During your long miles of cycling, it’s very important to stay hydrated. Cycling is an exercise and, just like with every other type of exercise, your body will sweat and eliminate water and it needs to be replenished. If you’re more into recreational cycling, a water bottle may not be all that necessary, but if you own a road bike, for instance, it’s safe to assume that you ride for several miles and hours at a time, so having a water bottle with you at all times is imperative to proper bike safety. In today’s article, we are going to go over some of the best, sturdiest and good-looking water bottle cages that are suitable for road bikes. A good water bottle cages is a combination of several things, and we’re going to go over every important aspect.
Table Of Contents
Top 7 Best Road Bike Water Bottle Cage Comparisons
Brand | Details |
|---|---|
 Wiel Water Bottle Cage Holder | |
 Ibera Water Bottle Cage | |
 UShake Water Bottle Cage | |
 Aduro Bike Water Bottle Holder | |
 Bike Water Bottle Holder | |
 Ibuger Bike Water Bottle Cages | |
 PERGEAR Lightweight Bicycle Water Bottle Cage |
Choosing a Good Water Bottle Cage
As always, it’s important to pay attention to the materials used in the construction of a specific product. In general, the best water bottle cages are made from carbon fiber or alloy, but they can also be made from tougher plastic. It’s very common to construct water bottle cages by bending alloy tubes to give them the shape of a cage that’s capable of keeping the bottle in place. While alloy cages are considered to be strong and durable, they are also heavier compared to those made from other materials. Cages made from carbon fiber are the best. Even if you are tempted to pick a cage that’s made from the strongest materials, weight is an important factor to be taken into consideration. If you like to travel lightly, then every extra ounce matters, so you might want to go for a carbon cage rather than an alloy one.
Grip
Second most important factor is the bottle grip. Every bottle cage has to make sure it keeps your water recipient in place by staying strongly wrapped around the bottle’s body. Cages that are made from carbon fiber or plastic have a system that secures the body of your bottle instead of the neck. However, there are more modern cages that feature an additional gripping system, which means the bottle is also secured around the collar. This will prevent the water bottle from moving around due to vibrations caused by bumps in the road, especially when mountain biking.
Accessibility
Then, it’s also important to place the cage in an accessible position. The thing with water cages is that they need to keep the bottle out of your way when you’re riding, but also to store it in a place that’s convenient to reach when you’re thirsty and can’t pull over. In other words, we’re looking for a good balance between accessibility and security. Of course, it also depends on the type of bike you’re riding. If you want to buy a bottle cage that’s more suitable for a road bike, it will be more oriented towards accessibility. Mountain bike bottle cages, on the other hand, are focused on security.
Weight
As we mentioned before, weight is a contributing factor in weighing the decision of choosing one cage over another. However, keep in mind that weight is only important if you’re into speed and performance cycling. Professionals are the one who put great emphasis on how much their bike weighs. There are some important things to keep in mind here. First, you need to consider the fact that whatever your cage compensates for in weight, the heaviness of a full water bottle will make up for it. Second, always keep in mind that cages that are lightweight may not provide the require grip. You have to analyze your riding style carefully and see just what you’re willing to sacrifice and prioritize the things you need from a water bottle cage.
Size
Since weight is important, so is the size of the cage. In general, these cages should be able to fit both large and small bottles, provided that their collars are positioned similarly. In the end, it’s also important to pay attention to the mounting options that you have. In general, water bottle cages usually go on the down tube of your bike, but you need to find a mounting position that makes the water bottle accessible as you ride. Some cages can be placed right underneath your bike’s saddle, but an additional mount may be required for such a position.
Make sure that whatever type of bottle cage you choose, it can provide the right combination between a weight that doesn’t interfere with your riding style, a placement that allows you to grab the bottle even as you’re riding and the ideal place that provides security by keeping the cage out of the way, for your own safety.
Top 7 Best Road Bike Water Bottle Cage Reviews
Wiel Water Bottle Cage Holder
This particular cage manufactured by Wiel is amazing both in terms of design, as well as durability. You can opt for a chromatic combination of black and silver or black and red, but you can also purchase 2 cages instead of one, getting a better price per product.
The cage is completely made from carbon fiber, which is the best material used to construct these products. Not only is the cage strong, but it’s also lightweight, serving performance riders and cyclist that enjoy speed. Since the cage measures about 2.87 - 2.91 inches in diameter, it may not provide a good grip on smaller bottles. The package contains the water cage bottle, as well as 2 mounting screw to help you fix the cage in place.
Pros
Cons
Ibera Water Bottle Cage
If there’s one thing that stands out with these Ibera cages is the design and chromatic options. Available in white, black, carbon pattern and silver, the odds of finding a cage that matches the colors of your road bike are pretty high. You can order a single cage, or purchase a pack that contain 2 cages, keeping one as a spare or mounting it on another bike.
