Dumb question re: bottle cage spacers

[duff_duffy]

Saw a poorly designed cage “pressed” into carbon frame once...owner certainly wished there was spacer! The cage design was just too low and when tightened down just hit the frame enough to press onto frame leaving slight indentation.

[cderalow]

Surprised no one is bringing up the concept of isolating a potentially alloy cage from the steel frame to help prevent galvanic corrosion which would either ruin the frame boss, or fuse the bolt into the frame.


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[unterhausen]

Maybe ask the manufacturer?

I probably would leave them off. I don't see the value. But maybe I'm missing something

[p nut]

I have a frame where the front D mounts right in between the bolts. Spacers needed there.

But that doesn’t seem to be the problem here. Take them off. Besides serving no purpose, they look silly.

[PacNW2Ford]

Originally Posted by cderalow

Surprised no one is bringing up the concept of isolating a potentially alloy cage from the steel frame to help prevent galvanic corrosion which would either ruin the frame boss, or fuse the bolt into the frame.


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Unless of course the spacers themselves are aluminum...

[tony_mm]

I would really be interested on what the manufacturer says about these spacers!

[cmbicycles]

Those spacers act like the swirl lip generator on Reynolds wheels, decreasing air turbulence around the water bottle cages. With the massively decreased aero resistance, I wouldn't take them off unless you really want to work a lot harder when pedaling. Leave them on and it's basically like you are riding a e-bike, take them off and... well, you've been warned.

[tony_mm]

Originally Posted by cmbicycles

Those spacers act like the swirl lip generator on Reynolds wheels, decreasing air turbulence around the water bottle cages. With the massively decreased aero resistance, I wouldn't take them off unless you really want to work a lot harder when pedaling. Leave them on and it's basically like you are riding a e-bike, take them off and... well, you've been warned.

That’s a good one!

[dave thompson]

On aircraft they are known as vortex generators.

[.RJ]

Originally Posted by tony_mm

Which purpose do these spacers have?

If I had to guess its dropper post clearance (bolts poke through seat tube) so they serve purpose of niner doing ****ty QC on frames and requiring them post-build to fix problems. If there was FD or dropper post or otherwise clearance problems they should have welded standoffs to the frame as part of the manufacturing.

But hey, even if you have to chase and face every f'ing surface on the bike they tell you that you're dumb and you should be paying your LBS to be doing this for you when they build your bike. The level of work required on this brand's frames before you can build them up is absurd.

I used to be a niner fan. Too bad they stopped innovating 10 years ago.