In my never-ending search for a solution to the Brompton water bottle problem, I ordered a Monkii V cage and clip from CycleMiles, in the UK. CycleMiles, and Miles, in particular, were terrific — even following-up unexpectedly when the Internets failed, and I couldn’t complete the sale without additional help. The Monkii, sadly, didn’t work out quite so well.
It’s a very clever design, for which you need two relatively inexpensive parts: the cage itself, which comes with adapter buttons for using with existing cage bolts, and the clip, which wraps around a bicycle stem to hold the cage in place.
Together, installed, they look like this (nice and sleek!):
To use, the Monkii cage is placed around a water bottle of just about any size (a cool feature!). The bottle and cage are treated as one, and snap onto the clip on the bicycle stem.
The clip is quite unobtrusive on the stem, and I found that it holds very well; there was no slippage at all on Bssil’s stem. It was rock-solid once installed, and installation, thanks to padding, leaves no marks on the bicycle chassis.
For genteel riding, it’s not necessary to snap the cage fully in place, but for more rugged terrain — or jumping rough patches — it’s best to snap the cage fully in place to secure it most snugly. For whatever reason — and unique difficulties with my hands may be the reason — I couldn’t easily remove the water bottle assembly from the clip while riding.
That may be a personal coordination issue; it’s hard to know, but it made using the Monkii on the fly quite tricky for me. That may not be true for most users, and certainly the positive snap of the clip addresses any issues of the bottle flying out during use.
The other difficulty I had with the Monkii was that old Brompton bugaboo: placement. Where can the water bottle go without interfering with the fold? I placed the clip to the right side of Basil’s stem. That allowed virtually no interference with the cables when folding (though I did watch them carefully).
However, I could find no position for the kit that didn’t interfere, at least a little bit, with steering, once the water bottle was in place – and that’s about as thin a water bottle as anyone would use. The inhibition was minor, and at first I thought I could live with it, but in the end I felt that the advantage of having full control over the steering was more important.
So, unfortunately, the Monkii didn’t work for me, or for my Brompton. The clever and innovative Monkii is likely an excellent cage and clip for a variety of other situations — virtually any other bike, for example — but it wasn’t the answer for Basil and me.
13 replies on “A Look at the Monkii Cage and Holder”
Might the steering annoyance be related to the length of the water bottle, as opposed to the diameter. Also, would the Monkii fit on the top tube in front of the OYB handle. Of course, for drinking on the fly, you may wish to consider a waisbelted hydration system, if you prefer not to have a camelback on your back…even it may serve as a cushion at certain important times.
Yep, it’s the diameter, Saul. The top tube didn’t work because I couldn’t reach the bottle while riding, though some Brompton riders do prefer that placement.
I’ve got a waist hydration pack, and have used it; it solves the arm/shoulder issues nicely, but I hate wearing it. It’s hard to fly with what feels like a weight wrapped around my waist! But it does work . . .
I had the same placement problem, but here’s a solution that works for me: a Two Fish Quick Cage Adapter instead of the Monkii clip. The Monkii’s braze-on mounts attach to the adapter, which has no rear clamp to interfere with fold or steering. I enlisted big strong man hands to tighten the adapter’s Velcro wrap and it hasn’t moved. Field-tested over a 60-mile ride!
Saul, I tried several water bottle of varying dimensions, without success.
It’s slight interference, but enough that it bothered me. Putting it to the side as far as I did and finagling the angle minimized it but still didn’t keep the bottle completely out of the way.
My experiment with a Monkii also came to nought but for a different reason: a severe jolt ejected the bottle & cage – refer blog post http://aussieonabrompton.com/2013/12/06/sorry-miles/
I’m surprised how low down you’d mounted the adapter & wonder if a far higher position provides better clearance for cables? (I’ve not had any “cable snagging” issues with either the Monkii or my own system on any of 3 Bromptons. From memory I placed the Monkii adapter at the lower point of the stem taper & mounted centrally behind the stem.)
The Eurobike show included a display of the new Brompton magnetic water bottle & so maybe finally it will be released? (most of the show attention seems to have gone to the 6 new colours coming for 2015)
You rigged up a very clever fix, Ian! I wasn’t able to make a higher setting work, though if the stem weren’t tapered just below the handlebars, that might have been a better spot. I’d still have the removal problem, though, which may be unique to me, but which I couldn’t get around. That finally ended the experimentation.
Ohh, the Brompton magnetic water bottle — wasn’t it four years ago when they showed it at Interbike in the USA? It’s been a long time coming — it will be thrilling if they’ve finally got it working!
Oh, the long-rumored magnetic water bottle!! Wouldn’t that be a treat?
Cathy, I’m still salivating from the last time Brompton announced it! Maybe one day . . .
salivation is good, especially when compared to the lack thereof.
Absolutely, Saul — and not just when longing for Brompton parts. Let’s hear it for healthy teeth!
I also bought a Monkii. I tried fitting it on the stem post. The best fit was to place the bottle at the back of the post offset to the right side. This allowed folding with the bottle still attached. The only problem was that the clamp interfered with the brake and gear cables (mine is a 6 speed) when turning to the right, as the clamp arms are quite large.
My solution was to press out the pins, so removing the two clamp arms, making a new rubber pad (mine wraps right around the post) and attaching the Monkii with 4 cable ties.
The steering is now unencumbered, and the bike folds without having to remove the bottle. The width when folded is slightly greater, but the bike still fits into the standard cover.
Great tips, Davidlab. The Monkii seems to be pretty sensitive to small variations in Brompton configuration; it’s great to have this detailed description of what worked for you.