Ludicrous carbon bottle cages....

londoncommuter

Narrowed it down to these to go on a gloss black and white Foil frame, what are your thoughts (please no sensible ones about using boring cheaper ones made of inferior materials....)?

The sensible option: Arundel Mandible - £28 / 28g / grip like a limpet / nice gloss finish
http://www.arundelbike.com/mandible.html

The slightly ugly option?: Zipp - £28 / 21g / nice gloss finish
http://www.zipp.com/accessories/carbon- ... tle-cage/#

The cheapskate option: Lifeline Professional - £19 / 18g / nice gloss finish / only Wiggle reviews although good ones
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-profes ... ttle-cage/

The ludicrously cool option: Tune Wassertraeger 2.0 - £38 / 9g!!!! / matte finish / no reviews anywhere though
http://www.tune.de/produkt/flaschenhalt ... raeger-2-0

rolf_f

londoncommuter wrote:

The ludicrously cool option: Tune Wassertraeger 2.0 - £38 / 9g!!!! / matte finish / no reviews anywhere though
http://www.tune.de/produkt/flaschenhalt ... raeger-2-0

How cool is a bottle cage that looks like it was made by Specialized?!

Get the Lifeline one - it looks OK, won't scratch the bottle as much as the Zipp one probably will and doesn't look as ugly as the Arundel. And then after a few months when you are more interested in performance than appearance you can replace them with Blackburn stainless steel ones without being too much the worse off!

Wheelspinner

I've got a couple of the Rav X Gamma ones, find them ok, and they look decent enough, gloss carbon finish, and they come with a range of very subtle colour accents which can match your bike.

http://ravx.com/products/gamma-x/

flasher

1) Lifeline
2) Zipp

Wouldn't bother with the other 2, the Arundel is so ugly and the Tune stupid pricey.

Bordersroadie

For functionality and good value the Planet X carbon cages are superb, gripping even full 1lt bottles on the bumpiest of roads. If you can get over the branding* they're a nice design too. * I've stealthed mine with gloss black tape over the loud logos.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BOPXPC/pla ... ottle-cage

Silly Old Hector

Bordersroadie wrote:

For functionality and good value the Planet X carbon cages are superb, gripping even full 1lt bottles on the bumpiest of roads. If you can get over the branding* they're a nice design too. * I've stealthed mine with gloss black tape over the loud logos.

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/BOPXPC/pla ... ottle-cage

Got two on a £25 deal about a year ago - brilliant. Agreed with the logo issues, but minor issues.

nibby

Nowt wrong with the Planet X ones - if you are really worried about what people will think if they say something that says PX on your shiny Carbon Hand Built you really need to sit yourself down and have a quick word with yourself

norvernrob

PX cages on a white Foil: Fwiw I haven't had a single bottle come out or loose no matter what the surface, so they actually do the job they're supposed to.

passout

I'd try the cheaper ones 1st.

Bar Shaker

I like the style of the Wiggle one.

Bordersroadie

nibby wrote:

Nowt wrong with the Planet X ones - if you are really worried about what people will think if they say something that says PX on your shiny Carbon Hand Built you really need to sit yourself down and have a quick word with yourself

Ha ha Nibby, you're dead right mate! It was a new Ti build and I went for the full de-logo treatment but yes, maybe I should get a life!

matt-h

Lifeline Cages on a foil

londoncommuter

Different cages than the ones I was looking at but I'm gutted at how nice the 9000 chainset looks! I got a bargain on both 9000 and 6800 and foolishly sent back the 9000.....

Being picky though, you need to saw that steerer down!

ozzybmx

Arundle Dave'O... got 8 of them, have had many other bottle cages in alu, steel and carbon, there is no comparison.

nibby

Bordersroadie wrote:

nibby wrote:

Nowt wrong with the Planet X ones - if you are really worried about what people will think if they say something that says PX on your shiny Carbon Hand Built you really need to sit yourself down and have a quick word with yourself

Ha ha Nibby, you're dead right mate! It was a new Ti build and I went for the full de-logo treatment but yes, maybe I should get a life!

I cant talk mate, forgot to take any spares with me commuting in the other day as I thought they were in my rucksack. I used to have a seat pack but they just look wrong!!

hubba hubba

Best looking imo but they ain't cheap - £75!

https://lightweight.info/gb/en/components/edelhelfer

DKay

londoncommuter wrote:

Narrowed it down to these to go on a gloss black and white Foil frame, what are your thoughts (please no sensible ones about using boring cheaper ones made of inferior materials....)?

The slightly ugly option?: Zipp - £28 / 21g / nice gloss finish
http://www.zipp.com/accessories/carbon- ... tle-cage/#

I got two cages from ebay which are exactly the same as the Zipps, with the exception of the logo. They cost me £8 each and they've been faultless.

mrdsgs

I've got a pair of the newer zipp carbon speed SL. 18g each i think.
http://www.zipp.com/accessories/detail.php?ID=16747

they are wonderful but overpriced and sitting in a cupboard at the moment!

mfin

If you wanna get some unbranded ones (always best as logos on bottle cages are generally crap) then you can get a pair from China for £17 and up, normally arrive in about a week.

One example...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Carbon-Fi ... 2a446ef7de

Just search eBay for them.

rolf_f

mfin wrote:

If you wanna get some unbranded ones (always best as logos on bottle cages are generally crap) then you can get a pair from China for £17 and up, normally arrive in about a week.

One example...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Carbon-Fi ... 2a446ef7de

Just search eBay for them.

