Since the Camelbak came out, 20 years ago, I’ve not paid much attention to water bottle technology. Apart from a few inventions like insulated bottles and slightly lighter cages, there’s not been too much to shout about. The Vincero bottle and ‘cage’ though, really is a departure.
As you’ll see, the mount on the bike is truly tiny, just a little blip. This fits into a corresponding hollow in the bottle’s underside. It’s wedge shaped so that the bottle can only settle in the correct position. Obviously that alone won’t hold it in place. The clever bit is that there’s a super-strong neodymium magnet concealed in the bottle. This secures the bottle to the mount with a surprisingly swift ‘snap!’.
Once in place, both our testers found that no amount of normal off-road riding could get the bottle to eject yet, when you need to drink, a firm-ish pull upwards was all that was needed to free it. To reinstall, you just aim the bottle at the mount; gravity, the bottle’s groove and the magnet make sure it’s pretty hard to miss.
The other beauty of the system, is just that; with the bottle off, you’d hardly know the mount was there. Great for adding an occasional bottle without cumbersome cages. Or for riding with a bottle for your warm-up lap and then leaving it off for the race. Replacement bottles are only ￡6.99 for the 20oz size or ￡7.99 for the bigger 24oz, too.
Overall: Not for everyone, but if you’re interested, we can tell you it works as well as you’d want it to.
Chipps
Review Info
| Brand: | Ison Distribution |
| Product: | Vincero Design Stratus20 waterbottle & Edge16 mount |
| From: | Ison Distribution, ison-distribution.com |
| Price: | ￡33.99 20oz/￡34.99 24oz bottle and mount |
| Tested: | by Chipps for Three months |