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On test: Arundel Mandible, December 12, 2008
The carbon bottle cage perfected
Even bottle cages aren’t safe from the move towards stiffer and lighter gear, according to Cyclingnews' technical editor James Huang.
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Carbon bottle cage master Arundel Bicycle Company improves on its excellent Dave-O design with the new Mandible. Thicker cross sections throughout yield a substantially stiffer and tighter hold for even less likelihood of bottle ejection than before, especially on rough trails or poorly maintained dirt roads.
Considering we have yet to lose a single vessel out of a Dave-O, it seems like we could fill even a large-sized bottle with osmium and it would still be soundly in a Mandible after doing the Megavalanche.
Yet in spite of the rock solid hold, it’s still easy to insert and remove bottles thanks to the intelligently designed shape. There’s a total lack of sharp edges to snag as well as a flared opening up top that smoothly guides bottles into the target - an admittedly small feature but a very useful one that many other carbon cages omit for one reason or another.
The Mandible is also lighter than the Dave-O at just 28g a piece though not by a whole lot. Just two grams separates the two, and Arundel had to work pretty hard to get there, using foam core construction usually reserved for fancier items such as carbon rims.
Naturally, that extra complexity also adds to the cost, to the tune of a heady US$64.95 each - US$15 more than the Dave-O. Still, given the Mandible’s unusually stout and secure hold, it almost seems like a relative bargain when pitted against some of the rest of its premium ultralight carbon cage competition.
Both the Elite Custom Carbon and Tacx Tao Carbon are far more expensive (as in about 100 percent and 50 percent more, respectively) yet neither grips a bottle quite as well. And let’s not forget Campagnolo’s Record Carbon cage at nearly three times the cost.
Treat yourself if you have the cash to spare or treat someone else if you know they would never indulge themselves. Either way, whoever ends up with the thing is bound to be happy with it.
Price: US$64.95
Weight: 28g
Pros: Ultra-secure hold matched with easy insertion and removal, feathery
weight
Cons: Expensive, compared to standard aluminum cages but not relative
to other premium offerings
Cyclingnews rating: 
More information: www.arundelbike.com
Photography
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Images by James Huang/Cyclingnews.com
- The new Mandible cage from Arundel is slightly lighter than even its own Dave-O yet offers an even tighter grip on bottles.
- Flared edges on the arms and a stiff lip up top help guide bottles into the cage and keep them in place.
- Two sets of holes provide some mounting flexibility.
Images by Arundel Bicycle Company
