While new materials and shape changes appear on new bottle cages almost daily, the basic concept is still the same. Koala Bottle, however, is taking a truly innovative approach by using an open cage with magnets that hug a metal ring that you install around your bottle. I had my doubts, as I often do with new products, but the Koala Bottle assuaged most of those doubts. Weights, impressions, doubts, and more after the break.
Weighing in at 71 grams with cage and ring, doubts pertaining to weight were quickly disproved. And, since it’s so open, the Koala Bottle system installs quickly and easily. The metallic rings that ship with the Koala Bottle system can be fitted to any Specialized bottle, so that freebie you recently acquired in a local race probably works.
Installing the rings, as you can see in the video below, is a simple process of folding the top of the bottle into a triangle and slipping the ring over. I slipped mine on and off a number of times on a few different bottles and never had a problem with threads matching up or caps leaking (another doubt I’d had) despite the contortion I put the bottle through.
The next thing I was skeptical of was how well it would actually hold the bottle, but the Koala grips tight, probably tighter than the cages you currently have. I initially put them on my hardtail mountain bike, but never lost a bottle. The only time I lost a bottle was cruising over some train tracks at 20+ mph. In fact, the Koala Bottle is sometimes a little too tight and takes a bit of a jerk to get it out. It was never really a problem for me, but might be a nuisance for some riders.
