Silca Ti cage - $70, really?!?

[Clancy]

Sorry, Silca makes some cool stuff no doubt but their advertising hype is often over the top and with their roll out of their new Ti cages, the BS machine has gone into warp drive.

I just can’t see where this thing is worth $70. Is one buying a truly innovative and improved product or perceived status and exclusivity?

Blackburn makes a killer cage that sells for $55. So is one paying 15% more for the name?

Sorry, I just don’t get it. But I also don’t get Rapha either. I find their advertising to be completely pretentious, but that’s a different rant.

Silca does make some very fine products so I won’t put them in the same league as Rapha, but their new cages are bumping up against them.

Forgive me, it’s been raining non stop here in The Texas Hill Country

[BikeNY]

But the mounting holes are slotted! Genius!

No thank you.

[AngryScientist]

i find threads like this unbecoming.

it's a premium niche product with premium niche pricing.

as you mention, there are plenty of alternatives, if this does not suit you, no pressure to buy. why start a thread to complain about a product that you neither need or intend to buy?

[dbnm]

Same price for the Moots Ti Cage
https://moots.myshopify.com/products/king-cage-water-bottle-cage

[ergott]

A Porsche and a Corvette are both excellent track cars. One costs a lot more.

They are both great cars with buyers lining up.

[FriarQuade]

The original titanium bottle cage, King Cage has been $60 for as long as I can remember. I don't think $70 is a stretch, especially since they are US made.

[93KgBike]

i find threads like this unbecoming.

it's a premium niche product with premium niche pricing.


Let the kids have their fun complaining. It's a $70 water bottle cage.

If that's not funny enough for you, the Silca homepage has a close-up picture of the cage with the text, "HANDMADE BY LASERS" printed over it in all caps 30pt font.

Handmade by lasers... lol. C'mon that's worthy of Monty Python.

[bicycletricycle]

It looks pretty nice. Not sure if it is $20 dollars better than the king Ti cage. I don't think $70 dollars is out of line with current "high end" cages, the nitto ones I like are about that much. On the other hand, the stainless king cages are really great and only $20 dollars.

[buddybikes]

Same people that buy 200.00 Rapha jerseys... But least made in US...

[R3awak3n]

look, silca can be overpriced, sure and people buying TI cages have the money for it because the SS cages do exactly the same thing and are less than half the price... but $70 is $10 more than king cage and it does come with TI bolts which usually cost a few bucks each so its barely more expensive than king and does have some nice features...

am I going to buy it? no... am I bitching and moaning about it? also no because I welcome variety in the market...

also the blackburn care for $55... is it made in the USA?

[R3awak3n]

It looks pretty nice. Not sure if it is $20 dollars better than the king Ti cage. I don't think $70 dollars is out of line with current "high end" cages, the nitto ones I like are about that much. On the other hand, the stainless king cages are really great and only $20 dollars.

I have bought the SS kings for as low as $13... they are a bargain and a great cage. Funny enough, and imo they are better looking than the TI cages... the TI cages are too thick and look weird on skinny steel bikes... they look fine on large tubed ti bikes

[Aaron O]

i find threads like this unbecoming.

it's a premium niche product with premium niche pricing.

as you mention, there are plenty of alternatives, if this does not suit you, no pressure to buy. why start a thread to complain about a product that you neither need or intend to buy?

I don't like broccoli.

I have bought the SS kings for as low as $13... they are a bargain and a great cage. Funny enough, and imo they are better looking than the TI cages... the TI cages are too thick and look weird on skinny steel bikes... they look fine on large tubed ti bikes

This is exactly right. I love the ti cages...on the right bike...but that bike is usually not a steel road one without OS tubing. I've gotten some incredibly good deals on the ti king cages at events he attends btw, and you can watch him make them.

[bicycletricycle]

I agree on both counts. SS King cages are one of the best values in cycling, they look good on just about anything and they work great. Also, the Ti tubular cages do look funny on skinny tube bicycles.

I have bought the SS kings for as low as $13... they are a bargain and a great cage. Funny enough, and imo they are better looking than the TI cages... the TI cages are too thick and look weird on skinny steel bikes... they look fine on large tubed ti bikes

[93KgBike]

HAND MADE BY LASERS, to hold your water bottle.

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.industrytap.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2013%2F11%2F2163.jpg&f=1

PS - I am not saying they're not worth $70...

PPS - Full disclosure - I have Ti Am. Class. cages on a bike. They weren't cheap. But they were cheaper.

[johnniecakes]

Most of my cages are the "2 for $20" variety from China via ebay. Several are 4 years old and hold the bottle nice and tight. My upper limit is $25 for a nice Tacx that matches the paint. It is just a bottle holder, it either holds it or doesn't.

[Bonesbrigade]

I do love my niche bike products, but I'm seriously trying to come up with any reason why I'd buy this over a SS King Iris cage for less than 20$. I guess if you are gram counting, then the 20g savings could sway somebody, but damn, that's a stretch.

