The time the bottle cage came loose and I had to climb the hill without water

There are some things you learn through hard work, and that's no exaggeration. This story begins like many of mine: feeling confident, half asleep, and with the bike "ready" in my opinion. A quick check, tire pressure more or less right, the chain sounding decent, and... the bottle cage, well, there it was, wasn't it?

Or so I thought.

We set off early, it was a hot day. The first part of the route was fine. A relaxed pace, chatting, the sun streaming through the woods… until we reached the long climb. The one we all know is hard to climb if you're not hydrated.

I get up from the saddle, start pedaling hard, and in the middle of the effort I go to grab my water bottle… and it's not there. Not a trace. No bottle, no bottle cage. Just the two little screws pulled out as if someone had loosened them by hand.

I don't know if it was the vibrations, the heat, or because I hadn't checked anything for weeks. But the result was the same: I rode up the hill dry, exhausted, and with my tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth like sandpaper.

From above I saw the jerrycan lying in the ditch, 200 meters back. And then I understood two things:

1. I will never again leave the house without thoroughly checking every screw, and

2. Staying hydrated isn't optional; it's the difference between climbing well and ending up crawling like a dehydrated lizard.

Now I carry a multi-tool on every ride , I check the bottle cages before each route, and I also carry a second bottle in my jersey pocket if it's hot. Because I'd rather have an extra bottle than run dry halfway up a climb.

Take my advice: tighten the screws, take care of the equipment, and above all, don't underestimate what a poorly mounted bottle cage can do.

—Luismi, the one who went up dry… and came down looking for the jerrycan.