FAQ

The CrankTank is a uniquely shaped food grade polyethylene container designed to sit low into the space between the down tube and seat tube of conventional triangle frames. Depending on which option you decide on, it lets you carry as much as 4 liters of liquid. Of course you can also just fill with as little liquid as you want if you're about to climb Mont Ventoux.

The “V” profile indents in the front and rear facets allow positive location into most frames without any additional hardware and it secures quickly and simply with two D-buckle Velcro straps. A broad range of frame tube shapes, sizes and frame angle variations are accommodated by design.

The insulated drinking tube with a big bite valve includes a quick disconnect fitting to allow rapid release from the tank cap, which allows the tube to stay on the bike while the CrankTank is being refilled. The tube is supplied at 120 cm/47 inches in length for taller riders and is easily made shorter if required.

Also in the kit is a tube clip which can be fixed in your desired position, such as handlebar, using the included zip ties. The tube is easily accessed while on the move and held securely in place when not in use. On top of that there are two additional Velcro strips included to route and fix the tube from the tank to the tube clip.

• The CrankTank is lighter than combining multiple water bottles and cages to achieve the same capacity as a CrankTank.
• Efficient use of space in the triangle. No dead space as seen with bottles.
• Compared to standard water bottles, the CrankTank improves aerodynamics by filling in the space above the bottom bracket, as seen in some time trial bike designs.
• Carrying an equivalent of 3-4 liters of water on a bike in standard bottles, often poses the issue that only two to three bottles fit in the triangle or underneath and the rest have to be mounted in less favorable places such as the fork, behind the seat or the handlebars, causing a negative effect on bike handling.
• Thanks to the wide Velcro strap design, the CranTank sits nice and snug in the frame, where else standard bottles sometimes have a mind of their own and bounce out of their cages on bumpy roads.
• The CrankTank encourages staying hydrated, as the hydration tube is always in sight on the handlebars, it eliminates the downward motion to grab a bottle and both hands can be kept on the handlebars while drinking, which is in particular helpful on bumpy roads or trails.

• The body of the CranTank is one solid piece, which makes it extremely sturdy. Water bladders on the other hand can be prone to tears and defects, which is in particular problematic on long and/or remote trips.
• The CrankTank retains its shape at all times, where else a frame bag holding a water bladder tends to bulge and causes rubbing and contact between legs and bag.
• The CrankTank allows to inspect the water levels at all times, where else a water bladder has to be removed from the frame bag to see how much water is left.
• The CrankTank can easily be topped up while it remains on the bike, where else a water bladder has to be removed from the frame bag and in some cases requiring to carefully repack the frame bag and its contents to fit the water bladder once topped up.
• Unlike a water bladder in a frame bag, the CrankTank offers complete separation between liquids and equipment/clothing that needs to stay dry at all times.

100%. You will gain a bunch of aura points and people will turn around and ask you about it. People that are already using a CrankTank can most likely confirm, that they were asked at least once "Is that a gasoline tank?". If you want to ensure this happens to you as well, we recommend filling your CrankTank with blue Gatorade or any other color of your liking to make it look weird. Most importantly though, the CrankTank offers a large surface to accommodate your sticker collection and increase the radness of your rig.

Both versions of the CrankTank have been designed to fit a wide variety of triangular bike frame designs, such as touring bikes, gravel bikes, road bikes as well as hardtail mountain bikes. Most curved seat tubes are compatible too. Unfortunately we can't guarantee that the CrankTank will work with full suspension mountain bikes, due to spacial constraints and movement of the seat tube. The compatibility with penny-farthings is also not guaranteed.

To make sure the CrankTank fits your frame, take a measurement from the down tube, at a 90 degree angle, to where the seat tube and top tube intersect. For the CrankTank 3, this measurement should be at least 225 mm/8.7 inches. A down tube diameter of 38 mm/1.5 inches or less will give you slightly more wiggle room and in that case 215 mm/8.5 inches will offer sufficient clearance to fit the CrankTank 3. The same applies to the CrankTank 4, but with slightly different measurements. The CrankTank 4 requires 250 mm/9.9 inches of clearance or only 240 mm/9.5 inches of clearance if the diameter of the down tube measures 38 mm/1.5 inches or less. If the down tube or seat tube exceeds 50 mm/2 inches in diameter, we recommend using a CrankTank Frame Adapter, which is fitted directly to the standard threads for bottle cages.

This Diagram helps you visualize how to measure the space in your frame. Please don't hesitate to reach out with any questions.

It does indeed. The tank has been designed with a relief to the lower section of the seat tube face to provide clearance for most cable operated derailleur mounts. For electronic derailleurs, we recommend using the optional Wedgie Mount to assure enough clearance for the derailleur. The wedgie mount is fitted directly to the standard threads for bottle cages.

Furthermore, the Wedgie Mount can also help to reduce rubbing and improve a secure fit for more exotic shaped down tube and seat tube profiles. While the CrankTank can accommodate a wide range of different seat tube to down tube angles, we also offer Wedgie Mounts tailored to either opening up or narrowing down the angle of your bike frame to match the natural angle of the CranTank.

Even when completely full, a CrankTank has little to no effect on the handling of the bike, due to its ideal position in the frame and low center of gravity.

The weight of a complete CrankTank is around the same weight as three standard 750 ml bottles plus cages. Taking into account that the CrankTank 3 has the capacity of around three standard bottles and the CrankTank 4 the capacity of more than five standard bottles, a CrankTank actually offers the potential to save weight.

Not necessarily. If you're refilling your CrankTank with bottles from you favorite gas station or store, you can simply remove the cap and stick the bottle into the opening of the tank, which is large enough for standard PET bottles, while the CrankTank remains attached to the bike.

If you are getting water from a natural source or water fountain, you most likely will have to remove the CrankTank for easier access. Don't worry though, it's easy and quick. Check out our video to see for yourself how quickly the CrankTank is mounted and dismounted.

Pro Tip: emerge your whole bike in a body of water and your CranTank will fill up to full capacity within seconds. Just kidding, we don't actually recommend doing that. Seriously, don't do it.

Absolutely. Accidents happen and things get lost. Therefore, all parts that make up a complete CranTank can also be purchased separately. We want to make sure your CrankTank lasts as long as possible and as little as possible is wasted. Head over to our Store and find your replacement parts. If you're looking for any specific part but can't find it listed, don't hesitate to reach out. We'll be happy to help.

Care has been taken to identify the ideal hydration tube diameter to find the right balance between effort required and volume provided when drinking. When comparing a CrankTank to various backpack style hydration packs, tests have shown the effort to drink from a CrankTank places somewhere in the mid range. Furthermore, as long as the bite valve stays closed, the water remains in the tube once primed. Consequently, less effort is required thereafter when taking another sip.