[BikeNY]

Agree on the King SS cages, I have them on all of my bikes except one, which has King Ti cages. It's a bit harder to get bottles in and out of the Ti cages as the oversize tubing is stiffer. I prefer the SS ones, and have never dropped a bottle, even while mountain biking very rough terrain.

[colker]

I want to buy an ice cream.. but i need it to be a 100 dollar ice cream cone. I am not cheap and want the absolute best. Any tips? Thanks.

[93KgBike]

I want to buy an ice cream.. but i need it to be a 100 dollar ice cream cone. I am not cheap and want the absolute best. Any tips? Thanks.

Many of us are old enough to remember "premium water" at $20 per liter in the 80's. Or Benneton sweaters? Or the Swatch?

There was a $50 cup-o-coffee in LA back in the early oughts.

[avalonracing]

I want to buy an ice cream.. but i need it to be a 100 dollar ice cream cone. I am not cheap and want the absolute best. Any tips? Thanks.

I scoff at your $100 cone as my cone is superior at $125.

[johnniecakes]

Many of us are old enough to remember "premium water" at $20 per liter in the 80's. Or Benneton sweaters? Or the Swatch?

There was a $50 cup-o-coffee in LA back in the early oughts.

Others remember $0.29 gallon of gas, $0.19 hamburgers, $1.75 large pizza and $172.00 for a custom Bill Boston made from Reynolds 531

[godfrey1112000]

⛽️ 15.9 cent a gallon 1970 White Castle belly bombers 12 cents

[notsew]

http://flaminglips.com/media/cdn/p/229_11_12_05_220806.jpg

[Spaghetti Legs]

The last new bottle cages I bought were some white ones and some gold (colored) ones, $0.99 shipped from China. They’re pretty nice.

Somebody wants to spend $70 on a bottle cage and it makes him/her happy then fine by me.

[Mikej]

King Ti cages on all my bikes. In one summer my son lost 13 bottles mountain bike racing. And it’s not just the 10$ bottle cost, but the loss of important hydration and energy. Bit the bullet and tossed the Bontrager carbons for ti kings on his bike. Zero bottles lost since.

[Hellgate]

Let the kids have their fun complaining. It's a $70 water bottle cage.

If that's not funny enough for you, the Silca homepage has a close-up picture of the cage with the text, "HANDMADE BY LASERS" printed over it in all caps 30pt font.

Handmade by lasers... lol. C'mon that's worthy of Monty Python.I only buy cages made by sharks with fricken lasers.1697968067

[Dino Suegiù]

$70/each is very expensive, but does not seem so crazy, when compared with others of the same quality. The market seems to be at $65/each +, for titanium or good carbon-fiber bottle cages.

These Silca look beautiful, with the continuous center bar, nicer even than King (but that detail is invisible in real use, so is it worth $10 extra?).

I think that anything over the $60/pair for King or Arundel stainless or Elite, etc. (these titanium are $120/pair for King, $140 for Silca) is a lot of money, but on the other hand many people buy Arundel Mandible and other carbon-fiber cages which also cost $130 or more/pair, and nobody seems to complain about those very much.

Are King/Moots made in the same place? They look identical.

[simonov]

$70/each does not seem so crazy, when compared with others of the same quality.

The Silca look beautiful, with the continuous center bar, nicer even than King (but that detail is invisible in real use, so is it worth $10 extra?).

I think that over $60/pair for King or Arundel stainless or Elite, etc. (these titanium are $120/pair for King, $140 for Silca) is a lot of money, but on the other hand many people buy Arundel and other carbon-fiber cages which also cost $130 or more/pair, and nobody seems to complain about those much.

Are King/Moots made in the same place? They look identical.

The Moots cages are King cages blasted to match the Moots finish.

The Arundel Mandible is the best cage around, hands down. Even at a ridiculous price.

[Dino Suegiù]

The Moots cages are King cages blasted to match the Moots finish.

The Arundel Mandible is the best cage around, hands down. Even at a ridiculous price.

I see, thank you. And now they make black too?

That is what I mean: Mandible are great, but they too are $130 for two pieces.

[colker]

King Ti cages on all my bikes. In one summer my son lost 13 bottles mountain bike racing. And it’s not just the 10$ bottle cost, but the loss of important hydration and energy. Bit the bullet and tossed the Bontrager carbons for ti kings on his bike. Zero bottles lost since.

He needs a camelback.

[AngryScientist]

price aside,

i'll be interested in some real world feedback if these slip long term. the idea of two slots does not seem good to me. other cages with adjustability have employed one slot and one set of holes.

i dont care for the idea of two slots which rely on friction only to hold the cage in vertical position.

this method is, IMO, far superior, for an adjustable cage:

https://mswbike.com/img/product_images/WC3920_480px.jpg

[Dino Suegiù]

^
That is a valid point regarding holes versus slots, but regardless that particular MSW cage is incredibly ugly. Hideous.

[AngryScientist]

^
That is a valid point regarding holes versus slots, but regardless that particular MSW cage is incredibly ugly. Hideous.

oh agreed on the hideous part, just illustrating the smarter mounting points on that one.

