Adding bottle cage bosses

I have an alu track bike (Eastway Esaki) and I want to fit a cage to it and ditch the strap on bottle mounts as they look pretty lame. I've read that frames can be drilled and rivetnuts can be used? Does anyone know where this can be done? Thanks!

It's easy enough to do it yourself if you get a rivnut tool, or even if you don't if you have an M5 bolt, a washer and a nut. It's simply a question of drilling the holes in the right place and then adding the rivnuts. But any decent machine shop would be able to do it for you.

These are some I added to an old Dawes Galaxy frame. Old tools required were an electric drill and a rivnut setting tool.

Hello @danstuff. Would love your advice !
I have m5 rivnuts at hand, and they're Aluminium splined.
Is that OK to drill and set those on a frame made of Aluminium AL6061 ?
Thanks :)

Are the nutserts open or closed ended. You need open ended. The drilling size is 7.1mm, better to be slightly smaller rather than larger. Putting them in the frame OK.
Make sure you drill perpendicular to the frame, put some type of tape round the frame and mark the drilling position, this should stop the drill from slipping and is useful to mark position. Drill the hole in stages, starting with something like a 3mm drill and working up to 7.1mm.
When pulling the nutserts up also make sure the tool is perpendicular to the frame.

@freezing77 I think they're open?
Thanks a lot. Will try my best.

1 Attachment

Look good.

I've single-handedly failed to install these, and now have a hole in the frame to let water in :-(
Tried the wheel-hub / skewer / diy tool method.
Should I buy a rivnut setting / pulling tool and if so, any ideas what I should buy and where from? Or what's the trick with the nut and bolt mentioned by @danstuff?

Maybe this video will help ?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qNLo2rIw­5M8

Ah, that actually is. Cheers. will give that a go :-)

If you need a proper tool I have one in Walton on Thames, or eBay.
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/PRO-4mm-8mm-THR­EADED-RIVET-NUT-NUTSERT-RIVNUT-INSERT-TO­OL-LIFETIME-WARRANTY/381454830158?epid=1­487749264&hash=item58d07aca4e:g:6uwAAOSw­cB5ZL~Hn

Double good.
Will try the slack-nut-n-bolt method first and if that fails will hit evilbay (terrific price there.)
Cheers for the borrow offer, live and work in The Oxfordshire so not so simple for a loan drive-by.

Hi. I know that this was a year ago, but I was wondering how you got on with the bosses? Was it a success? I'm considering attempting it. Cheers man.

Did you attempt this @Pompy? I have heard of people doing this on steel frames, but not alloy track frames.

Ha! Forgot all about that. Yes, worked ok (steel frame), sold that frame ages ago now. Have some of those bosses I think (bought a small bag of them) if you want a couple foc? Pm me address if you do and I’ll try and dig them out.

Cool. Glad it worked. I'm sorted for bosses, but thanks for the offer though man.

Sorry to resurrect an old thread but looking for more advice on this.

Similar to the OP, I would like to add at least one set of bottle cage bosses to a State Undefeated frameset. Is this a shockingly bad idea?

I'm so limited with what I can actually do on this bike as it currently stands and I would love to broaden its horizons.

It's a fine idea if you stick to sensible areas. Just drill carefully (don't go through the back side of the tube) and make sure you don't leave any sharp edges on your holes. I would normally put a dab of epoxy on the rivets just to be sure they'll never spin and it helps protect the frame as well.