Silca introduce scratch

Cerakote ceramic finish adds a bombproof layer to the brand's popular Sicuro bottle cage

A bottle cage has one job. But as straightforward as securing a bidon may seem, it's an accessory that takes a fair beating. Hundreds, even thousands, of bottle insertions exert a toll, often leaving the cage scratched, fatigued and looking a little worse for wear. With this in mind Silca has looked to create the best bottle cage out there, via a Cerakote edition of its heralded Sicuro titanium bottle cage.

The model features the same aesthetically pleasing curves of the original, achieved through a combination of seamless titanium tubing that's hand bent and laser welded in the company's Indianapolis factory. The difference here is in the coating that gives the cage its stealthy black finish (there's also a copper finish available if black isn't your thing). Painted titanium cages don't work, losing their colour quickly. So to create a black cage that will pair perfectly with, say, a black carbon bike frame, Silca has turned to Cerakote.

In essence, it's a ceramic coating that's as tough as nails. Military grade and harder than steel, it's used on jet engines, firearms and other such things. At first it may seem a tad much for a bottle cage but Silca may well be onto something.

While it might not be essential to have a scratch-resistant bottle cage, it's certainly an accessory that can enhance or detract from the overall look of your bike. Just as a fresh wrap of the best bar tape breathes new life into a well-ridden machine, a clean looking bottle cage provides a finishing touch that can really complete a bike.

Equally, a tired looking cage can drag your bike down. In testing the Cerakote finish proves to be pretty much bombproof. It enhances abrasion resistance by more than 100 times while increasing corrosion resistance more than 1000 times over traditional metal finishes and paint coatings. No chips. No fading. And certainly no scratches.

But this isn't just a vanity project. While the appeal of the Sicuro Cerakote cage is certainly rooted in aesthetics there's plenty more to it. The one-micron thick coating doesn't just ensure the longevity of the colour, it also increases the integrity of the titanium tubing itself. Scratching and notching causes fatigue over time, which can lead to stress cracks. Cerakote virtually eliminates the possibility of this occurring, making the Sicuro as durable a bottle cage as you could ever need. In fact, Silca sells these cages with a 25-year warranty. e

If you still need convincing that a scratch-free bottle cage is for you, it's also worth considering that the Cerakote finish has a coefficient of friction that's similar to teflon but without using any of the unpleasant chemicals that are required to make it. In short, grippy, durable and environmentally-friendly.

Interestingly Silca is using Cerakote across a range of its titanium tools, including a chain whip and hammer. As any professional mechanic will attest, shop tools live a hard life. The introduction of Cerakote is further proof that Silca views this as an indestructible material that increases the life of a product exponentially.

The Silca Sicuro bottle cage with a Cerakote finish is available in both black and copper finishes. It weighs in at 30 grams and will set you back $85 (UK pricing TBC). If you believe that the devil is in the details, it's an investment that you might well be happy to make.

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Luke Friend has worked as a writer, editor and copywriter for twenty five years. Across books, magazines and websites, he's covered a broad range of topics for a range of clients including Major League Baseball, the National Trust and the NHS. He has an MA in Professional Writing from Falmouth University and is a qualified bicycle mechanic. He has been a cycling enthusiast from an early age, partly due to watching the Tour de France on TV. He's a keen follower of bike racing to this day as well as a regular road and gravel rider.

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