[Avispa]

Sorry, Silca makes some cool stuff no doubt but their advertising hype is often over the top and with their roll out of their new Ti cages, the BS machine has gone into warp drive.

I just can’t see where this thing is worth $70. Is one buying a truly innovative and improved product or perceived status and exclusivity?

Blackburn makes a killer cage that sells for $55. So is one paying 15% more for the name?

Sorry, I just don’t get it. But I also don’t get Rapha either. I find their advertising to be completely pretentious, but that’s a different rant.

Silca does make some very fine products so I won’t put them in the same league as Rapha, but their new cages are bumping up against them.

Forgive me, it’s been raining non stop here in The Texas Hill Country

Hey,

Match that to a Rapha $20 water bottle and you'd all set!!! LOL

[Avispa]

^
That is a valid point regarding holes versus slots, but regardless that particular MSW cage is incredibly ugly. Hideous.

I was going to ask, is that cage for a Flintstones bike?

[simonov]

I see, thank you. And now they make black too?

That is what I mean: Mandible are great, but they too are $130 for two pieces.

I'm pretty sure the black king cages are coated by other outfits and resold.

[Butch]

The Angryasian on Instagram (James Huang of Cycling Tips) is testing both the Silca and the King cages. It will be interesting to see what he has to say.

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bohovu-h4PD/?hl=en&taken-by=angryasian

I'm OG all the way and like others have had such great success with the dozen King cages I have, I'll never change. Friends use friends' products.

I saw the Silca at Sea Otter, looks nice, asked if it was made out of CWSR or annealed grade 9 tubing but the guys in the tent did not know. Ron knows what his is made from and where the tubes were made too...

[charliedid]

https://youtu.be/yVcM79U46z8

[pdmtong]

love the moots blasted king ti on my CR.
one note: camelback podium bottles do not bottom out in the cage.

[Mikej]

He needs a camelback.

Camel backs are lame. No choice other than what you first put in, no cold water for over the head, 4-5 bottles a race is easy and out volumes a camel back.plus they are soo un-pro as the teens say these days-

[colker]

I will just say: money aside, the steel King cage is perfect. I like it better than ti for looks. Function is excellent. I have lost bottles on elite cages while bombing over cobblestones but the KIng steel holds them tight.

[earlfoss]

You spend 70 on $hiit you don't need every day just buy the bottle cage

[rustychisel]

Most of my cages are the "2 for $20" variety from China via ebay. Several are 4 years old and hold the bottle nice and tight. My upper limit is $25 for a nice Tacx that matches the paint. It is just a bottle holder, it either holds it or doesn't.

lol. This is definitely NOT the right attitude.

Does it hold the bottle with a certain insouciance? A jaunty devil-may-care way which mocks the ruts in life's highway? Dare I say it, a certain epic-ness?

[HenryA]

You spend 70 on $hiit you don't need every day just buy the bottle cage

Post of the year.

[Dino Suegiù]

You spend 70 on $hiit you don't need every day just buy the bottle cage

Ha ha ha! Monday, one $70 cage, Tuesday another $70 cage, still leaves Wednesday-Sunday for all the other $70 $hiit!

[oldpotatoe]

i find threads like this unbecoming.

It's a premium niche product with premium niche pricing.

As you mention, there are plenty of alternatives, if this does not suit you, no pressure to buy. Why start a thread to complain about a product that you neither need or intend to buy?

+1...:)

[Cat3roadracer]

All sold out. You vote with your dollar.

[fiamme red]

King ti cages are on sale for $45.95: https://www.bikebling.com/King-Titanium-Water-Bottle-Cage-p/kingcage-tibottle-cage.htm. Just sayin.' :)

[fiamme red]

Now in carbon: https://silca.cc/products/sicuro-carbon-bottle-cage.

Also new is a Super Pista digital pump: https://silca.cc/products/superpista-digital.

[Ralph]

Human nature is a funny thing. I've had things on E bay listed for a low price, and they wouldn't sell. So I just figured if they weren't selling at a low price, why not try a higher price? Raise up the "perceived" value. Sometimes things sell then. It works in vehicle pricing where all kinds of notions are involved in "perceived" value.

[Butch]

I recently read an article about the guy who started the Peloton stationary bike company. When he started it he was selling them for $1200 - couldn't sell them. Raised the price to $2000 and boom. People think they are getting more/better because they are paying more.

[fiamme red]

I recently read an article about the guy who started the Peloton stationary bike company. When he started it he was selling them for $1200 - couldn't sell them. Raised the price to $2000 and boom. People think they are getting more/better because they are paying more.https://finance.yahoo.com/news/peloton-ceo-says-sales-increased-raised-prices-2245-exercise-bike-132256225.html

Peloton CEO John Foley tells Yahoo Finance the profitable fitness startup saw sales of its in-home exercise bike actually increase after it raised the price to $2,245.

“It was interesting psychology that we teased out,” Foley recalls. “In the very, very early days, we charged $1,200 for the Peloton bike for the first couple of months. And what turned out happening is we heard from customers that the bike must be poorly built if you’re charging $1,200 for it. We charged $2,000 dollars for it, and sales increased, because people said, ‘Oh, it must be a quality bike.’”:rolleyes:

[joshatsilca]

Sorry to be late to the party, just now finding this thread!

