Hold tight.
You might recognize the Elite Custom Race Water Bottle Cage as the one you've seen mounted on many a Pro Tour rider's race rig. The reason for its ubiquity in the Pro peloton is that it simply works. It's made with lightweight yet durable fiberglass-reinforced nylon, and it has an adjustable rubber grip that doubles down on creating a stronger hold by damping vibrations as well as adding more friction.
Available in multiple colors. 43 grams.
B-Stock - This product has one or more B-Stock units available. These units can be purchased at a discount (see option select). B-Stock units were returned from other customers and may have missing or damaged packaging materials. These units are otherwise as new. The full manufacturer warranty applies. Click Here for more information.
Gloss Black/ White | Cage Material: Composite |
Mfg PartNum: 700123-04 | |
Matte Black | Mfg PartNum: 700123-22 |
Cage Material: Composite | |
Gloss Black/ Red | Cage Material: Composite |
Mfg PartNum: 700123-07 | |
Black Matte, White | Cage Material: Composite |
Mfg PartNum: 0061676 |
These bottle cages are lightweight. They�re snug to camelback bottles out of the box, but loosen up over time. First set is 9 years old and still going strong. Way more than I can say for alloy cages. They have discolored somewhat over 9 years, but that�s to be expected.
I have tried multiple brands and models of water bottle cages, and I have settled on these for 2 reasons:
1. They hold your bottle secure, especially important on my mountain bike and gravel bike.
2. The design allows for easy-in. I'm able to pull the bottle out without much fuss, but most importantly I'm able to insert the bottle back into the cage without looking down. The cage arms on the sides allow for an easy re-entry without getting hung-up, and I can feel when the bottle is completely in place.
Put 2 on my road bike, the insulated bottles I use are tight inside the cages which is perfect for me on bumpy roads. I can see where some people during a race might not want to make the extra 1% effort to get bottle out of tight cage, but it works for me. I am commuter/ recreation rider/ fondo and occasional raer. I like that the cage does not blacken my bottles like the aluminum cage. However, it is heavier than my old aluminum cage, but that's ok.
Whether or not you like this bottle cage ultimately depends on how tight you prefer your water bottles to be held by the bottle cage. Your preference will probably be different if you were a mountain biker that frequents rough terrain versus a road cyclist that only rides on smooth tarmac. Before I get into my assessment, it is also worth pointing out that I use Polar Insulated bottles. Elite does sell its own brand of bottles, and that affects the fit in the cage. I am a road cyclist, so I am not concerned about my water bottle rattling out of its bottle cage. In terms of the bottle cages that I've owned/tried, it's ranged from the super loose Ibera Aluminum bottle cage, the snug Zefal Pluse B2, and the super-tight Elite Custom Race. To get a bottle out of the Elite Custom Race, you do need a strong tug. You also have to press the bottle back into the cage when returning it. One thing that made me not like the tightness is the fact that I have an x-small bike frame, and there's not much space to pull the bottle forward. Ultimately, I ended up opting to not use this bottle cage. My recommendation would be if you are most concerned about your water bottle to being securely stored, this would be your go-to cage. It's sleek, lightweight, and feels sturdy. If you like more of a quick bottle removal and return, then you probably will end up being very annoyed by this cage.
I have built and maintained my bikes fkr the last forty years. So I installed these cages and had terrible problems getting my water bottles in. They also seemed too close to each other so as I was in a rush I just took one bottle. Anyway I cursed the cage everytime I took a drink. It was not easy to use. Then I got home and decided to take them off and return them - at that point I realised I�d fitted them the wrong way up!! Once installed correctly they are fine, they firmly hold the bottle and do their job. I have been laughing about my stupidity since. So in brief install them correctly and they are great do it wrong and they are not so great!!
Not much to dislike about these cages. They work well with Camelbak or Polar insulated bottles. they seem a tad too snug at first, but they will loosen up after about a month. They are cheap, compared to the pricey carbon cages. I've always had a problem with my seat tube mounted water bottle hitting the top tube when I removed it. You can lower these to avoid that problem because of the location of the holesslots (they have both) The price is hard to beat for a cage that actually works and is at a very reasonable price.
I picked up a pair of these after reading the reviews, and deciding that I was both tired of my water bottles turning black with aluminum oxide, and that shelling out for a carbon bottle cage seemed silly. The cages look great, and are light and easy to install, as you'd expect. They also grip the bottles very tightly, which for me was a problem. I have to wrestle the bottle in and out every time, and they aren't easing up in the slightest after several rides. While I'm glad I'll never lose a bottle popping out on the road, I'd trade a popped bottle every couple of thousand miles for not having to spend so much effort and focus every time I need a drink!
Perhaps these are better suited to mountain than road, as the level of grip is way too high for road, at least in my experience. And I've tried several different types of bottle, all with the same result.
Bought these to put on my gravel bike because I read they were sturdy and had good bottle grip.
Worked like a charm and look great...I was in a gravel race and bottles were popping off people's bikes left and right...these didn't let the bottles budge once. Very tight fitting.
On the flip side, it takes a little extra pull to get the bottle out as well. Would highly recommend if you've had issues with bottles falling out especially doing gravel, cross, or mtb racing. All around great cage for the price!
These Elite bottle cages are great. I have lost too many water bottles out on the trail with the standard steel cages. Even when bent in for maximum grippage, bottles still seemed to weasel out on a bumpy descent. The Elites hold onto my 25oz Podium Big chills and dont let go. Perhaps not the best value on cages made of plastic and rubber, but if you can find them on sale, these are worth consideration.
Holds bottles very securely. However, if you're using Camelbak Podium bottles, they can be difficult to get in and out of the cages because of their shape. Stick with straight-sided bottles for best results.
Fit and finish is great. A soft, matte touch seems durable. Tried with a number of bottles and they all fit snug but are still able to be removed easily enough. Bought these to replace some cheap Amazon carbon cages.