Blackburn Swerve Ti bottle cage

Blackburns Swerve bottle cage is a sleek, simple looking item, Blackburn say that "the new Swerve Titanium cage pushes the limits of bomber strength and feather weight". How nice can a bottle cage be?

At just 29g the Swerve certainly isn't a porker, cutting a classy, understated figure on the downtube of any bike (preferably an equally lovely titanium machine). Having ridden a fair few miles with this on my carbon roadie and also my aluminium commuter I can report back that it does do what it is supposed to, both 500ml and 750ml bottles are held securely without fuss. I even held the cage in my hand with a half empty bottle in it and shook it wildly, no chance of the bottle coming loose - which is good.

Made from aircraft grade, 5mm titanium tubing, the swerve's 25g blackburn signature figure allows easiy access to your drinks mid-ride. Another positive is that, as with all Blackburn cages, the Swerve has a life time guarantee so you know you are buying a well designed product that will be there when you need it. Not a cheap option but it really does look good along side a titanium downtube.

Any downsides? Only one that we can see, it's £50 so it'll lighten your wallet too. There are a few all-carbon affairs from the likes of Time, Tacx and Elite that are more expensive (and some high end packages that include a bottle too such as the Speedplay Nanogram) but all of those are carbon. Oh, and let's not forget Campagnolo's Record bottle cage which is more than twice the price of the Swerve. Being titanium and having a lifetime guarantee the Blackburn Swerve might be said to score over all of these in that you should never need to buy another bottle cage - so if you've got the money and a bling bike to attach it to (which would rather suggest that you do have the money) then the Blackburn starts to look like a smart choice.

Verdict

A very effective bottle cage, daft as it sounds, some are much better than others. This cage keeps drinks bottles secure, no bouncing around and doesnt look too 'try hard'. £50(rrp) is a fair bit for a bottle cage but if you have the money it is worth a look.