I had another bit break on my bike today.
That is a
Planet Bike Button Cage, made from aluminum. I have spent money on bottle cages in plastic and aluminum, which have either: broken, or rattled against my
Kleen Kanteen bottles. One of the biggest disappointments was the
Kleen Kanteen bottle cage, which though it fit well, was ugly, and snapped in the cold. Like anything else in cycling, aluminum and plastic (carbon fibre) are not dependable, and steel is. So is titanium, but the premium...
The ideal bottle cage for a steel bottle is steel (I won't drink from plastic): won't break, is quiet, looks decent and doesn't cost a fortune. The type that best does this is long, as the Kleen Kanteens are, bends to fit, is not
open to the frame between the mounting bolts, and grips in a hug, as opposed to this type, which rattles plenty.
Leaving out the
stupid options that cost a
fortune, my choices are few:
Arundel stainless,
Iris King Cage,
Bontrager Angel, Velo Orange
Moderniste or
Retro Bottle Cages and
Salsa Nickless Cage.
I think it will be the second-last one: simple, not heavy, quiet, adjustable, and won't catch trouser legs (not that I ride in normal wear much).
P.S. Yes, I know I should not have attached a frame-bag under the bottle cage, but it works well, and I'm going to do it again. The cage should be over-designed enough to take the
minimal lateral force of a frame bag.
The King Cage Iris is the ticket for carrying Kanteens (stainless steel). The Bontrager Angel is similar but the smaller gauge wire is not at capable as the material King uses. The Velo Orange Cage needs leather tabs sewn on to stop rattling (and God help you if you catch those horns on your pants leg).
ReplyDeleteBought the Arundel and the Velo Orange. Both are silent when bent to the right place: the Orange needs to be bent in at top and bottom. As for the Orange horns, probably true, but I don't wear street wear for riding.
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