I got some similar. They were sh1t in more ways than you'd think a bottle cage could be sh1t!

earth

I got one of those Arundel Mandibles thinking it would be the last bottle cage I would ever want. I still have it but I use it on the seat tube now rather than the down tube. The reason being I found it far too difficult to get the bottle out. I use a Cambleback podium and I think they must be slightly wider than others. Instead of the Arundel I use a black plastic Elite one. The Elite holds the bottle securely, it's easy to take out, you wouldn't notice it was plastic until you look closely and it cost a mere £10.

mfin

Rolf F wrote:

mfin wrote:

If you wanna get some unbranded ones (always best as logos on bottle cages are generally crap) then you can get a pair from China for £17 and up, normally arrive in about a week.

One example...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Carbon-Fi ... 2a446ef7de

Just search eBay for them.

I got some similar. They were sh1t in more ways than you'd think a bottle cage could be sh1t!

I wasn't suggesting those particular ones necessarily, only that there are a good few types on eBay. The ones I have from ebay have absolutely nothing wrong with them at all. Obviously eBay can be a source for good ones and bad ones.

mfin

earth wrote:

I got one of those Arundel Mandibles thinking it would be the last bottle cage I would ever want. I still have it but I use it on the seat tube now rather than the down tube. The reason being I found it far too difficult to get the bottle out. I use a Cambleback podium and I think they must be slightly wider than others. Instead of the Arundel I use a black plastic Elite one. The Elite holds the bottle securely, it's easy to take out, you wouldn't notice it was plastic until you look closely and it cost a mere £10.

Black plastic elite ones are good.

rolf_f

mfin wrote:

Rolf F wrote:

mfin wrote:

If you wanna get some unbranded ones (always best as logos on bottle cages are generally crap) then you can get a pair from China for £17 and up, normally arrive in about a week.

One example...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Carbon-Fi ... 2a446ef7de

Just search eBay for them.

I got some similar. They were sh1t in more ways than you'd think a bottle cage could be sh1t!

I wasn't suggesting those particular ones necessarily, only that there are a good few types on eBay. The ones I have from ebay have absolutely nothing wrong with them at all. Obviously eBay can be a source for good ones and bad ones.

Didn't think you were - and I was replying generically too. Mine aren't the same pattern as those particular ones but it would be hard to identify from a picture which might be good and which not. FWIW, the problems with mine were - shape wrong so bottles actually getting squashed in the cage, heel plate cracked on one (probably down to over tight grip), lacquer not durable so it quickly got scratched which then scratched the bottles badly, poorly engineered with the carbon fibre at least twice as thick as it needed to be. I hope the same factory aren't making frames!

ilm_zero7

check out the Blackburn ones - and Karbona !

Matthewfalle

I've used 2 types over the years - Massi ones and Planet X. Both are still going strong (Massi ones are 9 years old, P/X probably 4 years old). Can't fault either for anything.

I have just (delivered today, unused/unfitted as such) bought some Clarkes carbon ones from CRC - currently half price, nice gloss finish, advertised as 22g, no logos, look well made, good reviews. Maybe worth a punt?

Dippydog3

mfin wrote:

If you wanna get some unbranded ones (always best as logos on bottle cages are generally crap) then you can get a pair from China for £17 and up, normally arrive in about a week.

One example...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Carbon-Fi ... 2a446ef7de

Just search eBay for them.

I have those. Very nice.

earth

mfin wrote:

earth wrote:

I got one of those Arundel Mandibles thinking it would be the last bottle cage I would ever want. I still have it but I use it on the seat tube now rather than the down tube. The reason being I found it far too difficult to get the bottle out. I use a Cambleback podium and I think they must be slightly wider than others. Instead of the Arundel I use a black plastic Elite one. The Elite holds the bottle securely, it's easy to take out, you wouldn't notice it was plastic until you look closely and it cost a mere £10.

Black plastic elite ones are good.

I forgot, they are about the same weight as well.

mfin

earth wrote:

mfin wrote:

earth wrote:

I got one of those Arundel Mandibles thinking it would be the last bottle cage I would ever want. I still have it but I use it on the seat tube now rather than the down tube. The reason being I found it far too difficult to get the bottle out. I use a Cambleback podium and I think they must be slightly wider than others. Instead of the Arundel I use a black plastic Elite one. The Elite holds the bottle securely, it's easy to take out, you wouldn't notice it was plastic until you look closely and it cost a mere £10.

Black plastic elite ones are good.

I forgot, they are about the same weight as well.

Yep, a fully functioning pair of cages like elites vs some properly made carbon ones is never much difference in weight at all. Carbon ones can look better on some bikes of course and that's fair enough.

To me, the only thing that stands out about some carbon cages is the daft pricing for what you are actually getting. Plus, even if the argument comes down to weight, nobody seems to go looking at the few grams difference between different bottles for instance.

(I'm not against spending stacks on cycling gear either, I do it myself).

mfin

Dippydog3 wrote:

mfin wrote:

If you wanna get some unbranded ones (always best as logos on bottle cages are generally crap) then you can get a pair from China for £17 and up, normally arrive in about a week.

One example...

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/2-x-Carbon-Fi ... 2a446ef7de

Just search eBay for them.

I have those. Very nice.

Cool.

Well, there you go, there is no real need for £60 to £100 and up for a pair cages anyway, the price doesn't bring you anything more and often what comes with it is logos (unless you want logos on something so minor, that probably also clash with the branding of the bike frame in many cases).