While most water bottle setups require a separate water bottle cage to hold a bottle in place on a bike, FIDLOCK’s TWIST are a cageless design. FIDLOCK incorporates a magnetic receiver onto special FIDLOCK bottles with a matching magnetic base that is attached to the bike. It’s a clever design that uses magnets to pull the bottle in place onto the bike while a twist is used to remove it from the base. FIDLOCK offers a range of bottles from 450-800 mL with retail prices ranging from $44.99 to $59.99 which includes the TWIST mounting base. The bottles are dishwasher safe and are constructed from BPA and BPS free material.
The FIDLOCK TWIST is a clever cageless water bottle design that uses magnets and slots to hold bottles securely in place.
| Retail Price | $44.99 – $59.99 |
| Rating | 8.2 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 111 (590mL) / 125 (750mL) / 23 (bike base) |
| Likes | + Cageless design for a minimalist look + Magnets make placing bottle in place seamless + Leak proof and high-flow valve design |
| Dislikes | – No insulated bottles or graphic options – Requires a bulky adapter to use with standard bottles |
| Where to Buy (US) | FIDLOCK |
MOUNTING
The FIDLOCK TWIST bottles use the brand’s TWIST magnetic bike base. It is a clever design that uses two magnets and a center peg to help lineup the base and the receiver. The design uses a combination of magnets to quickly snap the bottle in place and mechanical force with beveled edges and a center peg to lock the bottle in place. That means the bottle is held in place with mechanical force and not just magnets which ensures the bottle won’t fall off. There is a matching receiver that is integrated into the bottle with magnets and slots that match the base. FIDLOCK also sells a strap-on receiver which would allow this base to be used with any water bottle but it is fairly bulky so we expect most people will stick to FIDLOCK specific bottles. Installing the TWIST base is as simple as screwing it into an existing bottle cage slot with the provided hardware.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the FIDLOCK TWIST bottles have a unique design that combines non-insulated bottles with integrated bases. Depending on which bottle you choose, the bottles have slightly squared off designs to accommodate the bases. You may also notice there are no grip rings on the bottle that you typically find on water bottles as they are not needed with the TWIST design. FIDLOCK offers the bottles in three color options: clear, tinted and black. The bottles have simple FIDLOCK graphics with a dot fade pattern on the front that gives the bottles a unique appearance. Unlike Polar or Camelbak, the bottles do not have color or graphic design options.
What makes the TWIST bottles compatible with the TWIST base is a rather large TWIST adapter that is attached to the bottle on the flat section of the bottle. At approximately 2” x 4”, the TWIST adapter is a plastic rectangle piece with a slot at each side, integrated magnets and a center cutout. The slots and cutout match the protrusions on the TWIST base and are positioned for a clockwise rotation to release the bottle. FIDLOCK also sells a counter-clockwise version of this adapter which can be easily installed by using a coin or flat head to unlock the adapter from the bottle and swap it out.
As far as the cap design, the FIDLOCK TWIST uses a standard threaded cap that locks into place. It’s a simple three piece cap design with a plastic body, removable rubber nozzle cover and integrated pressure valve. The body has a fairly shallow inside design which should make it easy to clean. The rubber nozzle cover can simply be pulled off the body for cleaning as well but looks a bit cheap as the interior edges have rough edges. Surprisingly, FIDLOCK has added an “x” to the bottom of the cap which means you cannot put a brush all the way through the top to clean the pressure valve. That means cleaning the edges of the valve bottom, something that often gets gunked up with time, will require a very small tool to access from the inside.
RIDING IMPRESSIONS
Having only recently finished reviewing a wide range of Portland Design Works bottle cages we were a bit sad so removed the gold Sparrow cages from our Trek to swap in the FIDLOCK TWIST setup. The simple plastic TWIST base bolts right into the bike frame using the provided bolts with some forward and aft adjustment. With no bottle installed the TWIST adapter blends into the frame and is compatible with the FIDLOCK Toolbox which lets you switch things up. The FIDLOCK bottles are also nice and squishy with a D-like profile that is easy to grab and reminds us of running bottles. There is no need for a grip ring with the TWIST design which allows FIDLOCK to optimize the shape of the bottle.
For road riding we removed the plastic cap cover by pulling out the tabs and found it easy to drink from. The pressure activated valve helps prevent accidental spills and has a high flow rate. However, one of the biggest downsides of the FIDLOCK TWIST design is that you’re limited to the FIDLOCK bottles which have no insulated options or colors currently available. With the bottles having been on the market for a few years it’s surprising FIDLOCK hasn’t expanded the offerings the way Camelbak and Polar have done with seasonal designs. Otherwise, the bottle works well on the bike as it’s easy to get used to the twist motion to unlock. Putting the bottle back on the cage requires a bit more accuracy as you have to get fairly close before the magnets pull the bottle into the base.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the FIDLOCK TWIST bottles to be a clever cageless bottle setup. FIDLOCK has incorporated a combination of magnets and locking pegs to make it easy to snap the bottle in place and twist it out to use. The design eliminates the need for a traditional wrap-around bottle cage yet is very secure with the strong magnets and mechanical locking force. We found the TWIST design has a minimalist design that blends into frames when there is no bottle attached. It’s a bit awkward to put bottles onto the TWIST base while riding as the target area is smaller than a traditional bike cage but it is secure. The main downsides of this setup is that bottle designs are limited, there are no insulated bottles currently, and you would need a bulky adapter to use with non FIDLOCK bottles. That said, the FIDLOCK TWIST bottles are a clever cageless alternative to traditional bike cages.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by FIDLOCK. The views expressed on this website are solely those of the authors and are here to help people make an informed choice before a purchase. The authors or the blog itself does not get any monetary compensation from the product manufacturer or third-party websites/vendor links that are posted here.