose and the bottle rattles. This is potentially dangerous as it could result in the Bottle Holder opening and releasing the bottle. To test whether your Bottle Holder is loose – measure the gap shown in the photo below – this should never be more than 3mm.
2. Stiff Lever – The lever operated Bottle Holder has been very carefully designed to be very reliable and robust, but as with most mechanical devices that are open to the elements, it cannot be guaranteed that dirt or foreign objects will not get into the mechanism.

There are two grooves in the lever mechanism – one in the rear section that moves and one in the front section which is fixed. The latter is more likely to be an issue than the slot in the rear section (which is in any case highly visible so anything in the slot would most likely be easily seen and removed). Also, the front fixed slot has a part which slides and pivots within it, so dirt or obstructions in this section are more likely to cause an issue. So, we recommend cleaning out from time to time with a vacuum cleaner nozzle, and if the lever is still stiff, washing with soap and water. The very first lever bottle holders had a slightly different design for this joint, all subsequent lever Bottle Holders have incorporated a roller in the fixed slot making jamming very unlikely. So, if your Bottle Holder becomes stiff then there is very likely to be something inhibiting movement in or under one of the slots.

FIX:

1. Loose Bottle Holder – The Bottle Holder is very strong but impacts like large pot holes on a stiff framed bike can damage many bicycle parts and could result in the Bottle Holder becoming bent and loose. So if you hear a rattle on your bike we recommend checking the gap below. If you find the gap is greater than 3mm, please contact us attaching a photo using the form below.



2. Stiff Lever – Here is a photo showing the two slots – firstly clean the Fixed Slot and then the moving slot with a vacuum cleaner nozzle. If the lever is still stiff, clean both with warm soapy water: