A bottle cage isn't always just a bottle cage – the monkii is designed for those who don't want to be limited to sports bidons. The monkii straps to whatever shape or size bottle and uses a cleat system to attach to the frame’s bidon bosses. You then slide the whole cage off the cleats to get to your drink.
It’s a clever idea, and it worked respectably well for certain styles of riding. The monkii cage’s velcro strap, flexible plastic and rubber anti-slip pads held onto all sorts of bottles – from bottled water or cola to beer or bikewash.
The downside was that the monkii wasn’t really up to off-road use. A single large impact was enough to send the monkii flying. Once it got a little sand on it, the monkii would jam and it took a fair bit of force to get it to let go off its cleats.
When the monkii was grit-free, removing the cage was easy enough, only slightly firmer to release than a normal bidon cage. We quickly adapted to reaching for the bottle without having to look. Placing the monkii back in place took a bit practice, but before long we were able to engage the cleats without much thought.
Both the cage and cleats proved durable, despite their plastic construction. Spare cleats are available, so swapping the cage between bikes can be done at a lesser cost.
At 45g including cleats and bolts (the cage alone is 34g), the plastic monkii cage isn't overly heavy and is lighter than other adjustable type cages.
While we still believe a standard bidon cage is faster, lighter and more secure, the monkii opens options and is perfectly suited to touring, commuting or recreational cyclists who aren’t keen on sports bidons.