I have been using Elite bottles with their long popular Custom Race bottle cages for ages, 750ml bottles usually, both down tube and seat tube, but lately have had a few incidents where both bottles (when full) were about to (bumpy surface) or went flying (emergency stop) out of them, which surprised me especially for the seat tube one!

Given that the Custom Race is plastic, I understand they might have worn out - or the bottles, or both and that causes less of a grip. I liked these cages specifically for the rubbery joint of the two "wings" and hoped together with gravity that would be enough to keep the bottles secure.

Now looking for other alternatives, I thought of old fashioned steel ones which could be always bent for a more secure grip, but also found Elite Pria Pave:
https://www.elite-it.com/en/products...-frp/pria-pave

This one I have mixed feelings about, does the locking system actually work or is it just a gimmick?

Also, no experience with the Ciussi Inox, do the rubber knobs make an actual difference?
https://www.elite-it.com/en/products...ox/ciussi-inox

PS I do not care about weight.

YMMV but I recently bought a pair of dirt-cheap "50 Strong" plastic bottle cages on Amazon and have been pleased, especially at their ability to grab 28 oz powerade bottles.

This is what you need. I've got them on three bikes, with the oldest pair (over 40,000 miles) on a gravel bike that gets ridden on some very fast and rough descents; none have ever ejected a bottle. And I have never had to reshape one -- the design naturally holds its shape and grip.

Oh, and they are beautiful, come with a lifetime warranty, and are made by a cool guy in his garage.

My favorite bottle cages are the following: Portland Design Works Cages which come in the following designs Bird, Owl, Sparrow, Otter, Dog and Cat, of which I have used them all (ok haven't installed the Otter cages yet but have used all the others and nary a bottle ejected even mountain biking). Then King Cages which like Koyote said are made by a cool guy in his garage in the U.S. and are quite well made and you can get them in Ti .

I have been using the PDW cages for probably 10 years now (or so) and wouldn't hesitate to continue using them plus they are neat designs that add some fun to the bike. I haven't yet lost a bottle and with the PDW stuff I can always bend the wings in (or whatever appendage for that cage) if I need to carry something narrower but typically it is just Camelbak Podium Chill and Ice bottles and on rare occasion something like a gatorade or once I think I tried a burrito because it was burning my back in the jersey.

Stainless steel cages are way better than aluminum ones. The aluminum cages lose their grip over time, wear down from the bottle, and put black marks on the bottles. Some years ago, I considered plastic or carbon cages, but I thought they were slightly difficult to put the bottles back in while riding along. And they are barely lighter than stainless cages.

I've used similar cages to these for more than 10 years, still working great. blackburn chicane. I most always use Camelbak bottles.

This style is easy to slam the bottles back into the cage without looking down. I've never ejected a bottle, since the steel works like a spring to hold tight.

Before I saw Koyote's post I was going to say to go with the Kings. They work. Bottles don't fall out (even if you miss and put then in crooked; they'll just sit there crooked through any pavement or lack thereof until you look down).

...that's some crazy talk, there.

The Specialized bottle cages I have on my bikes also grab the bottle securely, I think there's a lot of good designs out there nowadays.

Sure is crazy!

I use Elite Vico Carbon cages. 23g. Never thrown a bottle in over 49000km.

Which bottles btw? Or maybe ... how often do you get new ones?

These Velocity Bottle Trap aren't bling - it's what I prefer, a basic looking non-ornamented cage. But they are inexpensive, very strong and many colors. I don't believe there's any way a bottle would ever escape.

Velocity Wheels - Hand Made in USA (velocityusa.com)

Camelbak are my favourite, I have a few of those and about 6 Elite bottles currently. I wash them in the dishwasher regularly so they last a long time. I think in the last 3 years I've only binned about 2 or 3.

He was at the Philly Bike Expo a few years ago. My ex mentioned that one of her SS cages had broken. (It happened while her bike was being transported back home from AZ in a trailer while upright. I suspect the pedal from another bike.) He literally flipped her a new one for free. Great guy.

Been there. Done that. Many times.

Cateye BC-100. Not pretty, but they work.

John

I use these on my bikes and couldn't be happier with them. I use Camelback bottles, not sure if they're the same size as yours. No Way a bottle is falling out, well maybe if you're doing some teeth rattling downhill upside down. They're cheap and carbon coolness LOL.

What about recommendations for side load cages, for those of us with packs blocking easy access to top loaders?

The best you'll ever find: https://kingcage.com/collections/all...de-loader-cage

looks nice. wish they were made in SS. TI is a bit expensive for a cage

Yeah, but you'll only need to buy them once.

King’s SS cage is awesome. I’ve never lost a bottle in over 5 years with mine. And they still look like new. And he’s a nice guy. Met him at the Philly Bike Expo a few years ago. My ex had one break while her bikes was being transported across the country in a trailer. Culprit was probably pedal strike from another bike. He literally tossed her a new one for free.

King Ti cages are awesome and I have some cheap Blackburns that you can bend a bit and have never lost a bottle on quite a few 24 hour mtb races.

Adding to the chorus, I have King Ti's on my cross bike. They weigh nothing, they don't mark up bottles, they're basically impossible to deform, they're made in the US by a small business and no cage is more secure. They're not cheap, but if you want the best look no further. If you're 60 miles out in a gravel race, the last thing you want to deal with is bottle-ejector cages.

I am always surprised to see how frequently bottle ejection issues come up. I have a small sample size of myself and those I ride with, but I just dont see bottles being thrown from cages. The cages I use are either some BrandX cages I bought from Wiggle for like $2 each or some stainless King cages. My kids and wife have cheap aluminum cages or some cheap plastic resin cages- they hold. The cheap aluminum basic design is on a few dozen bikes I help maintain for teen cyclists each year.

Bottles ejecting just isnt an issue for the various cages I come across.
I ride a bunch of gravel and never think about my bottles flying out of their cages.

Are people using really quirky bottles that dont fit well? Are they bending their cages open for easier access? It will forever be a mystery, I am sure.