Bottle cages aren’t sexy. In fact, the only time you think about them is either when you find one that perfectly color matches your frame (and trust us when we tell you how important that is), Or when you hear the guy behind you yell “oh sh*t” and the sound of plastic hitting the road as your favorite bottle ejects from your rear hydration unit. It’s in that second instance that a phrase like “superior grip strength” matters and why we have been looking forward to checking out the TriRig Kappa.
The TriRig Kappa
TriRig launched the Kappa as part of a multi-product launch exactly a year ago. The Kappa is constructed of 3K carbon and is designed to go toe-to-toe with the grippiest of cages out there. The Kappa is a full-wrap cage with no cutouts that is designed for superior grip strength (there’s that phrase again).
While we did all our testing in a rear hydration setup, the Kappa is designed with an open center channel for BTA duty to ensure there is room for a straw to poke through.
The back of the Kappa features thru holes for those looking to zip tie it to the back of a saddle or upfront between your bars. No fancy mounts needed – just a pair of zip ties should have you all set.
TriRig claims a weight of roughly 60g for the Kappa (ours measured in at 68g), and sells for $52.99 on TriRig.com.
Our Thoughts
Riding with a new rear cage is always a bit nerve racking for us. There is a limit to just how grippy you want your cage to be. Yes, you want to avoid launches, but you also want to be able to grab a bottle while arms down in your aero position. We mounted a pair of Kappas to the new Bontrager Integrated Speed Storage mount and did a trial run on the trainer. From the outset, it was easy to see that TriRig’s claims of grippiness were no lie. Even getting a bottle in was a challenge. In our first indoor ride, we found that grabbing bottles from the cages required a definite increase in concentration than previous cages – the Kappa just doesn’t want to let go. The good news is that after a ride or two, we had figured out the extra effort needed, and on to the roads we went.
On the road, the next big test is with an empty bottle. In our experience, a full bottle doesn’t want to launch. But once you refill your BTA, that bottle is now a future landmine waiting for contact with your opponents. Obviously, the only way to test it was to get some quality long rides in and drain our refills. Riding with a pair of empty 20oz bottles was something that made us a touch nervous – we didn’t want to be that guy who takes out a neighboring cyclist. Fortunately the Kappas never let us down. We put a few hundred miles on the road, empties and all, and never experienced a single ejection. The Kappa is that right mix of grippy when you need it, but forgiving enough to let you grab a bottle while fully aero.
Wrapping Up
Our only real complaint about the Kappa is the single color and finish option. We are matte carbon fans, and the shiny carbon is a touch too much bling for us. But we believe in function over form any day. And the Kappas clearly deliver when it comes to that!