Another product out of their bikepacking Innovation Lab, the new modular Apidura Cargo Cage is a transformer, telescoping to mount to either 2-bolt or 3-bolt setups. Designed for a nearly universal fit, the versatile alloy Cargo Cage can carry bottle small & large with its strap guides, or you can attach a special small-diameter Apidura Cargo Cage Pack that give you up to 1.3L of waterproof Expedition-series storage.
Apidura Cargo Cage with modular mount
The original Salsa Anything Cage has been around almost as long as Bikerumor, I think I first spotted the 3-bolt cages in 2009 or 2010… but adventure riding has evolved a lot since then. Now, it’s not only bikepacking bikes with dozens of braze-ons that go on adventures, so companies like Apidura continue to innovate to help outfit all manner of riders.
One of Apidura’s most interesting new little gadgets is this 2 or 3-bolt Cargo Cage.
Tech details
Built to carry both small & large loads wherever you can fit them in, the two-piece ADC12 alloy cage features a modular foot to support the base of a bag or bottle. Extend it fully to use 3-pack bolts, snap it back into the body of the cage to use 2 standard bottle bolts, or remove the foot entirely to simply strap longer items to the wings of the cage.
With 3 different way to install it, Apidura aimed to make the most versatile cargo cage possible – “a single, straightforward modular cage for all bikes and applications“. Especially nice if you want to use one cage for carrying tools/spare on your mountain bike, then to swap it over to the gravel bike to carry a bit of extra gear for a weekend bikepacking trip.
The 85g anodized cage has long strap slots on both wings so you can thread-in pretty much any strap you already use – from basic velcro straps to secure webbing straps like the Austere Cam straps we recently reviewed, to the Voile-style strap popular with bikepackers & adventure racers.
Apidura says the 70g Expedition Cargo Cage Pack is optimized for use under the downtube, offering a high level of protection in a slim bag that can will fit behind the front wheel and not interfere with your cranks.
The 1.3L roll-top bag shares the same tough, waterproof 3-layer laminate Trilon construction and similar details as Apidura’s Expedition fork bags – like the modular strap loops, reinforcement where it contacts the cage & reflective detailing – just dialed back to a 8.5cm diameter.
Riding Impressions
Of course, the fact that the Apidura Cargo Cage can work with either 2-bolt or 3-bolt installations is great – fit it to almost any bike to carry more gear. But what I feel is just as important, is that you can even slide the mount in between a bit to mount bigger items to a standard 2-bolt setup.
On this Canyon Dude fat bike there is only the 2-bolt mount on the downtube. But by sliding the cage a bit higher, I can support even larger items like this 28cm tall insulated L.L.Bean thermos that my wife has been taking on trips for 18 years. I was careful to align the mid-point support of the outer cage bracket with the upper cage bolt, so I could balance larger objects with minimal cantilevering about the bolts – strapped on with one webbing & Voile-style strap, to see which I prefer…
The cage is simple, light, easy-to-use, and quite versatile. I’m sure I’ll end up bolting it under the downtube or on the fork leg of some gravel bike after this winter’s snow melts. I have a feeling it would be a great way to strap my tent poles to the side of my fork, so I can stuff the tent into a smaller bag on the bike.
As for the Pack, we really haven’t used it much and likely won’t until wet riding returns – carrying small gear in the recent 1L MTB Backcountry Frame Pack in the meantime. The narrow ~9cm diameter of the 30cm tall bag makes it a bit tricky to stuff some gear all the way down inside compactly. With that said, it would be a nice spot to tuck some heavier repair spares away safely, like a tube and extra tools that you don’t need to access often while riding.
Apidura Cargo Cage & Pack – Pricing & availability
The Apidura Cargo Cage itself sells for $52 / 44€ including three steel bolts to mount it securely in any setup. And the separate 1.3L Expedition Cargo Cage Pack is an extra $48 /40 including two repositionable velcro straps to attach it to the cage. Both are available now, direct from Apidura and via their retail partners.
