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review
Bottle cages
Seam Carbon bottle cageSeam Carbon bottle cage

Seam Carbon bottle cage

8
by Benjamin Lang
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Apr 9, 2011

0
£20.00

VERDICT:

8
10
No-nonsense carbon cage, which will keep the weight down without emptying your wallet
Weight: 
29g
Contact: 
www.seamcarbon.co.uk
How we test

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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At first glance, the SEAM carbon bottle cage is a stylish-looking and well-finished piece of kit that would look in keeping with many a top end carbon frame. The carbon weave construction shows through the lacquer coating and the neat SEAM carbon logo looks understated and classy.

At just 29 grams this is a lightweight cage compared with most; although, for the weight-obsessed, it is possible to go just a few grams lower. Blackburn's camber carbon cage, for example, comes in at around 27g, but at double the price of the SEAM. However, considering a few hundred grams of water will be sitting in it most of the time, this is a negligible difference.

On the bike the cage does just what all bottle cages should do, but not all actually achieve; I.e. it holds a full bottle on the frame without ejecting your chosen hydration onto the tarmac every time you go over a bump. The neat design meant that it was easy to get bottles both in and out, and it coped perfectly well with a variety of different sizes and shapes of bottle. After a decent period of daily use, the gripping arms of the cage appeared to have maintained their strength, and the bottles remained as securely held as they had been initially.

For the very reasonable price of £20.00 the SEAM cage represents comparatively good value for money, especially when considering some similar products can set you back up to twice as much. It may not quite have the prestige of a more established manufacturer's name on the side, but both the weight and performance are right up there with the most expensive.

Verdict

A no-nonsense carbon cage, which will keep the weight down without emptying your wallet.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Seam Carbon 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?

This is a lightweight carbon bottle cage that would look good on high-end bikes.

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

Weight 31 grams. Carbon construction.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

Around 10 grams lighter than most aluminium cages.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

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

Easy to use and held a variety of water bottles securely throughout the test period.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Stylish and light, for a very reasonable price.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing.

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: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 36  Height: 1.78m  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Surly Long Haul Trucker  My best bike is: Cannondale Slice

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, touring, Triathlon

Seam Carbon bottle cage
Carbon bottle cage

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