The Fidlock Twist x Keego bottle 600 is a rather unique option when it comes to the best water bottles for cycling in that it’s made of elastic titanium. This makes the bottle great at not absorbing any smells but, at the same time, the bottle is extremely hard to squeeze making it unpractical to use when riding.
Fidlock Twist x Keego bottle 600 + bike base - Technical details
Keego is an innovative bottle made of elastic titanium and now comes with Fidlock's Twist system. The outside of the bottle it is made of durable, yet lightweight BPA-free plastic, claiming to enable easy squeezing, whereas the inside is coated with titanium so that the water remains free of microplastics, safe from mould and absolutely tasteless.
> Buy now: Fidlock Bicycle Cycle Bike Twist X KEEGO Bottle 600 + Bike Base Blue - 600 ML from eBay for £66.23
The lid is a drip-proof EasyClean one with a soft mouthpiece made of medical-grade silicone. The bottle comes with Fidlock’s Twist system, meaning that the bottle can be attached with magnetic-mechanical Fidlock technology and doesn’t require a traditional bottle cage.
The bottle holds 600ml of liquid and comes in three colours: white, black and blue (tested).
Fidlock Twist x Keego bottle 600 + bike base - On test
The Keego bottle is the first item I’ve ever tried with the Fidlock Twist system, and I think I got to test the most innovative of the products straight away. I was curious to feel and see how the titanium-enforced bottle would work, and much to my disappointment, it didn’t quite live up to its claims.
There is not so much to say about a bottle apart from how well it lets liquid flow out of it - and this is where the Keego performance was sub-par. The bottle was extremely difficult to squeeze (for someone a lot stronger than me perhaps not, but let’s be honest cyclists are not the most well-conditioned in hand/arm strength anyway). I could hardly squeeze a droplet out of the bottle with one hand, which meant that in order to drink, I needed to stop and use two hands to squeeze the Keego. And even then, I barely managed to get a mouthful out.
I think this is partially due to the fact that the bottle’s lid has a drip-proof design - meaning the squeezing of the bottle is pretty essential - but the titanium in the bottle’s structure makes that tough. The actual mouthpiece is lovely and soft - and the lid definitely one of the easiest to clean which is essential for off-road riders. Fidlock also offers a lid for this bottle if you want to protect the nozzle even more.
The Fidlock Twist system that comes with the Keego bottle was all new to me, as well. In essence, it replaces a traditional bottle cage with a plate that has two magnetic “knobs”. The bottle locks onto these and in order to get it out, you simply twist it. It took a couple of rides to master this technique but once I got used to it, I loved it. The Twist platform makes the bike look really neat, but unless you stick to Fidlock bottles, it is restrictive. The Keego does fit into a regular bottle cage as well, but then you’re carrying the extra weight of the TWIST system (which is removable, though) with you.
Fidlock Twist x Keego bottle 600 + bike base - Verdict
I really wanted to like the Fidlock Twist x Keego bottle, but it just doesn’t work particularly well in its intended purpose; delivering hydration. The titanium makes the bottle completely smell-free and free of microplastics, but the performance is really compromised by the stiffness it adds to the bottle.
The Twist system that the bottle uses is absolutely great; once you try it’s easy to be tempted to install it on all of your bikes…
The Fidlock Twist x Keego bottle 600 and bike base retail for £60, meaning this is not a cheap purchase. The Fidlock Twist base alone costs £13, and a basic, non-titanium Fidlock 590ml bottle £17, meaning that you are paying double by opting for the titanium Keego bottle. When compared to regular bottles, for example, CamelBak Podium Dirt (£15) or Elite Fly MTB 550 (£6.50), the Keego is substantially more expensive.
It’s a great product if you absolutely hate a stinky bottle and want to steer away from possible microplastics, and don’t mind the attachment system that only works with other Fidlock Twist products. But unless you have strong hands, it might be that a regular, non-titanium bottle would work better.