I'm surprised to see so many people thinking this is out of line, the King Ti cages are $60, Wolftooth Ti Cages are $70 and the Supacaz Ti cages are $65, and none of them come with hardware. The SILCA cages come with US made, certified 6/4Ti bolts with oversized heads, probably the finest water bottle bolts ever offered, and an item that we sell a lot of as they improve performance of other cages as well. So relatively, I think we offer quite a lot of value in this category, and that's before you even consider the details like the laser welding technology used in the manufacturing of the product.

Whether or not you want or need Ti cages is another story altogether, but I can assure you that after building a US manufacturing facility, staffing it with skilled employees who make a living wage with benefits, all operating high quality custom machines, tooling, and aerospace laser welders, to stamp, form, cut, lathe turn, form the tube, deoxidize, butt weld, marry together, deoxidize again, plate weld, dimensionally inspect, and finally hand buff each cage for a total of more than 40 minutes of direct hand labor per cage across more than a dozen pieces of machinery, that if you were to come here and see it first hand you might wonder how the heck we can sell them for ONLY $70.

[54ny77]

Hey more power to ya!

Ignore the armchair naysayers in this here little corner of the internet bike bubble. They're not your customers. Those are really nice cages you're making, and here in the U.S. no less.

Best of continued success.


Sorry to be late to the party, just now finding this thread!

I'm surprised to see so many people thinking this is out of line, the King Ti cages are $60, Wolftooth Ti Cages are $70 and the Supacaz Ti cages are $65, and none of them come with hardware. The SILCA cages come with US made, certified 6/4Ti bolts with oversized heads, probably the finest water bottle bolts ever offered, and an item that we sell a lot of as they improve performance of other cages as well. So relatively, I think we offer quite a lot of value in this category, and that's before you even consider the details like the laser welding technology used in the manufacturing of the product.

Whether or not you want or need Ti cages is another story altogether, but I can assure you that after building a US manufacturing facility, staffing it with skilled employees who make a living wage with benefits, all operating high quality custom machines, tooling, and aerospace laser welders, to stamp, form, cut, lathe turn, form the tube, deoxidize, butt weld, marry together, deoxidize again, plate weld, dimensionally inspect, and finally hand buff each cage for a total of more than 40 minutes of direct hand labor per cage across more than a dozen pieces of machinery, that if you were to come here and see it first hand you might wonder how the heck we can sell them for ONLY $70.

[gdw]

"Whether or not you want or need Ti cages is another story altogether, but I can assure you that after building a US manufacturing facility, staffing it with skilled employees who make a living wage with benefits, all operating high quality custom machines, tooling, and aerospace laser welders, to stamp, form, cut, lathe turn, form the tube, deoxidize, butt weld, marry together, deoxidize again, plate weld, dimensionally inspect, and finally hand buff each cage for a total of more than 40 minutes of direct hand labor per cage across more than a dozen pieces of machinery, that if you were to come here and see it first hand you might wonder how the heck we can sell them for ONLY $70"

Wow.

[ergott]

Sorry to be late to the party, just now finding this thread!

I'm surprised to see so many people thinking this is out of line, the King Ti cages are $60, Wolftooth Ti Cages are $70 and the Supacaz Ti cages are $65, and none of them come with hardware. The SILCA cages come with US made, certified 6/4Ti bolts with oversized heads, probably the finest water bottle bolts ever offered, and an item that we sell a lot of as they improve performance of other cages as well. So relatively, I think we offer quite a lot of value in this category, and that's before you even consider the details like the laser welding technology used in the manufacturing of the product.

Whether or not you want or need Ti cages is another story altogether, but I can assure you that after building a US manufacturing facility, staffing it with skilled employees who make a living wage with benefits, all operating high quality custom machines, tooling, and aerospace laser welders, to stamp, form, cut, lathe turn, form the tube, deoxidize, butt weld, marry together, deoxidize again, plate weld, dimensionally inspect, and finally hand buff each cage for a total of more than 40 minutes of direct hand labor per cage across more than a dozen pieces of machinery, that if you were to come here and see it first hand you might wonder how the heck we can sell them for ONLY $70.

I'm glad you replied. :beer:

[EliteVelo]

I'm glad you replied. :beer:

Agreed

[zap]

I stopped by the Silca booth in Philly the other week just to look at the ti cage.

As a long time owner of several King ti cages (have what-8 in the house) I'm impressed with the quality of welds and overall finish.

[ColonelJLloyd]

I was going to ask, is that cage for a Flintstones bike?

I use one on my MTB. Looks fine. Very useful for making room for two large bottles in a MTB triangle.

[m4rk540]

Damn, now I really need to buy something actually overpriced to go with those cages. A ti bike.

Lovely items under $100 are lovely.

[hellvetica]

Maybe if you're cage didn't look pretty much identical to the KING cage, you'd have an easier time justifying it. Don't act so "surprised."

https://www.avt.bike/WebStore/graphics/00000001/King-Cage-bicycle-water-bottle-cage-titanium.jpg

https://merlincycles-img.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/productImage_470_470_ffffff_image-jpeg/39891_silca_sicuro_titanium_bottle_cage.jpg

[R3awak3n]

Maybe if you're cage didn't look pretty much identical to the KING cage, you'd have an easier time justifying it. Don't act so "surprised."

https://www.avt.bike/WebStore/graphics/00000001/King-Cage-bicycle-water-bottle-cage-titanium.jpg

https://merlincycles-img.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/productImage_470_470_ffffff_image-jpeg/39891_silca_sicuro_titanium_bottle_cage.jpg

I mean, its a bottle cage, they all look the same.

[Dino Suegiù]

Sorry to be late to the party, just now finding this thread!

I'm surprised to see so many people thinking this is out of line, the King Ti cages are $60, Wolftooth Ti Cages are $70 and the Supacaz Ti cages are $65, and none of them come with hardware. The SILCA cages come with US made, certified 6/4Ti bolts with oversized heads, probably the finest water bottle bolts ever offered, and an item that we sell a lot of as they improve performance of other cages as well. So relatively, I think we offer quite a lot of value in this category, and that's before you even consider the details like the laser welding technology used in the manufacturing of the product.

Whether or not you want or need Ti cages is another story altogether, but I can assure you that after building a US manufacturing facility, staffing it with skilled employees who make a living wage with benefits, all operating high quality custom machines, tooling, and aerospace laser welders, to stamp, form, cut, lathe turn, form the tube, deoxidize, butt weld, marry together, deoxidize again, plate weld, dimensionally inspect, and finally hand buff each cage for a total of more than 40 minutes of direct hand labor per cage across more than a dozen pieces of machinery, that if you were to come here and see it first hand you might wonder how the heck we can sell them for ONLY $70.
Thank you for taking the time to reply here, at length.
As previously mentioned the prices are not exorbitant at all.

Never mind the naysayers.

[Dino Suegiù]

I mean, its a bottle cage, they all look the same.

No kidding. The level of negativity on this forum is sometimes really astounding, and pointless.

Titanium frames look pretty much the same too. So do bicycle forks. So do wheels. So do stems, posts, handlebars. Ad infinitum, etc.

There are only so many ways to make a cat, and at least the King/Moots/Silca are much better looking cats than that MSW abomination.
Purr....

[Big Dan]

Still don't needed.

[93KgBike]

...you're [sic] cage didn't look pretty much identical...

https://www.avt.bike/WebStore/graphics/00000001/King-Cage-bicycle-water-bottle-cage-titanium.jpg

https://merlincycles-img.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/productImage_470_470_ffffff_image-jpeg/39891_silca_sicuro_titanium_bottle_cage.jpg
https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bike24.com%2Fi%2Fp%2F5%2F4%2F 38345_00_d.jpg&f=1

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikepartsplace.com%2Fimages%2F med%2F31158556.jpg&f=1

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP. ee8ckOGYsiAAQQw533TlaAHaHa%26pid%3D15.1&f=1

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroasiaimports.com%2Fproductc art%2Fpc%2Fcatalog%2Famericanclassictitanium_2236_ general.jpg&f=1

100% agree with R3awak3n. And revise to agree with Angry Scientist.

What is this thread doing back ay the top?????

[EliteVelo]

i find threads like this unbecoming.

it's a premium niche product with premium niche pricing.

as you mention, there are plenty of alternatives, if this does not suit you, no pressure to buy. why start a thread to complain about a product that you neither need or intend to buy?

Again, agreed! Just don't buy the product. The Ti cages I offer, as attached, are double the aforementioned.

[nmrt]

there are others out there, actually. :)https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bike24.com%2Fi%2Fp%2F5%2F4%2F 38345_00_d.jpg&f=1

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bikepartsplace.com%2Fimages%2F med%2F31158556.jpg&f=1

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Ftse4.mm.bing.net%2Fth%3Fid%3DOIP. ee8ckOGYsiAAQQw533TlaAHaHa%26pid%3D15.1&f=1

https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.euroasiaimports.com%2Fproductc art%2Fpc%2Fcatalog%2Famericanclassictitanium_2236_ general.jpg&f=1

100% agree with R3awak3n. And revise to agree with Angry Scientist.

What is this thread doing back ay the top?????

[m4rk540]

Again, agreed! Just don't buy the product. The Ti cages I offer, as attached, are double the aforementioned.

But those have a purpose. If they didn't match the outrageously irrational price of the bike, the owner would feel ripped off. :p

[EliteVelo]

But those have a purpose. If they didn't match the outrageously irrational price of the bike, the owner would feel ripped off. :p
Irrational????
Appreciate the dialogue....however, as all builders know, and I hope you chime in, the last custom frame I ordered took over 400 man hours. At a price a hair shy of 5K, that's more than likely less than what most people make/hr. Again....leave it alone or just don't order. Know your facts or move on.

[m4rk540]

I thought Ti Legends were 10k USD. If I'm off by 5 grand, I appreciate the correction. As for the word, irrational, I used it as a social scientist or bad economist. Veblen goods and all that.

https://www.economicshelp.org/blog/790/economics/different-types-of-goods-inferior-normal-luxury/

[peanutgallery]

Get a storefront and you can buy the cage for quite a few $ less. Argument over

Josh is what I would consider a "good guy" in the industry. If you want a deal...man up and put the the $ where it matters. Easy, peezy

[I Want Sachs?]

Sorry, Silca makes some cool stuff no doubt but their advertising hype is often over the top and with their roll out of their new Ti cages, the BS machine has gone into warp drive.

I just can’t see where this thing is worth $70. Is one buying a truly innovative and improved product or perceived status and exclusivity?

Blackburn makes a killer cage that sells for $55. So is one paying 15% more for the name?

Sorry, I just don’t get it. But I also don’t get Rapha either. I find their advertising to be completely pretentious, but that’s a different rant.

Silca does make some very fine products so I won’t put them in the same league as Rapha, but their new cages are bumping up against them.

Forgive me, it’s been raining non stop here in The Texas Hill Country

You paid $55 for a cage from Blackburn? Crazy! I got this for $5 https://www.blackburndesign.com/cages/comp-bottle-cage-4.html

[jtbadge]

You paid $55 for a cage from Blackburn? Crazy! I got this for $5 https://www.blackburndesign.com/cages/comp-bottle-cage-4.html

$55 for ti tho

https://www.blackburndesign.com/swerve-titanium-bottle-cage.html

[I Want Sachs?]

Got it.

My point was that $55 calling $70 expensive, when $5 can serve the same function.

It is basically how one justifies what is value. Everyone is free to spend how they please. I definitely would buy the $70 from Silca before $55 from Blackburn if I was going Titanium at all.

[pdmtong]

"Whether or not you want or need Ti cages is another story altogether, but I can assure you that after building a US manufacturing facility, staffing it with skilled employees who make a living wage with benefits, all operating high quality custom machines, tooling, and aerospace laser welders, to stamp, form, cut, lathe turn, form the tube, deoxidize, butt weld, marry together, deoxidize again, plate weld, dimensionally inspect, and finally hand buff each cage for a total of more than 40 minutes of direct hand labor per cage across more than a dozen pieces of machinery, that if you were to come here and see it first hand you might wonder how the heck we can sell them for ONLY $70"

Wow.
as the head of the company what do you expect him to say? at least josh spoke objectively and did not try to "sell" with subjective commentary.

FWIW I dont find the mounting slot approach of the silca useful, and I like the cleaner mounting points of the king. cool the silca has bolts, but the basic ones I have are just fine for my builds. the only ti cage I see wanting I already have - it's the moots blasted king on my Moots CR. the other metal bikes get king iris....

[ChristianWong]

Got it.

My point was that $55 calling $70 expensive, when $5 can serve the same function.

It is basically how one justifies what is value. Everyone is free to spend how they please. I definitely would buy the $70 from Silca before $55 from Blackburn if I was going Titanium at all.

I would argue that it's not the same function. A while back, I launched my last bottle from a Blackburn stainless cage and now only Kings are allowed in my house. I'd certainly bend the rule for a Silca. I think the price is within reason, especially with Ti bolts included (if that's your thing).

[simonov]

I would argue that it's not the same function. A while back, I launched my last bottle from a Blackburn stainless cage and now only Kings are allowed in my house. I'd certainly bend the rule for a Silca. I think the price is within reason, especially with Ti bolts included (if that's your thing).

I'd add that everyone I know with the blackburn Ti cages has had them break from regular use. King cages on the other hand....

[mdeth1313]

I'm in - they got me with this: butt weld, marry together

[squall1]

Got my pair the other day. Worth the money imo and have better finishing than King Ti which I also have a couple sets of. Quite happy with them and happy to support those making them.

[jpritchet74]

If you don't care about the sweet ti bolts they have some display cages on sale at $49 each.

https://silca.cc/collections/velo-sale/products/sicuro-titanium-bottle-cage-no-packaging-hardware

[joshatsilca]

Sorry, the dozen or so of those we had sold super fast!! We refresh our tradeshow and demo fleet 2x per year and offer the samples to members of our email list.

We also offer that list cool contests and such, this year we gave away some custom tool kits, 2 signed Peter Sagan jerseys and the sister pump to Peter Sagan's personal 2018 pump that the team had painted for him!

If you want to sign up you can do so HERE (https://silca.cc/pages/subscribe)

http://i65.tinypic.com/286v7y8.jpg

[Alaska Mike]

I was glad I got a pair of those cages while I had the chance. Almost jumped at a few tools, but decided to restrain myself this time around.

[bikinchris]

I have bought the SS kings for as low as $13... they are a bargain and a great cage. Funny enough, and imo they are better looking than the TI cages... the TI cages are too thick and look weird on skinny steel bikes... they look fine on large tubed ti bikes

Stainless is less likely to mark bottles than Ti. It weighs pretty much the same and costs less.

