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review
Bottle cages
Comtat Ultra Light Plus bottle cageComtat Ultra Light Plus bottle cage 2

Comtat Ultra Light Plus bottle cage

9
by Max_Leonard
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Aug 21, 2011

3
£24.99

VERDICT:

9
10
Like the Ultra Light... but lighter. Cheap, light and works
Weight: 
20g
Contact: 
www.comtat.co.uk
How we test

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This one had me a bit peeved... but more of that later. First things first, the Comtat Ultra-Light Plus carbon bottle cage is light. Ultra light. The test version came in at 20g on the road.cc scales (1g lighter the claimed 21g on the site). And it's cheap. Well, at £24.99 pretty damn cheap for a carbon bottle cage. Comtat has a price-to-weight comparison on its website, and it confirms that it's, erm, cheap and light.

What to say apart from that? The 3K carbon weave has a glossy finish, which looks nice and has lasted well during the test period. The new Comtat logotype is, to my eyes, much better than the previous scripted affair, and chimes well with what Comtat calls the 'understated design' of the bottle cage. And the design is definitely attractive, although similar to many carbon cages from other manufacturers. The Ultra-Light Plus cage's jaws were easy to access on the move without looking, and, though not quite as snug and grabby as my current cages, they were tight enough round the bottle to keep it secure. It may be that as the lacquer rubs off more and the jaws of the cage relax, the bottle becomes less tightly held; frankly, though, it seems like a well-made piece of kit, and I'm not worried that this will happen.

I used the Comtat cage on the down tube. Those riding bikes with super-compact geometries take note: the cage sits high on the frame and lifts the bottle up quite high, so you may have trouble fitting a 750ml bottle (the largest recommended size) in to a seat-tube mounted Comtat. When I mounted the cage on the seat tube I couldn't get a large bottle in: the top tube got in the way. To be fair, this is true of a lot of cages on my bike, but the Comtat mounts noticeably higher than most.

Other than that, this cage was great. Why peeved, you ask? My current cages are a little bit heavier and almost twice the price...

Verdict

Like the Ultra Light... but lighter. Cheap, light and works. As long as your frame isn't ultra compact, it will fit big bottles in on the down tube and seat tube. It's a winner... need we say more?

road.cc test report

Make and model: Comtat Ultra Light Plus bottle cage

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Comtat says: "After the huge success of our Ultra Light bottle cage, we have stepped up another gear with this 21 gram, beautifully made classy cage. It works perfectly and it's understated design means it looks great on any bike."

20g on the road.cc scales but my test version gained weight in transit and was a little heavier than the claimed weight on my scales, but I'm not going to argue too much about three grams.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Says Comtat:

"3k carbon construction

Holds 500ml or 750ml water bottles

Carbon finish

Classic design"

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Nice carbon weave.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Not quite as secure as my current bottle cages, but showed no sign of slipping, even after the lacquer gave a bit and the cage relaxed with use.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
10/10

Yep, it's light.

Rate the product for value:
 
9/10

If you want an ultra light carbon bottle cage, this is a cheapy.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Overall rating: 9/10

About the tester

Age: 31  Height: 1.78m  Weight: 65kg

I usually ride: Cinelli Strato road or fixed commuter hack.  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

Comtat Ultra Light Plus bottle cage
Comtat
Carbon bottle cage

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3 comments

Avatar
Cervelo12 | 13 years ago
0 likes

looks nothing like the planet x cage, i guess they look similiar in terms of they are both carbon bottle cages.

Avatar
rockfield | 13 years ago
0 likes

looks remarkably similar to the Planet X carbon cage which is a whole £4.54 cheaper?

Avatar
jezzzer | 13 years ago
0 likes

i'm curious - after comtat's recent shift of their frame production to italy ... where's this made then? 1

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