Just wondering about durability and any opinions. There are King SS cages advertised out there, but these are not Chris King, but another company?

Eyeing Elite SS cages very closely, are they tough enough to hold your bottles over rough roads?

Appreciate your advice on your experiences!

Rivendell offers two or three different ones, ranging up to WAY too expensive. I don't have any personal experience, but everything I've bought there has been good:

http://www.rivbike.com/webalog/waterbottles_cages/

I've used King and Elite SS cages. I like them both, even though I broke an Elite SS cage on the bone-jarring roads of Yellowstone. I'd get either one.

My wife has Elite SS cages and doesn't complain. This is high praise.

I have Elite aluminimum cages and my copious sweat leave white powdery stuff all over everything. I put them on my kids' bike.

I have no experience with King.

Since you didn't ask, my favorite is Profile. Cheap, durable, reasonably light, and I've never had a bottle pop out.

have it on one bike and the Elite on another.....it also looks pretty good and is not too expensive at $16

I've been very pleased with my Elites stainless steel cages which I've had for 3-4 years on two bikes. Bottles don't rattle much and they look great. Not sure they'd hold a Niterider battery bottle over rough pavement or the dirt--for that I use the old/cheap Cateye plastic cages.

Have them both (Elite and King stainless)...The King regular stainless is about the same price as the Iris pictured above. King titanium is about $45 online. Not sure on the price of the Elite SS.

King will hold you bottle tighter...probably better for MTB. But I have never lost a bottle using the Elite SS, either.

Looks wise -- Elites are classic old school type style and Kings are just a great clean looking cage. Guess both are kind of old school now with all the funky CF cages out.

JT

I broke several Elite SS cages. I had the King (you are correct, it is not Chris King) cages in the "new" style. It's pretty and worked well enough, but I did drop a bottle a couple of times, could have been my fault. I'd stick with the regular type of King cage.

I use the Tao now, and they work flawlessly; however, I'm not sure they'd look good on a retro steel frame.

i like King cages. I broke two Elites (looks cool, but..)

I broke two Elites (looks cool, but..)

Al or steel?

I haven't used any of the King's, but the Elite Inox SS has worked pretty well for me. Once in a while I catch the corner of the cage where the red button is but no biggie. They hold my Tacx bottles tight enough - I've never had one come loose yet.

...both broke in the same place within 3 rides of each other. Both broke at the weld on the 'plate' which mounts to the frame. Weird.

I replaced them with Blackburn SS cages and haven't had a worry since. That was 3 years ago or so. I like them better than the Elites looks-wise too. I was never a huge fan of the red buttons.

Haven't tried the Kings. If I was buying new cages I'd probably get the plastic Trek 'Bat' cages - cheap and hold like a pit bull.

of king cages, mostly the "normal" ones, and have rarely had a problem w/ them. they are guaranteed for life, hold the bottle well, don't really mark up the bottle, and look classy. highly recommended.

Thanks all, great advice!

I have both the elites and the king ti. The elites are ok but sometimes I lost a bottle sometimes out riding. The King ti are very good no problems. I bought them because I figured that I would never need to buy another bottle holder again.