[happycampyer]

I picked up a pair at the Philly Bike Expo at special show pricing, so that was nice. I have a dozen or so King cages on different bikes, including some of the Moots bead-blasted ones, and I have to say that the Silca cages are clearly more refined in their fabrication. The welds and joints are cleaner.

Josh P wasn’t at the Philly show (or at least not when I stopped by), but I had a chance to speak with him at the NAHBS in Hartford. It is clear that Josh is about as big a tech geek (in a good way) as they get. An enormous amount of thought goes into everything he designs.

These threads about relative value get a bit tiresome. It’s possible to buy an entire bike for the price of a pair of King cages. The whole industry is ridiculous if you put it in that perspective. Moots’ RSL stem is $600, and their standard stem is $425. A firefly stem is $350, a relative bargain!

[froze]

Silca is riding the wave of gouging cyclists because they can and people will pay. But if you absolutely must have a TI cage and nothing else will satisfy you then look at an Andrews King, theirs is only $59. Blackburn also makes one for $54 which looks just as good as the others and weighs less than the Silca, for the money this wants looks nicer than the others, so this is the one I would get...but I wouldn't buy a TI cage!

[m4rk540]

I just spent $80 on two sours and an imperial stout, tip included. I wish artisanal beer were as affordable as artisanal bicycle components.

[Tony]

Silca is riding the wave of gouging cyclists because they can and people will pay. But if you absolutely must have a TI cage and nothing else will satisfy you then look at an Andrews King, theirs is only $59. Blackburn also makes one for $54 which looks just as good as the others and weighs less than the Silca, for the money this wants looks nicer than the others, so this is the one I would get...but I wouldn't buy a TI cage!

Good people. Replaced Two Ti cages that were intentionally damaged.

[froze]

I just spent $80 on two sours and an imperial stout, tip included. I wish artisanal beer were as affordable as artisanal bicycle components.

Russian Imperial Stout is my favorite beer, I only buy dark beer when I'm at a restaurant, if they don't dark beer I don't buy any beer.

[pdmtong]

I picked up a pair at the Philly Bike Expo at special show pricing, so that was nice. I have a dozen or so King cages on different bikes, including some of the Moots bead-blasted ones, and I have to say that the Silca cages are clearly more refined in their fabrication. The welds and joints are cleaner.

Josh P wasn’t at the Philly show (or at least not when I stopped by), but I had a chance to speak with him at the NAHBS in Hartford. It is clear that Josh is about as big a tech geek (in a good way) as they get. An enormous amount of thought goes into everything he designs.

These threads about relative value get a bit tiresome. It’s possible to buy an entire bike for the price of a pair of King cages. The whole industry is ridiculous if you put it in that perspective. Moots’ RSL stem is $600, and their standard stem is $425. A firefly stem is $350, a relative bargain!


Looks like despite my grumbling I'll be buying a pair at nahbs in 2019

[mtechnica]

I just spent $80 on two sours and an imperial stout, tip included. I wish artisanal beer were as affordable as artisanal bicycle components.

Man I buy some expensive beer but $80 for 3 beers even with an excessive tip is more than I’ve spent... lol

[mtechnica]

Also king SS iris cages ftw

[Wakatel_Luum]

King cage - one man show
Silca cage - a team of employees?

Regardless they’re just bottle cages...all overpriced imo...

Ps: I have King Ti & SS on all my bikes ;)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pdonk]

I've got the moots blasted cages on my moots, got them as a gift. Would I replace them with the same ones if I needed to - yes.

Ended up going with the ss version for the speedvagen though as the cost to aesthetics was not there for that bike.

I also have the SS Kings on my mtbs, they just look right.

[froze]

I do own a pair of SS King cages, they are nice looking, and they've held up really well, but they do have a fault, after about a season of putting bottles in and out repeatedly they bend, so I have to bend them back to make sure they hold the bottles securely. The best cheapest cages I have are the Bontrager RL, they hold up really well, hold the bottles very securely, fairly light at 39 grams, come in huge variety of colors, and they only cost $20 which for a piece of plastic seems high but they work far better than aluminum cages which suck. I also have a pair of Specialized S Works CF Rib II cages, which I got on sale for 1/2 price otherwise I would have never spent $55 each! They also hold the bottles real securely.

[SlowPokePete]

I've got a lot of King cages....about six ti ones (just bought a new "bottle-lowering cage" direct from them about a month ago), couple Irises, and maybe four more in ss.

I contacted Ron about one of my ti cages that has worn through...yup, a hole in the ti tube.

I pointed out my loyalty to his brand and the number of cages I have bought from him over the past years

After contacting Ron, he asked for a pic, which I sent.

It took him almost two weeks of back and forth emails every few days to finally say "cages are wear items, like tires and drivetrains. What is it that you want?"

I had already clearly told him what I want.

I asked for a warranty, or at least a discount on replacement.

Pretty disappointing.

And really, do people expect a water bottle cage to wear out like a bike tire?

So my thinking is...for an extra $10, you get ti bolts and a real warranty, from Silca.

