Fabric launches new cageless Water Bottle

As a bottle was only $22 with 2 mounts, I grabbed one to test out and I am enjoying it. Much easier to get in than expected. So I bought another and a mate bought 2.

Mounting the bottle is one of those things that takes some effort the first ride or two, but then you start lining it up and slotting it in without thinking about it and as fast as a cage. 

People have said they come loose. I haven't lost any and I have taken them on some TERRIBLE roads that are known to eject bottles from cages. I have noticed there is two "clicks" when you mount the bottle. So if you only go to the first click, then the bottle probably would come loose. You need to push down hard and feel the two clicks to get it secure. Again, it becomes natural and mindless once you are used to it.

I have also noticed there is a difference in tightness between bottles when mounting. So their Quality Assurance might not be the best and some people might get bottles more loose and prone to ejecting.

Far too many 'if it doesn't suit me it's cr*p'

Good for small frames.

Good for ditching bottles before a sprint, as no cages left in the wind.

Good for aero bottles or other non-conventional shapes.

Daft idea.

Doesn't anyone else have their fingers between bottle and down tube as they slide it back into the cage? This looks like it'll pinch fingers

I have two conventional bottle cages on my bike because I sometimes need the extra capacity but normally I just take one bottle out on a ride. I quite like the idea of this system, for my second bottle at least. I'll probably get one when it is released and give it a try unless road.cc post a crushing review of it in the meantime.

I seem to remember something pretty well identical to this in about 1975. I don't think it had special bosses though, I think it just fitted over the screw heads. I rather think it didn't catch on.

Brilliant.
But as I will have to stop to put the bottle back I may as well take a picnic chair and enjoy the rest. Do they do a picnic chair and boss for the seat tube mounts?

I'd give it a go if it weren't for the fact that It won't work with the half dozen normal bottles I already own and regularly use.

I had a similar system a few years ago but reverted back to standard bottle & cage.
There was a strong magnet on the frame & the same in the bottle, obviously opposing poles. The system worked well & the bottle snapped into the holder & was very firm once in place but I found myself looking down, spinning the bottle sometimes just to get in in the position for the magnets to engage. A standard setup usually means I can just put the bottle into the cage without even glancing down.
So you have to have specific bottles & specific "cage/holder", its just easier to have a normal bottle & cage.

If I was in a position to buy a new bike I'd give them a go. But with a dozen standard bottles and 2 cages on my bike I'm not going to be changing soon. Does look like a solution looking for a problem though.

They should have been more honest there.

Advantage? Clean look.

Claiming that it is better in every aspect than the conventional type is a marketing suicide.

Surely if you reach down, grab the bottle, remove it, lift it, drink from it and reach back down to replace it, then your hand will not at any point slip around and therefore the slots should be perfectly aligned to the bosses when you go to replace it.

I get the point about compatibility with other bottles, but as I usually go out and come back with the same bottle on my cycle rides, I'd definitely give this a go at this price. I don't care how flash your bottle cage is, this is a far more aesthetically elegant solution.

In fact I'm going to buy one now.

DOH! - Available September 15

M

yep no good for the bottle of Bollinger in mine...

Will be interesting to see how simple it is to reconnect the bottle when you're on the rivet. Looks a good option if you're a fan of clean lines though.

looks a wee bit foutery...and puncturey as the peloton ride over a dropped bottle...

Coming to a roadside gutter near you!

I remember having a very very similar design back in the 1980s:
scroll down on this page to see the RDR Bologna system, look familiar?
http://midlifecycling.blogspot.de/2014/11/with-or-without-cage.html

You have to remember that one litre of water weighs one kilogram, so saving a few grams on the weight of a bottle cage is neither here nor there.
Having said that, everybody's free to buy and use whatever kit they wish.

@alistairkings - depends if functionality or design is your priority, and it's not exactly as if this were not functional...

solution looking for a problem

So, a bottle that will only engage at one angle, that uses a proprietary mount that can only take that brand of bottle? or a decent cage that can take a bottle jammed at it from a wide range of angles, from any orientation, and that will take any standard size bottle and even a wine bottle?

Which is the better idea?

No cage, but how heavy is the bottle with the rubber slots/bottle guides compared to a bottle with out

looks like faff to line it up

But you have to put the bottle onto the mount the right way round, unlike any other mount that takes the bottle at any angle of rotation. Can't see it being very user friendly.