If your bottle cages have been driving you nuts, a new take on this very old piece of equipment is on the way.
The company is called Fabric, and it specializes in what it calls “unique and world first cycling products.” This particular reinvention is called the “cageless water bottle.”
The system includes two 1.5g direct mounting studs that screw into the standard down tube and seat tube holes. The bottles feature “slots” that secure to the studs. Voila, no cage necessary. Here’s a link to the new product, which is slated to be available in September: http://fabric.cc/shop/waterbottle/
Of course, if you have zero issues with your bottle cages (I suspect most of us fall into this camp), then this is yet another “solution looking for a problem.” Sure, the clean, cageless look is nice. But being forced to use a proprietary bottle seems like a major shortcoming – especially if you should happen to forget your bottles when leaving on a ride.
But you be the judge. Check it out for yourself. Me, I’m sticking with the same cages I’ve had on my bike for years. So far, they haven’t bothered me a bit.
—J.M.
Leave a Reply