I get it that Ron is not making a killing selling cages, but at least he should...

*recognize who his competition is (Silca)
*treat long time customers a little better?
*understand that after two weeks of emails a snarky reply is kind of offensive

Next time I'll spend an extra $10 and get the Silca.

Ron should read the Stew Leonard's rule book.

SPP™

[parallelfish]

I asked for a warranty, or at least a discount on replacement.

Pretty disappointing.

And really, do people expect a water bottle cage to wear out like a bike tire?



I believe that your expectations are pretty unreasonable. Of course bottle cages are wear items. A bit of abrasion occurs each time a bottle is inserted or removed. I would not expect a manufacturer, who had not indicated a lifetime warranty, to replace items that I had worn out.

[OtayBW]

I don't know that I've ever seen a bottle cage even come close to wearing out in 30+ years of cycling, so I'm kind of surprised. However, if there's no warranty, I guess it would be unrealistic to expect a replacement. Still, I'm guessing that some kind of 'good faith accomodation' by the vendor might be good from a marketing/PR kind of persective. I don't know the details of all this, so who knows ... maybe I'm just flapping my gums. :rolleyes:

[YoKev]

I had a mounting bracket on a second hand Ti King Cage fail.

After a simple exchange of emails, I sent it to Ron and he fixed it for free. I got it back about two months later.

Customer. For. Life.

[froze]

Gee, wearing out a cage is weird, I've broken aluminum cages from repeatedly bending them back to hold a bottle securely and of course AL doesn't like to be bent repeatedly so snap. Most of the reason I replace plastic cages is because they get nasty looking over time and cleaning doesn't do a darn thing so I toss them. I have stainless steel King cages that I've had for roughly 25 years, and during those 25 some odd years I put on that particular bike about 100,000 miles on the cages and they still look fine, no wear, plastic bottle wore out but not the cages. So needless to say I find it extremely odd you wore out your cages...UNLESS you use stainless steel bottles, then maybe those could do that. But like Chris King said, it's a wear item, you got your use out of it now it's done, time to buy another, doesn't matter to me what brand you bought, whatever makes you happy, but don't go blaming Chris King for your failure to be rational.

[nmrt]

What does Chris King have in common with King Cages?

Gee, wearing out a cage is weird, I've broken aluminum cages from repeatedly bending them back to hold a bottle securely and of course AL doesn't like to be bent repeatedly so snap. Most of the reason I replace plastic cages is because they get nasty looking over time and cleaning doesn't do a darn thing so I toss them. I have stainless steel King cages that I've had for roughly 25 years, and during those 25 some odd years I put on that particular bike about 100,000 miles on the cages and they still look fine, no wear, plastic bottle wore out but not the cages. So needless to say I find it extremely odd you wore out your cages...UNLESS you use stainless steel bottles, then maybe those could do that. But like Chris King said, it's a wear item, you got your use out of it now it's done, time to buy another, doesn't matter to me what brand you bought, whatever makes you happy, but don't go blaming Chris King for your failure to be rational.

[John H.]

I have owned King cages for almost 20 years- I may have my original cages. Don't really know because they all look the same.
A couple years ago I broke one- To be fair, I was bending it because I didn't think it was tight enough.
Then I found a crack in a weld in another- Likely more than 10 years old.

I contacted Ron- He gave me one cage for free for warranty- If I would have pushed he would have given me a 2nd. Instead he gave me a 2nd cage for $10-

He also suggested that I turn the broken ones into bottle cage openers- And directed me to a page that showed how to do this.

I say Ron does get it- Maybe you just caught him on a bad day, or the internet translation of what you wanted did not work out with him?
Tone and intent do not always come out on email.



I've got a lot of King cages....about six ti ones (just bought a new "bottle-lowering cage" direct from them about a month ago), couple Irises, and maybe four more in ss.

I contacted Ron about one of my ti cages that has worn through...yup, a hole in the ti tube.

I pointed out my loyalty to his brand and the number of cages I have bought from him over the past years

After contacting Ron, he asked for a pic, which I sent.

It took him almost two weeks of back and forth emails every few days to finally say "cages are wear items, like tires and drivetrains. What is it that you want?"

I had already clearly told him what I want.

I asked for a warranty, or at least a discount on replacement.

Pretty disappointing.

And really, do people expect a water bottle cage to wear out like a bike tire?

So my thinking is...for an extra $10, you get ti bolts and a real warranty, from Silca.

I get it that Ron is not making a killing selling cages, but at least he should...

*recognize who his competition is (Silca)
*treat long time customers a little better?
*understand that after two weeks of emails a snarky reply is kind of offensive

Next time I'll spend an extra $10 and get the Silca.

Ron should read the Stew Leonard's rule book.

SPP™

[froze]

I looked at those Silca Sicuro TI cages and they look exactly like King ti cages, so I don't see how those will last any longer then King, the only thing you get to do by going to Silca is to test out their warranty when the cage wears out, it could go good or it could go bad for you, let us know. I couldn't find my warranty info on my King stainless cages and I couldn't find it on the internet, but Silca is 25 years.