Got a Tacx Deva on my CX/gravel bike, which seems a good fit on bottles – requires a decent shove to get one in/out – but lost my third bottle in the past few months today, and I like Camelbak bottles so they’re getting a bit expensive to keep replacing!
Is there any cage that won’t let my bottles escape, or should I resign myself to always using a backpack off road?
Been using elite cages for, um, 3 decades (?) lost a bottle in the 90’s once.
Just squish them down a bit for the MTB/CX bike or cobbled races and you’ll not have any issues.
TBH, the wholesale swap by the pro peleton to Elite Ciussi for the spring classics is a bit of hint. (Except they don’t anymore. Sponsors get annoyed.)
I use Elite Custom Race and also have never had an issue. But, when riding Paris-Roubaix the pro’s often switch to an Elite Ciussi (which the Planet-X one linked above is a copy of). For added security, add some skateboard grip tape to it and squeeze the metal a touch tighter. It’ll scratch your bottles but you won’t lose them.
Elite Custom Race here on all my road, CX and mtb bikes. Never ever lost a bottle or had a cage disintegrate, which can’t be said for other makes I’ve tried in the past.
Them classic made out of aluminium tubes ones have proved not up to it on mtbs for me, specially when rigid.
Another vote for specialized zee (I have the basic carbon filled nylon models). Side-entry is inherently going to work better in bumpy situations, and easier for holding big bottles when frame space is tight.
Used to use the basic allow cages, but after time they do have a habit of throwing bottles if you don’t keep on top of ‘re-squishing’ them.
Tried these:
but the rubbery bit always gives too much and while great when new, don’t hold bottles great after a few months.
I tend to prefer the ‘rib’ style cages (my original was a Genuine Innovations cage from the mid 90’s, but that got nicked with the bike)
so these are good:
The Bontrager version is decent too, slightly undersised and stiff enough to hold the bottle, though using grip tape is a great way to keep them put.
More recently I’ve used Cannondales bottle cages, great cages, never lost a bottle and squchable to adjust if you wish.
however, I am now using fabric cageless bottles, which are OK, and I can work with treaking the inserts now and then, but not great for a serial bottle thrower.
The pro’s use them in Paris-Roubaix which is quite an endorsement.
I’ve one on my Mtb for holding my bottle battery for my lights (all off road) and never had it come adrift. The same cage had been going strong for about six years. Mrs Flossie uses the same cages and has never had a bottle ‘ejection’