Elite Ciussi

Price Paid:  $0.00

Bike Setup:
Road bike

Summary:
My Elite Ciussi cage cracked at the weld with the base plate. Their warranty rep claims "nothing lasts forever" but I've never had a cage break this fast.

Strengths:
Looks nice.

Weaknesses:
Poor construction and poorer warranty support.

Similar Products Used:
Many other cages over the years. American Classic stands out as a much better product.

Price Paid:  $0.00 at Lickton's of Illinoi

Favorite Ride:
any road without traffic

Bike Setup:
'03 Raleigh Professional

Summary:
I have had this one Elite stainless steel cage for almost 5 years now. I bought a generic Specialized painted Al cage once at a shop when it was a hot day and I couldn't find an Inox cage.

The SS Elite hasn't broken at a weld or tossed a single bottle yet, so I've never seen any reason to replace it with anything else. One of these days though, I'll get around to replacing that Al cage with another Inox for those hot days that require an extra bottle.

You don't get to be a "classic" by being a piece of junk.

Strengths:
~ Doesn't rust, corrode, or cause discoloration.

~ Timeless, old-school looks.

Weaknesses:
~ Would like to see a choice in button colors instead of only the red.

~ Light enough for me, but not uber-light for some of you weight weenies.

~ Not cheap, but nor are CF cages. OTOH, if a $25.-$30. cage can last this long, then I guess it IS a good value.

Similar Products Used:
Other designs that were obviously less great.

Price Paid:  $18.00

Bike Setup:
Eddy Merckx Team SC, Dura-Ace

Summary:
I loved the Elite Ciussi Stainless cages - light, great hold, not too marring on bottles, but after about 10000 miles in 2 years one of them broke. Although it worked fine over the weekend's 150 miles it started to break and failed very quickly while there was no bottle in it while I was commuting to work on Monday. Thankfully it failed when I didn't need it and not on a 200k, a race, or a team ride.

Strengths:
Bottles stay in the cages no matter what. I've never lost one even crossing RR tracks where many people's bottles bail out. The plastic buttons don't mar bottles.

Weaknesses:
Limited lifetime. These break right at the welds (where competitors like American Classic said they would). I have to choose between replacing these annually or using another product. Water bottle cages shouldn't suddenly break during normal use!

Similar Products Used:
A variety of cheap and heavy cages that were indestructible but stupid heavy

Price Paid:  $0.00

Summary:
had a pair of these on my back-up rig. The welds started to crack after a year. For a heavy cage, you think they'd be durable, but the welds cracked so I ditched them and went back to my blackburns. they look cool for sure, but for less $$ you can get something stronger and lighter.

Strengths:
look cool, holds bottle securely

Weaknesses:
heavy, weak welds

Similar Products Used:
blackburn chicane, PC1

Price Paid:  $10.00 at Oak Park Cyclery (Oa

Favorite Ride:
Long, open roads without cars

Bike Setup:
Bianchi EV2 with 10-speed Campagnolo Record/Chorus mix.

Summary:
Perfect cage. The bottle fits snugly and it is EXTREMELY easy to get in and out of..when compared with my last cages. If your bottle is loose or falling out, you just have to bend it back into position. Mine came a bit loose from the factory, but Don at Oak Park Cyclery showed me how to tweak them back.

Strengths:
Very lightweight, good looks, high quality, solid construction.

Weaknesses:
None.

Similar Products Used:
American Classic cages