Carbon bottle holders, or non carbon?

[nlmkiii]

Heard mixed reviews of carbon bottle holders and some of them struggling to actually hold bottles.

Honestly, don't care about the weight, it's never going to affect me that much, but there is something a bit more bling about getting a carbon cage!

Is this a terrible idea? Is it not as bling as I think!?!

currently thinking either
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/lifeline-lightweight-carbon-water-bottle-cage-1
or
https://www.rutlandcycling.com/acce...-vico-carbon-bottle-cage-stealth/BC56153.html

Reviews are saying that the Elite options only work well with Elite bottles. But I tend to only use Elite bottles so that would be fine!

I don't want to go too far above £20, and see some £5 options that seem fine too!

Any advice would be great

 

[cougie uk]

TBH they look like plastic cages - so you might as well get some of those - plastic may even be lighter.

If you google Bling Bottle Cages they bring up the oilslick cages - dunno if those would work with your bike ?

 

[nlmkiii]

TBH they look like plastic cages - so you might as well get some of those - plastic may even be lighter.

If you google Bling Bottle Cages they bring up the oilslick cages - dunno if those would work with your bike ?

I thought about those if going for a black bike, but it's Trek Crimson Red (Emonda SL6 ETAP 2022 version), so I don't think the oilslick would work.

 

[PaulSB]

I would chose something which looks nice on my bike. Other than this does it really matter?

 

[Mo1959]

I’ve always liked the Elite ones and they usually come in various colours if you are trying to colour match your bike.

 

[Milkfloat]

I prefer cages that don’t eject my bottles at 40mph and don’t really care what they are made of. After many trudges back up hills to retrieve bottles after a bumpy descent I have settled on Tacx Deva cages and have them on all my bikes.

 

[SydZ]

I match bottle cages to my bikes. Most are plastic, one is metal. I personally think it’s one area where there really isn’t any need for other materials such as CF.

 

[Venod]

I find these very good I have them on all my bikes. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BRAND-NE...2349624.m46890.l49286&mkrid=710-127635-2958-0

 

[cyberknight]

i had a look the elite carbon ones the OP listed save 16 g over another elite model (cannibal xc) thats made of fibre glass and about 20 g if you bought a cheap alloy one for £5 .
Go for it for bling but otherwise the benefits are so marginal i wouldnt worry about it

 

[Blue Hills]

Your brain is clearly rumbling in the background thinking that this is a bad idea.
I'd listen to it.

If you want understated bling combined with function I'd go for an Elite Chiusi.

Discontinued in this format material maybe but can still be had.

There's also another Elite old-school metal cage I forget the name of.

Will return if it comes to me.

Or for sheer practicality, the Profile Design Kage.

Near indestructible I think - key to its design is a bit of shock cord which you could even replace if ever necessary.

Holds big bottles. (but also smaller)

On more than day rides I like bottle holders which will take a 1 litre bottle.

 

[fossyant]

Your brain is clearly rumbling in the background thinking that this is a bad idea.
I'd listen to it.

If you want understated bling combined with function I'd go for an Elite Chiusi.

View attachment 631694
Discontinued in this format material maybe but can still be had.

There's also another Elite old-school metal cage I forget the name of.

Will return if it comes to me.

Or for sheer practicality, the Profile Design Kage.

View attachment 631695
Near indestructible I think - key to its design is a bit of shock cord which you could even replace if ever necessary.

Holds big bottles. (but also smaller)

On more than day rides I like bottle holders which will take a 1 litre bottle.

The Elite is my favourite - but I'd get one that suits the bike - alloy one might not. Some can look quite bulky though. The Elite Ciussi will hold a bottle on an MTB no problem, despite really being a road cage, they are that good.

I have a couple of the cheap PX alloy cages on my Ribble, and they are pretty neat, and light and...cheap.

Most importantly, get one that blends into the bike colour scheme, even if it's silver or black.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I prefer cages that don’t eject my bottles at 40mph and don’t really care what they are made of. After many trudges back up hills to retrieve bottles after a bumpy descent I have settled on Tacx Deva cages and have them on all my bikes.

Another vote for these. I have the bottle cages mounted horizontally under my recumbent seat and they do the job, where as previous cages ejected bottles when you hit a bump.

 

[Blue Hills]

The Elite is my favourite - but I'd get one that suits the bike - alloy one might not. Some can look quite bulky though. The Elite Ciussi will hold a bottle on an MTB no problem, despite really being a road cage, they are that good.

I have a couple of the cheap PX alloy cages on my Ribble, and they are pretty neat, and light and...cheap.

Most importantly, get one that blends into the bike colour scheme, even if it's silver or black.

am maybe not as precious as you fossy
and then there's always the "co-ordination" of contrast.
For a simple alloy cage the Wilco one isn't too bad.

The other Elite cage I was thinking of looks rather like this:

http://www.bicyclerepair.co.uk/shop/3/22/55/58/

where it seems to be called the Pateo, though I had the idea that it had a different name (maybe different for different markets?)

I got a few plain ones at a good price from Chain Reaction when they still did useful stuff.

It always makes me think of those old Flash Gordon films.

Well designed and practical as you'd expect from old-school Italian metal bashing.

For those who insist on colour-co-ordination, from that link also seems to be available gold plated though I have never seen such a thing.

 

[vickster]

I like the Bontrager ones as my avatar, sturdy but light, variety of colours to suit the bike After all, you have a Trek

Sigma have a big range of cages
https://www.sigmasports.com/search?query=bottle+cage

 

[Peter Salt]

Just choose a design/look that you like and don't care about material, especially since you say you don't care about the weight aspect (which is less then marginal).

Best way IMHO is to go to a bike shop and try it with your bottle. It's generally true that carbon cages can be a pain - the material is stiffer so unless your bottle is a good fit you'll either struggle to get it out or it will rattle around. You can definitely find something that will fit - it's just a bit more tricky.