Portland Design Works is known for their creative and fun water bottle cages and water bottle designs. The Lunker Cage and Lunker water bottle are the latest addition to their animal-inspired cages with fish inspired designs. As the name implies, this set is fish inspired with a $29 aluminium fish shaped bottle cage along with a matching $15.95 26oz bottle with fish graphics. The cage features an anodized finish with a variety of fun color options and mounting hardware included. Spencer Hawkes of Nomad Patches designed the fish graphics on the water bottle which is a customized Specialized Purist with the MoFlo bottle cap.
The Portland Design Works Lunker bottle cage and matching bottle add some fish inspired fun to any bike setup.
| Retail Price | $29 (cage) / $15.95 (26oz bottle) |
| Rating | 9.5 / 10 |
| Measured Weight (in g) | 68 (cage), 88 (26oz bottle) |
| Likes | + Fun fish inspired design that adds some fun to any setup + Unique anodized cage color options + Lunker water bottle has matching creative graphics fish graphics that pair well with the cages |
| Dislikes | – Cage design has more flex compared to other PDW bottle cages – Metal bottle cage will scratch bottles over time |
| Where to Buy (US) | Portland Design Works (cage) / Portland Design Works (bottle) |
MOUNTING
As far as mounting the bottle cage uses a standard two bolt design with the bolting area recessed in. PDW includes two darker stainless steal colored bolts which sit flush inside the recessed bolt hold area. The rear mounting bolt has about 0.5 inch of forward and aft adjustment while the front bolt has a single location to accommodate different bike setups. With a bottle installed in the cage many of the details of the cage are obscured, but you still see the distinctive tail on the outside of the cage. Also, the cage has a slight ridge on the outer portion that sits against the standard grip ring found on most cycling water bottles.
FIT & FINISH
Visually, the Lunker cage and matching Lunker bottle both have a unique fish theme that pair well with each other. The bottle cage is part of PDW’s aluminum bottle cage lineup that includes everything from cats to snakes. PDW offers the cage in four anodized colors currently: gray, turquoise, pink and the galaxy color we have here. It’s a rainbow like color that combines purple, pink and a light blue color for a unique finish. Each bottle cage in the galaxy color is unique as they are created using a time consuming three part anodization. That results in a unique rainbow like finish that makes the bottle cage a focus on your bike instead of just blending in.
This is a metal cage which can rub and scratch water bottles over time unlike plastic or carbon fiber cages which are much more gentle. However, with the metal design the cage is more durable and can easily be pushed inward or outward to adjust the fit. Along with the fish head cutout on the base, there are air bubble like circular cutouts throughout the cage. The tail of the fish folds back over the bottle for a secure fit for any standard size water bottle along with two long extensions to prevent it from sliding through. Both of the mounting bolts are recessed to prevent any rubbing and also help the bottle cage stick out slightly from the bike.
LUNKER BOTTLE
As with many of the bottle cages, PDW also creates a matching water bottle to pair it with. In this case, the Lunker 26oz bottle is the perfect companion to the Lunker bottle cage. The bottle has a bright blue finish along with a fish swimming above a classic cruiser bike. It’s a collobration between PDW and Nomad which was designed by Spencer Hawkes of Nomad Patches. This bottle is a non insulated 26oz Specialized Purist bottle with the MoFlo cap. The MoFlo cap is a standard push-pull style bottle which is easy to clean and operate. Specialized has utilized a large nozzle head to create high flow which makes it easy to drink from on the bike.
ON THE BIKE
We’ve actually been riding with the PDW Otter cage on our Specialized Tarmac for close to two years now as the design paired well with our bike. The new Lunker cage and bottle are an even better match to the factory chameleon paint scheme, particularly with the galaxy anodized finish. Installing the cages is quick and easy, but you do have to remember that the bolts are Torx and not a standard Hex. We forgot that fact and stripped a bolt on the Otter cage during the swap but we were able to use an extractor to remove it so please learn from our mistake and use caution. On the bike, the cage and bottle both work well and offer convenient hydration on the go. The only downside to this setup is that fold-over fish tail design results in a more flexible cage. We never lost a bottle while riding, but it is slightly unnerving compared to the normal snug feeling other PDW cages have.
THE VERDICT
Overall, we found the Portland Design Works Lunker bottle cage and matching bottle to be a fun and well built setup. PDW has taken their high quality aluminum cage design and paired it with fun fish inspired shapes and eye catching anodization options. We were impressed with the uniqueness of the galaxy color scheme that combines three colors into a one-of-a-kind pattern that varies between cages. The 26oz Specialized Purist bottle offers easy hydration and quality along with a fun graphic scheme printed on top that goes well with the fish theme. As far as negatives, the bottle cage is more flexible than standard cages and with its metal construction can scratch bottle over time. That said, the Portland Design Works Lunker bottle cage and bottle are quirky and eye catching additions to any bike setup.
Disclaimer: The product for this review was provided by Portland Design Works. 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.