The cage is made from aluminum, which is one of the lightest materials ever, making sure that a cage doesn’t weigh more than 1.3 ounces. It will be compatible with most standard water bottles, as long as the diameter doesn’t exceed 3 inches. To mount the cage, you will need a 4 mm Allen wrench which is not included in the package. You will also need to make sure that your bike’s frame had threaded holes so you can mount the cage using the included bolts.
Pros
Cons
UShake Water Bottle Cage
This particular offer that we’re presenting today is for a pack of 2 water bottle cages manufactured by UShake. What makes these cages stand out from the crowd? They may not be the best, but who can really say what the best product for your particular needs is? These cages are made from heat-treated aluminum alloy and have anodic oxidation properties, which means their black surface will stay black for a longer time and it won’t scratch your water bottles.
Upon ordering this set, you will also receive 4 screws, 2 for mounting each of the cages (by the way, you will require to drill holes into the bike’s frame). Compared to the Ibera cage we spoke of earlier, UShake has included the 4 mm hex wrench required for mounting the cages, which is one less thing for you to worry about. The cage should be able to fit just about any water bottle that has a maximum diameter of 3 inches.
Pros
Cons
Aduro Bike Water Bottle Holder
Silver, black or blue? Whatever the color preference, the Aduro water bottle cage has you covered. Thanks to the sleek design that doesn’t embody any unnecessary embellishments, this water bottle cage looks elegant enough to be mounted on your road bike. Every one of the offers is for a pack of 2 cages, which is pretty surprising considering the low price tag. The cages are made from aluminum alloy and come with 2 stainless steel screws for mounting (that’s 4 screws in total).
What’s very interesting about this Aduro set is the adjustable base, which can be expanded to make sure it can fit a wider variety of water bottles. What we didn’t like is the fact that the required 4 mm Allen key needed for mounting is not included in the pack. But if you have a minimally-equipped bike tools set, you should have that wrench somewhere in there.
Pros
Cons
Bike Water Bottle Holder
If you’re ready to kick things up a notch, we’d like to present a cage that’s a tad more expensive compared to the previously-reviewed models, but whose price seems to be justified by the reliable features it brings to the table. The cage is available in both black and white, to make sure it can at least to try to match the color of your bike. While the cage is not sold in a pack of 2, you can order 2 of these if you plan on taking on longer rides and need 2 water bottles to make sure you stay hydrated.
The cage is made from CNC machined aluminum alloy and comes with a powder coat finish to provide some extra elegance and a beautiful design. We have to admit, at only 48 grams, it is lighter compared to most models we’ve looked over today. Thanks to its flexible design, you can adjust the cage +/- 0.2 inches / 0.5cm, to make sure that it provides a strong grip for bottles that are larger in size, such as insulated ones. Alternatively, the cage is suitable for 500, 550, 650, 750 and 950 ml sized bottles.
Pros
Cons
Ibuger Bike Water Bottle Cages
The rather unique design of the Ibuger water bottle cages caught our eyes, but that beautiful shade of blue isn’t to be neglected either. But if you’re not that big of a blue fan, you can opt for the black model as well. But if you appreciate minimalistic designs in water bottle cages, this is definitely a product to feast your eyes upon. The arms of this cage will smoothly wrap around your water bottle, while the anti-slip design that’s present on both sides of the arms will make sure the bottle is gripped and secured into place.
The arms can be bent in order to make sure they can hold differently-sized water bottle. Without any modification, the cages can fit water bottles with a 3 inch diameter, but upon adjusting them, bottles with diameters between 2.5 and 3.6 inches should be able to find their way in. The cages are mode from aluminum alloy, but at 70 grams each, there are lighter cages out there. The cages can easily be mounted, as everything you need is in included in the packages (the screws and the Allen key).
Pros
Cons
PERGEAR Lightweight Bicycle Water Bottle Cage
This set sold by PERGEAR is a pretty straight forward one: you purchase 2 cages made from carbon fiber that promises to be extremely durable and lightweight. Well, we can’t argue about the second part, since one of the cages weighs a mere 23 grams, making it one of the lightest water bottle cages we have ever seen.
These cages can fit bottles with a diameter that varies between 74 to 90 mm. Due to the black carbon finish, their glossy appearance may not cater to everyone tastes, but you have to admit, they are quite eye-catching. They don’t have a logo, which, honestly, give the feel of a lot more versatility in matching the cage with just about any type of bike.
Pros
Cons
The Bottom Line
As always, picking the best product really depends on how you prioritize the things you need from a water cage bottle. If you want a product that’s extremely lightweight, it would be best to choose one made from carbon fiber. On the downside, carbon fiber cages are more expensive compared to ones made from plastic or aluminum alloy. But carbon fiber is also more durable, which means that you’ll be spending extra money, but purchasing a product of higher quality. It’s also important to look for cages with an anodized finish, as they won’t leave paint marks and scratches on your water bottle.
While you may be tempted to think you only need one bottle cage, the ones that are sold in packs of 2 are very convenient, as the price for the second cage is between 30 to 50% off. Also, since you’re looking to buy a cage for a road bike, it’s safe to assume that you’ll be riding on longer distances, which means it’s a good idea to be able to carry two water bottles with you.