Saddle bag or stuffed pockets

[David5416]

On my commute home a very kind motorist pointed out that my top peak wedge saddle bag had fallen off the bottom of my FIZIK saddle and was about half mile back down the road.

I duly cycled back to find some t-s--r had driven over it completely smashing it to bits.

I am now wondering do i buy i new one or go for the stuffed pocket look. Any preferences of decent saddle bags ??

 

[Scoosh]

... or one of those mesh bottle carriers being demonstrated by team Tinkoff-Saxo at the TdF ?

 

[Apollonius]

A mountain bike type toe strap wrapped round the saddle bars and the bag keeps it neatly tight under the saddle and not in the road.

 

[David5416]

... or one of those mesh bottle carriers being demonstrated by team Tinkoff-Saxo at the TdF ?

Sexy bit of kit that Scoosh although a little over the top for carrying 2/3 tubes and a multi tool.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

A mountain bike type toe strap wrapped round the saddle bars and the bag keeps it neatly tight under the saddle and not in the road.

or buy one that fixes with straps rather than clicky fixy in the first place.

 

[David5416]

I know that i can buy a bag with straps, my question was does anybody have a preference for a good one that they have.

 

[young Ed]

get a top peak strap on one
Cheers Ed

 

[John the Canuck]

Topeak clicky for me
with extra clips at £3 i can swap the wedge between bikes in a flash
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.well after undoing the velcro safety strap that's around the stem..........

 

[stuee147]

i would say a bit of both most important/ valuable items such as credit cards, cash, keys, phone ect in pockets and odds and ends in bag. one tip i was told once is thread a bit of brake cable threw the bag straps or where ever you can pircing the cable around a seam is a method iv seen work well and then the cable goes round the seat stem or the saddle frame or even a rack then held together with a small nut and bolt with a hole drilled threw so the cable goes threw the hole and held in place with the nut. if the bag fixings fail as they used to when going off road on the old mountain bikes the cable would stop you losing you stuff, it also worked as a very good deterrent for idiots trying to walk off with the bag.

 

[jazzkat]

I've got a couple of top peak saddle bags that get occasional use, but they are good. I also have a couple of carridices that get used on different bikes (a bit overkill for a couple of tubes though!) But I tend to prefer sticking the tubes in my jersey pocket.

 

[John the Monkey]

Specialized Wedgie is my choice (free with a C+ subscription, way back in the mists of time).

Must have had the thing 7 years now. Or the Topeak ones are on offer at the moment (look in the Bargains thread).

 

[Cuchilo]

All the basic kit goes in a water bottle I can swap between bikes . If I need the water cage on a longer ride then most of the time I use my pockets but if I want to take food along then I use a saddle bag .

 

[young Ed]

All the basic kit goes in a water bottle I can swap between bikes . If I need the water cage on a longer ride then most of the time I use my pockets but if I want to take food along then I use a saddle bag .

that reminds of something like one of these two
http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-btl-18s-tools-and-tube-storage-bottle-small/ (small)

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/bbb-btl-18l-tools-and-tube-storage-bottle-large/ (large)
Cheers Ed

 

[BSRU]

I use a Carradice Nelson saddle bag, big enough to carry loads of stuff, including trousers/t-shirt for work.
Useful on long leisure rides as it can carry a good sized packed lunch. The bag support has a limit of 10kg which is plenty.

 

[shouldbeinbed]

I know that i can buy a bag with straps, my question was does anybody have a preference for a good one that they have.

I wasn't particularly replying to your question, just highlighting the idiosyncrasy of adding straps to a non strapped bag as suggested by Appolonius.

regular riding: I have a small wedge bag, with elastic straps from Decathlon for a fiver that does for an essential get me going kit - tube, spare universal cable, levers, skab patches, chain link, a couple of AA & AAA batteries, zip tie, latex gloves & small multitool inc pliers- its a bit packed in but I like to be ready for pretty much whatever regular hiccups and the wedge fits totally discretely under a roadie saddle and is lost under a more comfort orientated one. I also have a bigger and extendable, years old, Raleigh wedge bag that I can put the above kit into and personal items, rain jacket if I'm wearing regular clothes with shallow pockets that I don't feel comfortable entrusting a wallet and phone etc to.

Either are interchangeable in a matter of moments and neither leave me worrying if they're going to unclick and drop off mid ride over even the worst roads or off piste.

Daytrips: I have a dirt monkey clicky-fixy handlebar bag that is big enough for all of the above (though I usually leave the tools in the wedge under the saddle) and some food and camera etc too. its more handbag shaped than boxy so is not too odd looking carrying it off the bike too.