The Elite Rocko Carbon bottle cage is very light, and well designed to allow side-ish access of a bottle if your frame space is restricted by design or bag. It's not cheap, but it works.
- Pros: Lightweight, allows access in restricted frames, reasonably priced for carbon
- Cons: Only comes in black
Falling well below the price of the £45 Vel SL-O at 20g and rather above a host of other cages at the same-ish weight for around £20, the Rocko Carbon is acceptable value for money in the carbon cage stakes.
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Load-holding-wise the Rocko had absolutely no problems, with a 750ml bottle full of 1,200 calories-worth of superfine berry-and-oats smoothie staying put over a 100km Highlands jaunt.
Entry and exit are easy, with the design falling midway between a traditional cage and a proper side-entry model. A bottle can go in at 45 degrees then twist straight while being pushed downward. There's enough flex in the cage to allow this while not having to raise the bottle upwards in an arc, thereby preserving clearance from frame or bag. If you are maybe planning on fitting a frame bag or have restricted space, you could roughly guesstimate how well the Rocko would serve you over your current model.
Once in place there's nary a rattle or squeak, trying different bottle designs over rough roads.
Opt for the Vel SL-O mentioned above and you'd be paying an extra £17 to save 7g, so unless you dislike the black finish, the Rocko seems the better buy. You do get a choice of three different accented colours as well as a gloss version. The branding is minimal so unlikely to clash.
> How to trim bike weight on the cheap
All in all, the Rocko Carbon is a decent choice for a light, easy-entry cage, so long as you like black.
Verdict
A good choice for a light, carbon cage for restricted frame sizes
Make and model: Elite Rocko Carbon
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?
It's a light carbon bottle cage for weight weenies with small frames needing side-ish insertion.
Elite says: "Innovative design with side and bottle insertion/removal"
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
From Elite:
Carbon injection bottle cage
Extremely light, 25 grams
Compatible with all frames, ideal for sloping tubes or small sizes
Rate the product for quality of construction:
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Bottles come in and out easily and stay put. Result.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Feels like it will last a lifetime.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
8/10
Rate the product for value:
6/10
It's not bad, all things considered. You can pay lots more to go just a few grams lighter.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Bottles went in and out easily, and stayed put.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Ease of access.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing really.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's £17 less than the £45 Vel SL-O, but a bit more expensive than other offerings, but it is light, plenty flexible and designed for hard-to-access frames.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
The price is good for the weight, it's very nicely made and with better-than-average side-entry capability. You only get a choice of one colour, but the cage works well and should last years.
Age: 44 Height: 183cm Weight: 72kg
I usually ride: Merida Ride 5000 Disc My best bike is: Velocite Selene
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: cyclo-cross, club rides, general fitness riding, mountain biking, Dutch bike pootling.
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