Saddle bags/packs

[Chrisz]

I finally decided that I've got hacked off with carrying puncture kit in my jersey pocket and decided to get myself a nice, neat saddle pack.

I bought myself a Scicon S 590 pack, stuffed it with inner tube, repair kit, inflator and a couple of spare inflators and off I went on my commute into college. However, on the way home I hit a patch of rough tarmac, shortly afterwards I sensed something was amiss - it transpired that the plastic/nylon clips holding the pack onto the baseplate (attached to the saddle rails) had snapped and only one was holding the pack on So, after less than 30 miles the pack is useless.

I have now bought a Fizic ICS pack (medium) but am a little concerned - will it bounce about loads or are they pretty sturdy? I have a velcro strapped Specialized pack on the way as well as a back-up.

Have I done the right thing with the Fizik or am I letting myself in for more junk? (And yes, I have a Fixik ICS saddle!)

 

[abbie]

I finally decided that I've got hacked off with carrying puncture kit in my jersey pocket and decided to get myself a nice, neat saddle pack.

I bought myself a Scicon S 590 pack, stuffed it with inner tube, repair kit, inflator and a couple of spare inflators and off I went on my commute into college. However, on the way home I hit a patch of rough tarmac, shortly afterwards I sensed something was amiss - it transpired that the plastic/nylon clips holding the pack onto the baseplate (attached to the saddle rails) had snapped and only one was holding the pack on So, after less than 30 miles the pack is useless.

I have now bought a Fizic ICS pack (medium) but am a little concerned - will it bounce about loads or are they pretty sturdy? I have a velcro strapped Specialized pack on the way as well as a back-up.

Have I done the right thing with the Fizik or am I letting myself in for more junk? (And yes, I have a Fixik ICS saddle!)

I bought a rigid one from Decathlon £9.99 that clips under the saddle, filled it with tools/p.repair kit/lights and tootled off. Arrived at work and the bag had come off enroute and my stuff was lost. Hadn't even used the lights yet.

I have bought a replacement that velcros on instead as couldn't trust the pushfit type again. It pained me having to buy new lights. The new bag was Decathlon again but a squashier style and has a loop to clip on a rear led. This one feels really secure and I am happy with it now.

 

[Maz]

i prefer saddle bags that have velcro strips instead of clips to attach it to the saddle.
i find that it's the bloody zips that get knackered easily if you don't have mudguards...all the grit gets in and messes with the zip.

 

[PpPete]

Topeak QuickClip is secure, so long as you make sure to push it right in. Unfortunately the standard bracket is such that you often can't do that, so you have to buy the long bracket (F22) as an extra. The Medium size is just right for a couple of tubes, big multitool, decent tyre levers, spare chainlinks, Vinyl gloves, maybe a small PRK if your really work at cramming it all in.

 

[John the Monkey]

Check the Fizik one from time to time - the clip on mine broke (fortunately somewhere that I could retrieve it).

I now use a Specialized mini wedge like this one;
http://www.specialized.com/gb/en/bc/SBCProduct.jsp?spid=41639&menuItemId=10827&eid=5133 (you can buy the bag without the bits). It's a squeeze, but it will fit a tube, Topeak Hexus 16, Rema "Sport" puncture kit and tyre levers.

 

[adscrim]

I use a Scicon Elan. It's small but I can fit a tube, levers, multitool, spare link and patches. It's secure and doesn't rattle at all.

 

[mark barker]

I picked up a nylon saddlebag with velcro straps from the local £1 shop... Innertube, multitool and couple of LED lights fit with no problems.

 

[Davidc]

I have two which have both given good service.

One is a Bikehut one (from Halfords) which clips onto the saddle rails and velcro to the seatpost, the other is an Altura one with velcro straps only, two to the seat rails one to the seatpost.

Although they've both done well I'd recommend the Altura one, as it's designed so that if the zip goes it still holds together, and the fixing always seems better with the velcro.

The nearest equivalent in the current range is the Trail model.

The Bikehut one is here. It's been fine but I'm never convinced it's fixed on well enough.

 

[zacklaws]

I bought both sizes of the Fizik that clips under the saddle and after 100's of miles and over bumpy roads, I am still in posession of them. But I still do not trust them and periodically check to see if they are still there. Likewise I do not put anything of value into them, ie money, multitool, phone.

When I get round to it, I plan on making safety cord so in the eventuallity one does come off, it will just hang under the saddle, may do it today, as I may have tempted providence. (Whatever that means)

 

[Willo]

Topeak QuickClip is secure, so long as you make sure to push it right in. Unfortunately the standard bracket is such that you often can't do that, so you have to buy the long bracket (F22) as an extra. The Medium size is just right for a couple of tubes, big multitool, decent tyre levers, spare chainlinks, Vinyl gloves, maybe a small PRK if your really work at cramming it all in.

I have a Topeak bag that clips on under the saddle and with a velcro strap round the stem also. Use it for commuting and longer weekend rides on my Allez. As porkypete says, clipping in not always easy, but I seem to always get it to click in now by taking care to get the right angle when putting it on, but have to take care to make sure. All in all, have been please with it. Did lose a light clipped into it on an early morning ride in France last week however. Weather turned and it was a bit dark. Had left the light in place from a previous early morning ride so just leaned back and pushed it on (when in reality must have pushed it off ). Rode the remaining 16 miles feeling smug at how sensible and safe I was being for once and when I stopped to buy some croissants realised it had vanished!)

 

[zacklaws]

I have a couple of Topeak bags and fitted all my bikes with the quickclips, untill I started using the Fizik's, but once again felt they were insecure, so I made a little wedge that fitted under the clip so that it would not move, but eventually I lost the clip, but despite that, I never had a bag come free. But as the larger one's have a strap around the saddle it was not an issue, it was just the small one which does not.