Bontrager Carbon Bottle Cages - Race X Lite and Satellite Elite Sideswipe

The humble bottle cage must be by now one of the most over-engineered components on the modern bicycle. These two carbon items from Bontrager are works of art but are they worth the money, or just a case of overpriced style over substance?

The Race X Lite and the Satellite Elite sideswipe are Bontrager’s ‘entry’ level carbon cages. They offer significant weight savings (when quoted as a percentage at least!) over their cheaper plastic or aluminium stablemates. There’s the top end Race XXX Lite for when you need to save just a few more grams too!

The Race X Lite is your traditional front/top loading carbon bottle cage. Weight is a pretty decent 23g and the price is a (relatively speaking) reasonable £39.99. The Satellite on the other hand is a sideswipe cage designed for small spaces or unique frame-layouts - like on the Cotic >X< cyclocross bike. It’s also carbon, also £39.99, and a smidgen lighter at 18g.

Let’s not try and rationalise carbon bottle cages on a price per gram ratio alone. Perhaps more importantly, the Bontrager cages absolutely look the business and are a classy touch to any bike. And while £40 per cage is a fair chunk of cash - comparatively speaking they’re about as good value as you’re going to get from a major player offering light-weight and aesthetically pleasing carbon cages.

Despite their light-weight, both the Race X Lite and the Satellite offer incredible bottle grip and are one of the more secure cages we’ve tried. Thanks in part to the rubber grippers on the Race X Lite, but then the Sideswipe is no less secure and doesn’t have these. We’ve not even come close to losing a bottle, even when riding Cyclocross on proper trails. And unlike alloy or plastic cages they don’t stretch out with repeated use. So they’re good for mountain use and are competitively light by road standards.

The finish seems to be holding up well too so with their strength and durability, they’re at least a purchase that will last.

We’re really happy with the Bontrager cages. Can we justify them? You either know you want/need carbon cages or not, and if you don’t, then there's no convincing you otherwise. But if you’re in the market for some, the Bontragers are fair value and they work brilliantly. They’re our pick for their blend of light-weight, handsome looks, relatively fair pricing, and sturdy grip and finish.