A Velominatus is never to judge a book by its cover; appearances and predispositions are quickly cast aside at the discovery of a diamond in the rough. After all, the pursuit of perfection necessarily requires that we are a breed who turn over the last stone in search of it, even when all hope has long since been lost. But the gems to be found when peering past outer appearances, these are the reward for our effort.
Even those items which are necessary evils, those we’d just as soon have no need for, these items are not exempt from our quest to discover the perfection; a mini-tool, patch kit, C02 chuck, chain catcher. Today, @Steampunk describes such a component: his Immix Bidon Cage.
Yours in cycling,
Frank
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The Velominati appreciate the finer things. While we adhere to Rule V to varying degrees of devotion, we are at the same time fragile and fickle beings. A ride can be ruined simply by receiving a less-than-stellar espresso pre- or post-ride or by discovering a mystery clicking sound buried somewhere in our drivetrain. We crave the very best. Style and performance are shared badges as we search and yearn for that ever-elusive momentary glimpse of la volupté. Cannondale is rarely the first name associated with the search for this most austere experience in cycling, though they make some good bikes. When compared with handcrafted Italian frames or components, Connecticut’s finest might lack some class or caché (in these instances, I pronounce Cannondale in the original French: Canon D’Allez), but moving beyond the romance of all things European there are some bits and pieces that warrant some appreciation. Submitted for consideration: the Cannondale Immix bottle cage.
First, a confession: I loathe bottle cages. I appreciate their importance and how one’s performance is enhanced by being properly hydrated, but I find them unsightly””interfering with the frame’s symmetry. Too: they remind us of our protean form and that we cannot ignore the physical demands of our bodies for nutrients and hydration while we ride. But for this minor detail, I would ride without them. Furthermore, as an inveterate steampunk, I dislike plastic. It’s hard to escape this infernal material when it comes to the bidon, but I won’t stand for it on my cage. Carbon fiber isn’t much better, and typically is more prominently visible from a distance, with its thick, bold silhouette. And don’t get me started on wind resistance when the cages are empty.
With this important caveat out of the way, the appeal of the Immix cage becomes more significant. For me, it balances function and form. The carbon fiber base sits nicely flush against the downtube or seat tube””and, in my case, matches my fork. Sturdy. The cage has been on the bike for more than two years and it continues to clutch the bottles tightly and without any wobble. Full or empty, the bidons remain snug, a mere afterthought until such time that I should need a drink. Sleek. The titanium bars minimize the visual intrusion of the cages on the bike and yield a very light (29g) overall product. These look fast, without the crazy and distracting lines of their carbon fiber competitors.
Here’s the rub: the Immix cage has been discontinued, apparently because they were over-zealous in clutching their charges. I’ve not had this problem; the bottles are snug, but easily removed while on the go. The great tragedy, however, was that I only got one. I had bottle cages, which (see above) I didn’t like very much, but ordering two fairly expensive bottle cages online (product unseen) seemed somewhat foolhardy. Cannondale doesn’t ship to Canada (odd, since they’re owned by a Canadian company), and my LBS even failed in procuring a second cage. Opportunity finally knocked this week; I traveled to Vancouver to visit my parents. Online, I had found a Cannondale dealer there who still had an Immix cage in stock. Almost directly off the plane, I headed straight for the store to collect my second cage. The guy behind the counter didn’t much seem to care that I was excited to get my hands on this product, which had probably been collecting dust on his shelf; nor did he seem surprised/amused/relieved to part with a product that had been collecting the aforementioned dust for so long. No matter: in some small, strange way, my ride is complete. Regardless of what you are field testing in your bidon, you want it held tight, without drama and with a little bit of style. In a minor but significant way, the cage is a crucial piece of every ride.
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View Comments
@Chris
touche Chris - humbling when one's newbie attention is drawn to a part of the bike you have never really thought much about
Alas, I suffer from the hopeless matching gear syndrome - so mine are Spesh, and look dull, and are of course neither carbon fibre, nor attractive, though they do blur/ match in with the frame
I guess the only way to break the habit is to build a bike from Ebay individually sourced components, as the orange V-coggers do, and apply the rule that no matching gear will be used, in an attempt to break the single manufacturer psycho stranglehold
Also +1 for Canon d'Allez - all of a sudden, the plethora of these bikes in my vicinity take on a less plethoric greyness (no offence intended to you CD fans out there)
whoops my link there was to a shop in France rather than Germany and they're out of stock! This place in France does have them at the aforementioned price
I also found these in Australia which might be worth considering if you like the overall form of the Immix cages but aren't a fan of CF.
@Dr C
Indeed sir, there is much to learn.
I have a CAAD 8 which I love (though I have little to compare it to) and I'm rather drawn to the aesthetics of the Canondale aluminium frames. While they do incorporate some hydroforming, they seem to have retained a relatively simple straight tubed look that many of their competitors seem to be forgoing in favour of curved tubes. (no offence intended to the Specialized fans!).
