I've used various Elite products for years, always happy with the purchase, though they do tend to be pricier than competitors. I bought these to pair with a speedy Italian bike that I wanted to trim with Italian bling.
Based on about 25 hours of road riding, this holds various bottles of standard diameter well and even hitting some hard bumps I'm confident I won't be losing bottles. If anything, the weight-saving design with the thin, angled arm may work too well, catching on any indented bands on some bottles.
One general concern with carbon cages over plastic or metal is the flexibility versus fragility. There's enough flex in this to accommodate slightly different sizes/styles of bottles, and other than the potential catching on indented bands, I find it is reasonably forgiving when trying to return the bottle when riding by feel, imperfectly aligned.
So I used these to carry a running shoe each during a 30 adventure race in WV - probably not what they were designed for, I think, but they still did the job. The constant hammering of the trails caused the tightening screws to work loose over time, but once adjusted they were back to normal. I imagine on a more gentle tour type ride, this would not happen. They are super sturdy, the straps really held my shoes in place, not worried about loosing them, so all good really. When I took them off, there were some marks on my forks so maybe using some sort of tape under the attaching straps would be a good idea if you're worried about the look of your forks. All good though.
Most of us should avoid the hype of recovery foods/drinks if only doing moderate effort activities and duration up to 90 minutes. It's those harder/longer efforts where all the science behind these recovery products kicks in and they actually deliver benefits, not just calories. I've rotated through a few similar products to this over the years for post-ride recovery any time I'm out 2 hours or more, and tend to keep coming back to this brand/flavor. Tastes great and does the job--I sleep better, bounce back a bit more quickly.
Have tried just about every variation of these, and they're my go-to for a boost after about an hour of riding. The mixed box is good choice for someone curious how these taste - or just like a variety. I always carry them and consume up to 3-4 no problem during long rides. The caffeinated ones are great; at 20-40mg are just the right amount extra pep you want before/during a ride. Just be sure to drink lots of water during and/or after ingesting these, as the gel is highly viscous and the last thing you want is to choke on it while riding. Small; perfect when you don't want to bring larger chewable / solid food on rides. Recycleable packaging.
