Elite Struka bottle cage

Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it?

Elite claims the Struka's "versatility ensures a secure and sturdy grip for all your cycling adventures, accommodating bottles of varying dimensions", and that pretty much sums up the product. It's one for the more adventurous cyclists, and is a great addition to any gravel, all road, or bikepacking setup.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product

The Struka's stand out design feature is the steel cabled adjustment system. Elite says "In addition to offering precise adjustment, Struka is designed to provide maximum durability with its steel wire, all while maintaining an optimal lightweight design, weighing in at just 34g".

From Freewheel, Elite's UK distributor:

Ideal for bike packers, tourists, gravel riders, or anyone else who thinks outside the box; the Struka's adjustment feature allows you to carry a wide variety of different shapes, not just standard bidons

Ratcheting twist-buckle allows you to quickly adjust how tightly the object in the cage is clamped, great for securing items over bumpy surfaces

Single handed operation, to tighten turn the buckle, to release, just pull the buckle up

Can adjust from 65mm to 80mm in diameter

Perfect when the sun's coming down and you just NEED that bottle of cola to get you home

Fibre-reinforced resin construction

Proudly made in Italy

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

For use with oversized bottles or cargo of irregular shapes, the Struka is a great solution. Used with a standard cycling water bottle, it felt a touch over-engineered – adding an unnecessary level of complexity to an otherwise simple, timeless design – but its purpose goes beyond that.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

I liked the security offered by the Struka bottle cage when using oversized bottles or tool kegs. For everyday road riding, the design doesn't add much to the experience, but when mounted under a down tube on a bikepacking setup, or on a fork leg, the Struka comes into its own.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing particularly stood out as dislikable.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

At £22.99, it's quite expensive for a plastic bottle cage. However, with the addition of a steel wired dial – of which there are only a few alternative products out there – it's not bad value at all.

Use this box to explain your overall score

It's a bit overkill for everyday road riding, but I would definitely recommend this if you store bottles or tool kegs under your down tubes or on your fork legs for more gravel and adventure style riding. For those purposes, it's very good.