Ron Andrews works his magic as the master craftsman behind the boutique bicycle bottle cage company, King Cage. Located in Durango, Colorado, the small, family-run, King Cage bends all of their cages by hand right in Ron’s basement garage using all USA-sourced materials. I’m a big fan and a long-time customer. So, when they reached out to ask if I’d like to review their unique new Stainless Steel Side Loader cage for the Haro Saguaro 1 I was reviewing, I was on board.
For those who have seen some of my builds, you may have noticed that their Iris Cage is usually my first choice.
First Inspection
Out of the box, it looked like a regular bottle cage, as nothing immediately stood out as a side-loader bottle cage. As I looked closer, I noticed that the back, mounting plate was angled with mounting holes off to the side.
The mounting holes on either side allow for using the cage on the right or the left, depending on how you grab your agua.
Mounting was simple. I was initially worried about the bottle getting in the way, but after mounting it, I saw that in my particular application, it didn’t.
I would imagine that my application, on the inside of the down tube, would be 90% of the applications for this cage.
Side Loader Out on The Trail
I know in the end, it’s just a water bottle cage, but using the Side Loader was a little bit of a game-changer, for me. Let me explain. Like most of us, I’ve always at the minimum, had a bottle cage on the inside of my down tube. In a tight frame, like the Haro Saguaro 1, or my RSD Middle Child, it’s always been fairly easy to get to, but tight.
For the Haro Saguaro 1, I initially installed and tried the King Cage Stainless Steel Bottle Lowering cage. I ran that cage on the bike for a few rides. It worked fine, but still felt a bit tight in the front triangle. After the first ride with the side King Cage Stainless Side Loader mounted, as you might expect, grabbing my water bottle was easy. In fact, reaching for my water bottle and putting it back while riding has never been easier.
Side Loader Retail, Go Get One
Retail: $30
In the grand scheme of things, it’s not a huge problem. But if you can’t efficiently use a traditional water bottle in your bicycle’s front triangle, then the King Cage Stainless Steel Side Loader is a great problem-solving product.
Stainless steel won’t mark up your bottles. It’s light and durable. It’s corrosion-resistant. Plus, it’s classy. The King Cage Stainless Steel Side Loader is handmade in Durango, Colorado, by a small family-owned company using 304 USA-sourced stainless steel.
Check out all of the cool King Cage goodies at the link below.