Carbon fibre, is another thing. at the moment I'm not sure that my level of riding warrants it or that I'd really notice the difference. For the time being, I'll be content with some stealthy component upgrades and hopefully some major weight savings and power increases from the engine.
The idea of building up a classic steel bike from ebay is quite an exquisite one that I fear must wait for a couple of years. I think there are at least two or three bikes that I need to get before then, a cross bike, a rain bike (although it could be argued that the two needs could be satisfied with one bike) and city commuter (Boris is doing a great job with his hire scheme but the numbers of users are overwhelming him and there are rarely any bikes in the rack when I get off the train in the morning).
While individually sourcing the parts is a given, is not a vintage campy gruppo mandatory.
@Chris
No idea even what campy stuff is out there yet, as Spesh only do Shimano (except where the Roubaix Pro is concerned, which comes with Ui2, if you are Brett or Frank or Minion, but if you are British or Irish, they stick SRAM Red on it.... quel que fuck?
Ref Carbon Fibre - I don't think it probably changes your performance much, but I really noticed the difference going from Alu to CF, though it maybe was also going Allez to Roubaix, but the acceleration and tightness downhill is awesomely bicycletastic - really feel connected and driving, rather than being driven, IYKWIM - defo think if that is what you want to blow your dow on, then have no guilt
.....I suspect I have just done some metrosexual retro spending excessively justification....
Main difference I suspect in performance came from the massive BB chainstay area, rather than the Alu-CF - maybe not possible to create the same large pipes out of Alu - WTF do I know??
Looked at Madone 5.2 the other day, gums went all squishy looking at its BB
@Dr C
There may be a huge change in tightness/stiffness (phnar phnar) with your comfort bike but the CAAD8 is pretty taut. It doesn't have any of the flex that my last bike had when you put the power down.
I'm not trying to rubbish CF, I'm just quite happy where I am and reckon my limited budget (officially capped at nil with a requirement to get some of the crap in the garage onto ebay) would be better spent on clever upgrades - A decent bike fit being the first one I think.
Nice article, Steampunk. I have spent many a day and night thinking about this seemingly insignificant part of my bike(s). I find that the cages only look wrong when they are not actually holding a bidon. When there is a bidon in the cage, and said bidon is coordinated with the frame color(*), all is right. I do agree that the material of the cage should match the material of the cycle. And color, in the case of carbon, is also significant. If your carbon bike is matte, no glossy cages, either. I would add these opinions to my choices in pedals, too, taken, of course, as far as I possibly can take this rationale.
(*) I absolutely can not stand when folks have a dark-colored frame and an ass ugly white bottle in the cage. Or some ugly bottle that was a "gift" or "free with purchase" on the frame that is emblazoned with some sponsor, store, or frame maker (minus additional points for riding one frame and carrying the bidon of another), or some such other crappy bottle. Look, get a simple, clear or not completely opaque, unstained bidon. Stylish. If more than one, matching in design and style (i.e. two of the same damn bidon). If more than two, at least two should be matching. Size of said bidons? Dependent on length of ride and how Pro you want to look (smaller size = Pro)...and if you have support following you with replacement bidons (if you have a SAG vehicle, definitely go with the smaller size).
I experimented with the insulated bottles this summer riding on several Hawaiian islands. They work...for a while. Anything in the heat for 4-5 hours is going to be hot after a short while, I don't care what the manufacturers claim.
OK. Rant over.
One thing I've grown to appreciate as I ride more & more, & blossom into a Velominatus, is the simplicity of tools which work. That bottle cage looks like nothing, but it proudly does the job. I love tools that do their job, look good doing it, and are small, sleek, light. On the other hand, I hate tools the fail to do their sole job in this world.
When you are out there with only your #1 & a few things in your jersey, the beauty of self-sufficiency comes into focus. You rely on the Guns, but even they need a few tools of support.
Nice one, Steampunk!
Steampunk--congratulations on acquiring the second cage. Isn't it hilarious how wrapped up we get at finding the one thing that completes the bike but escapes us for much longer than it should? When we finally get what we've been looking for, it's such a delight and a relief.
Of course, everyone around us who doesn't share our enthusiasm thinks we're completely daft.
Beaut, Steampunk. I've come close to purchasing those cages on at least two occasions and am now sad that I did not as they are discont'd. They are elegant indeed. And Cannon D'Allez is funny shit.
The local hardman I ride with is totally put together aside from his bidon cages. His kit, bikes, and Rule compliance are all spot on but every third or fourth time I ride with him he loses a bidon. I, being the gentleman that I am, do the work of a domestique and pick them up for him because I'm usually behind him.
The Cuissi's are a great cage with a classic look. I've got two pairs. I've got some genero carbon cages on my BMC which work extremely well.