Tailfin Cargo Cage

The attention to detail that has gone into the design of the Tailfin Cargo Cage is evident as soon as you pick it up. Yes, it's expensive, but it's well made, from 7075-T6 aluminium, it won't get in the way, and it won't let you down.

Cargo cages have been around since Salsa released the Anything Cage in 2010. In essence, they provide a way to attach cylindrical objects that don't fit in a bottle cage to your bike. They are usually mounted to bottle bosses that can be found on the top and bottom of the down tube and on the fork of more adventure-orientated bikes.

> Buy this online here

You can also find three cage mounts on the legs of Tailfin's own X Three pannier rack, or you can buy an AP mount to attach a Cargo Cage to Tailfin's trunk top bag. 

Tailfin's small Cargo Cage, which I'm reviewing here, has three M5 slots, which are spaced for bottle cage mounts. On a normal two-bolt bottle cage inside the frame's triangle, that gives you two positions, space allowing. Or you can use all three if you have them inside the frame, or on your fork.

If you don't use all three, the Cargo Cage comes with a paint protection rubber bung just in case your chosen place of mounting means there's a chance of the cage touching your frame or fork.

That is just one little detail that reveals how much thought Tailfin has put into this Cargo Cage's design.

Another is the detachable foot (Tailfin calls it the 'load chip'), converting the cage into an L-shape. With the foot, heavier items like big Nalgene or Klean Kanteen bottles are better supported, and easier to mount. Without it, you can mount longer items, like tent poles for example.

The load chip fits securely into a slot; if it was made from wood, you'd call it a mortise-and-tenon joint. An M4x10 Allen bolt stops the load chip sliding out – but it's the aluminium cage construction that takes the strain. That load chip, by the way, also works as a bottle opener.

The passion that has gone into the CAD drawings for these is further evident in the finish of the cages: there isn't a sharp edge anywhere, and chamfer sizes vary as appropriate to function and aesthetics. The cage won't damage your frame, your hands or whatever you strap to them. I did a product design degree at uni and this is the kind of object we would have used as a case study for Doing It Right.

The Cargo Cage has a slim profile, keeping the load tight to the bike to reduce strain on the mounting points as much as possible.

I haven't seen any calculations, but when Tailfin says that load capacity is 5kg per cage for road use, and 3kg for off-road use, I trust that they will be good for that, and for many adventures.

At 60g on the road.cc Scales of Truth for the small cargo cage (plus 11g for the load chip), the weight is negligible. There's not really any functional reason to take these off the bike when you're not planning to use them. With the slim profile, even mounted on forks there's not much chance of the cages getting caught on anything.

Tailfin supplied us with two cargo cages and two pairs of 20in Voile straps. I tested the cages in the normal bottle cage position on the down tube and on both sides of the fork with 1.5-litre Nalgene bottles, and with Alpkit dry bags, on a mixture of roads, potholed lanes and gravelly byways. The Cargo Cages took all this in their stride without batting an eyelid. The load feels as if it's part of the bike, there's no play or flex anywhere. Basically bombproof.

The 15in Voile straps would probably be easily long enough, but for the £2.50 extra cost for the longer ones, I'd go for those. The extra length can be tucked away securely behind the cage in the unused strap slots, and at 55g for a pair of 20in straps, the extra weight is insignificant.

You can buy the cage with or without the Voile straps. This review isn't about the straps – we reviewed them on off.road.cc a few years ago – but they are so good that I'd recommend you get some if you're thinking of buying a Cargo Cage. While they started life more than 30 years ago as a backcountry skiing accessory, they're universally liked by bikepackers for their versatility and durability.

> Buyer’s Guide: 23 of the best bikepacking bags

At £39 each without straps, or £56.50 with a pair of 20in Voile straps, these are not cheap. The Free Parable Gorilla Cage we reviewed a while ago retails for £24.95 and comes with straps. However, it's not made from aluminium, it's not as versatile, and Shaun didn't sound like he particularly trusted it to be durable.

Looking at cargo cages we haven't reviewed, Topeak's Versacage, Blackburn's Outpost Cargo Cage and Salsa's Anything Cage are all cheaper, especially if you consider that they come with straps. None of them look as well designed to me, though, nor are those straps made by Voile.

> 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike

The King ManyThing Cage is around the same price as the Tailfin Cargo Cage (once you include the straps), it's lighter and made from titanium. It's not as versatile as the Tailfin, though, as it's a permanent L-shape so wouldn't carry long objects as well.

As with most things in life, you get what you pay for. Tailfin's Cargo Cage is expensive. It's also well made, versatile, a joy to use, and no doubt will go the distance.

Verdict

Well-made cage that works perfectly and will last a long time, though more expensive than most