I absolutely love the fidlock clasp and bottle holder on the recently reviewed Collins Cycle Works Hip Pack so I was happy when Ison Distribution sent me a fidlock bottle and toolbox to try out.
Both items come with a magnet embedded strip of plastic that I guess you could say takes the place of the traditional bottle cage. Of course though there’s no “cage”. Both the bottle and toolbox have an integrated mount built into the bottom. This also contains a magnet and when you place the bottle or box over the strip they come together with a very satisfying click and are then held very securely. To release the bottle or box simply twist to one side and the magnets disengage.
The Twist bottle holds 590ml of liquid, has a self sealing mouthpiece and a cover to stop the part you drink out of getting covered in mud. It’s a very soft squeezy material with a wide opening screw off top. It works just like any bottle but because of the self sealing cap you do hve to give it a good squeeze to get the liquid flow going. The wide lid makes it easy to clean.
On the bike the clip on/twist off technique soon becomes second nature but you do have to look down to make sure the magnets are in the vicinity of each other before letting go! I had a couple of occasions where I missed and dropped the bottle. Once you dial in the technique though it becomes second nature
The Twist Toolbox works in exactly the same way but obviously you won’t be removing and replacing it as often as the bottle. It’s made from a water repellent material, which is just as well as I mounted it under the down tube in the way of spray from the front wheel. Despite the weather’s best efforts the interior has remained dry. It will take up to 550ml of kit. It has a zip opening and opens like a clam shell. There’s a few of elastic strips and a mesh section to hold tools steady and I’ve got an inner tube (full size mtb) tyre levers, a multitool and a tubeless repair kit in it. It has never detached itself from the bike but because the part that attaches to the bike frame is quite narrow and the toolbox quite wide and full of kit there’s is some noticable wobble.
The bottle is very neat and allows for a very clean looking set up on the bike, drinking wise it’s the same as any other bottle, the twist system really works. You would need to commit to the fidlock system though as if you were to be handed a standard bottle in say a race situation there’s nowhere to put it. Theres also a financial element too as the bottle and mount are quite expensive. You can get kits to convert your normal bottles to the twist system though.
The toolbox works brilliantly and if you had more than one bike you could swap tools quickly between them if you had a mount on each frame.
The Fidlock Twist bottle and Toolbox, two pieces of great functioning and good looking kit but it’s best to go full Fidlock to get the most out of the concept.
Find more Fidlock products on their website
UK GRAVEL COLLECTIVE 