Tacx Tao Bottle Cage: The BSC Verdict
Every now and then, a product comes along that changes how we think about cycling and ourselves. Sometimes crazy, frequently debated, yet historically unforgettable, these products are the game-changers, the catalysts, the beacons of change — STI shifters, carbon-fibre frames, tapered head tubes. These are the technologies that shift how we think about this ancient, beautiful sport.
The Tacx Tao Aluminum cage ($24) is one of these products.
Built from only the finest sourced aluminum, the Tao weighs a scant 39 grams. For a fully “encircled” cage (re: a performance cage with no “split” separation the cage radius), that weight is impressive.
Installation was quick and easy. Simply remove the two “water bottle bolts” from the frame in question, align the bottle with the frame, and re-install each of the “water bottle bolts.” Be sure not to over-tighten the bolts.
So, the real question: how does the Tacx Tao perform? Simply put, this is the bottle cage that we’ve always been promised. When we imagine the future of cycling, the Tacx Tao is the kind of product that we see our 28th century cybernetic selves using — lightweight, brilliantly engineered, it’s a thing of beauty. Bottle engagements are seamless — forget about having to do that initial “tug” on the bottle. Despite being held extremely firmly, removing or inserting your bottle is silky smooth. Think of this cage as less of a “cage,” and more as a biomechanical utopian cave for your hydration vehicle of choice.
Lightweight, affordable, attractive, rattle-free, and offering the piece-of-mind that only a product this fine can achieve, this is an important new piece of kit amidst the always-cluttered cycling technology landscape.