In need of options
Let’s have some recommendations for good off road bottle cages, that won’t eject the bottle at the first sign of a bump!
A couple of pre requisites though:
Really don’t like giant plastic fantastics
Side entry would be good, for access with a frame bag fitted
Not interested in crazy prices like king cages (can’t justify nearly £100 for a pair of cages)
Many thanks
My fabric cage less works surprisingly well, it's not ejected so far.
Don’t want to be constrained to certain bottles. I have many bottles already, haha
Not side entry but the Blackburn mtn cage has always done the job.
My specialized alloy cage is quite good and if your bottle does fall out you can adjust it. Finally if it isn’t good enough £6 is too painful.
Spesh Zee or Elite Cannibal
Spesh Zee ones have worked really well for me. Except when loading/ unloading bike on uplift trailer.
Fabric cage lost bottle a couple of times in about six months but it was enough for me to ditch it. They just need to make a more secure version. Wouldn't care if you couldn't grab it whilst riding. Only really drink when I stop.
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/elite-custom-race-bottle-cage/
Had Elites on most of my bikes, solid never lost one, plastic but why spend more
Spesh Zee. I have two on my bikepacking bike. Usually run with rigid forks so there can be quite a pounding, and I've never had any bottle eject.
Also check what bottles you are using as they are not all of identical dimensions.
Cheers all,keep em coming
Spesh zee looks like a contender
Anyone tried the cheap eBay titanium ones?
cheap alloy one that can be " adjusted" to give a good grip on the bottle. works for me.
Lezyne - cheap and really secure. Not side-entry tho.
King Cage Iris.
Anyone tried the cheap eBay titanium ones?
Me
It snapped.
Me also.
Also snapped.
Lezyne – cheap and really secure. Not side-entry tho.
Seconded, Lezyne Power is the best bottle cage I've used.
Haha, thought that would be the end result with the eBay titanium ones.
Thanks for taking one for the greater knowledge guys
Salsa Nickless cages super secure and last forever. Also don't leave black metal residue on bottles. Not a clue if you can still get them anywhere....
I'd you can live with plastic these held in my bottles in the Peak District off road on my Arkose.
https://advntr.cc/first-look-zefal-wiiz-side-exit-bottle-cages/
Otherwise Blackburn MTN.
I have a "regular" King Cage titanium, seems to work just fine; now I see there's a collaboration with Wolf Tooth (Morse) which allows for some vertical adjustment, but I can't justify the switch.
l.e. You could also look at Wolf Tooth's "B-Rad" stuff, which allows for offset bottle mounts, among other things.
Any thoughts on which side for side exit? I’d automatically just order two right hand exit ones but when you look on spesh website, they seem to recommend left on diwntube, right on seat tube?
Each to their own I guess
Because it's facing the opposite direction 🙂
Spesh Zee here too.. just works.
If you get two RH (or two LH) then they will open to different sides of the bike when mounted on downtube and seat tube so if you want them both to open to the same side you need one of each then mount accordingly.
As for the original question - I've a Spesh something or other that's side exit and I've yet to lose a bottle from it.
I've tried a few but settled on the Tacx Deva, supposedly designed for the cobbled classic, I've yet to lose a bottle since getting one.
Haha, yep yep, of course! I love this place for reality checks (virtual slaps round the head)
Velcro strap. Never failed (yet)
Another vote for the Zee cage. Didn't lose a bottle all day at BPW (including during an off that saw the bike cartwheel down the trail).
I have a btwin one. Never lost a bottle in a couple of years. Before that I had the cheap alloy ones, again not lost a bottle
Mt Zoom carbon side entry has been great, and can be either side
https://mtzoom.com/cages/dual-sided-side-pull-carbon-cage/
+1 for Blackburn MTN
Spesh Zee regular and side opening on my road and off road bikes - work very well.
Spesh Zee side entry here. Had it for years and never lost a bottle, Alps, Black Runs at Antur Stiniog, Snowdown, etc. Just works. If you can find one buy it!> I have been looking for ages and they just don't seem to be around any more.
Syncros Taylor 1.0.
I order one each year to color match my bike.. only broken one due to a fairly 'interesting' crash where I got high sided and the only place I could reconnect with the ground on landing was by stamping through the front triangle (remarkably accurately considering what else was going on)
they've never dropped a bottle though and pick your color/exit side.
blackburn MTN here - even on race bikes. the reinforced sleeved weld means they last unlike the cheapo alloys that snap at the weld.
Fabric - you mean the bottles that entirely without fail eject at least once a ride in our group.
they worked well when new but fail the longevity test after about 6-8 rides.
Had a Blackburn mtn cage snap on me (well on my 7 year old daughters bike to be acurate) and they wouldn't honour the lifetime warranty so I won't be using them again...........
BBB do side loading bottle cages. and hold the bottle v well not lost one yet.
interesting natrix.
where did it snap ?
King cage stainless steel are £20 each. They will last you for ever and you can bend them in for extra hold on the bottle. BPW reds and blacks on a kiddie-wheel hardtail, bottle stayed put.
Edit: And with the traditional bottle cage design, they're a little bit side entry anyway. used mine with a frame bag OK.
For pure strength of hold, Elite Ciussi, add grip tape to it for maximum hold. It'll rough up your bottles but you won't lose then.
+3 Blackburn mtn
Got a super cheap Halfords one that never lost the bottle in 4 weeks in Nepal. Not side entry though.
whitestone
If you get two RH (or two LH) then they will open to different sides of the bike when mounted on downtube and seat tube so if you want them both to open to the same side you need one of each then mount accordingly.
a good point i actually wandered off to the garage to check as I was riding at weekend with a bar bag in place and downtube is left exit but really should be right as much prefer to drink with right hand looked and seattube isn't side entry so can't swop - disappointed
been using Elite Ciussi cages with [policallybad]camelbak podiums which seem bigger?[/noAK47inmytookit] on rough gravel roads and easy singletrack no problem
