The ultimate saddle bag

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survivor
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Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:08 pm

by survivor

*****Update April 10th, 2019*****
We are now LIVE at KICKSTARTER! Checkout our KICKSTARTER page here!

Several close friends and I have been working on a bicycle saddle bag prototype and would like to get some inputs and feedbacks from fellow cyclists here. We want to make sure we are on the right path to help address the issues that current saddle bags have.

As avid cyclists ourselves, we often time have our dilemmas when it comes to saddle bag. Practical or aesthetic? Size or storage? At one hand we want the saddle bag practicality of carrying around the essentials items like spare tubes and multitools during our rides. On the other hand we want to keep the clean aesthetic of our bike. In the case where the practical sense won the first dilemma, we typically still need to trade off between storage space or utterly bulky saddle bag. Even the ones least concern with aesthetic would shake their heads staring at the brick like saddle bag hanging below the bicycle saddle. Majority of the saddle bags in the market today are boxy and black, which doesn’t help to promote the saddle bag’s stylish or aesthetic aspect.

What do you guys look for when choosing a saddle bag? What is in your wish list of the ultimate saddle bag? If you are not a saddle bag user today, what is holding you back and what will make you switch camp?

Would you be interested if there is a saddle bag that can do the following?
1. Compact enough to carry most of your essential items. Think 2 spare tubes, 2 tire levers, 2 CO2 canisters, Multitools with chain tool, patch kit, all these in a compact form factor.
2. Stylish enough to not ruin your bike aesthetic, this can be quite subjective and personal but assume it meets your styling requirement.
3. Quick attach and release. Much faster than dealing with Velcro.
4. Abundant styling/color choices.

We love to hear your inputs and hopefully we will be able to create something that all the cyclists want to use. Thanks!


*****Update September 2018*****
It has been some time and we are hard at work. We are very close now. Tentatively we planned for a mid October 2018 Kickstarter product launch. We are still working out the details.

As a preview, please checkout SNAP.B by VOUEL at https://www.vouel.com/.

It's the world's fastest saddle bag!!!

You will be blown away by how fast it actually attach and remove from the saddle. The great news is that is only one of its exciting key features. There are many more that we will be annoucing leading up to the product launch so stay tuned or better yet subscribe to our mailing list at above webpage and you will be the first to know all the latest annoucement.

*****Update October 2018*****
After two years of development, we are finally ready to gear up for product launch at Kickstarter. For more information about SNAP.B please visit https://www.vouel.com/snap-b

Image

*****Update April 10th, 2019*****
We are now LIVE at KICKSTARTER! Checkout our KICKSTARTER page here!
Last edited by survivor on Sun Jul 12, 2020 1:14 am, edited 6 times in total.

jlok
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by jlok

This is WW... minimal weight is a must.
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by Weenie


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survivor
Posts: 557
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:08 pm

by survivor

jlok wrote:This is WW... minimal weight is a must.


Yes that is definitely one of our requirements as well :D
We are designing a saddle bag that can do all the above and hopefully with no/minimal weight penalty as compare to similar size saddle bag out there in the market.

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Lelandjt
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by Lelandjt

As a weight weenie it's tough to beat the X-lab mini seat bag, maybe it could lose a few grams and be a little smaller. However, other people may like more storage or a click release mount.

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wheelbuilder
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by wheelbuilder

Actually sounds like an interesting project. I use very small PRO saddle bags, which I have found to be the least visually offensive. However I can barely squeeze in one tube, one Co2 canister, one valve, one super small allen key set, and one tire lever. On longer rougher rides I carry another tube and canister in my jersey pocket. It would be nice to have 2 each in a bag, but I fear the bag would be too big and ruin the look of the bike.
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survivor
Posts: 557
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:08 pm

by survivor

wheelbuilder wrote:Actually sounds like an interesting project. I use very small PRO saddle bags, which I have found to be the least visually offensive. However I can barely squeeze in one tube, one Co2 canister, one valve, one super small allen key set, and one tire lever. On longer rougher rides I carry another tube and canister in my jersey pocket. It would be nice to have 2 each in a bag, but I fear the bag would be too big and ruin the look of the bike.


We definitely hear you! These are the same problems and dilemmas we faced as well and hopefully we can change that.

antonioiglesius
Posts: 290
Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2016 9:08 pm

by antonioiglesius

survivor wrote:What do you guys look for when choosing a saddle bag? What is in your wish list of the ultimate saddle bag? If you are not a saddle bag user today, what is holding you back and what will make you switch camp?

Would you be interested if there is a saddle bag that can do the following?
1. Compact enough to carry most of your essential items. Think 2 spare tubes, 2 tire levers, 2 CO2 canisters, Multitools with chain tool, patch kit, all these in a compact form factor.
2. Stylish enough to not ruin your bike aesthetic, this can be quite subjective and personal but assume it meets your styling requirement.
3. Quick attach and release. Much faster than dealing with Velcro.
4. Abundant styling/color choices.

We love to hear your inputs and hopefully we will be able to create something that all the cyclists want to use. Thanks!


I currently use Silca's Seat Roll Premio. I admit the boa's a primary reason why I got it, and yes perhaps that's being a bit silly but it tickles me and I like that. So there. I also like the fact that it can expand when I can't be bothered to properly roll up punctured tubes, and compress to a small size when I can afford the effort. I don't (can't?) actually put two spare tubes in it, so I put the second in a jersey pocket.

My previous saddle bag which I liked a lot was Ortlieb's saddlebag micro. Like the Premio, it can expand/compress when needed. The weak point was that, over time, the elastic bungees keeping it closed became permanently stretched, so it looks less good. And looking good's all I've got since I'm old. It's better than the Premio because it looks... neater, in the sense that the Premio always looked kind of like hastily rolled-up canvas (no matter what I do), whereas the Ortlieb's shape is more... regular. That's subjective for sure. The Ortlieb also attaches/detaches much more quickly than the Premio.

I don't have similar attachments to prior saddle bags, they were not as unique as the Premio or Ortlieb micro. I did not like those that have parts that rub against my thighs when pedaling, the worst is velcro rubbing against lycra.

I think ease of cleaning would be a factor. When I first saw the bright red interior of the Premio, I had to resist the urge to rub grease all over it because I know it'll end up like that sooner or later, so might as well get there right away.

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TonyM
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by TonyM

Maybe a saddle bag that you can also use in your jersey’s pocket in case you don’t want to use it on that day under the saddle.

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kkibbler
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by kkibbler

1. Holds 1-2 tubes and a small multitool
2. Quick release with attachment point that fixes to Specialized Swat or newer Pro saddles
3. NO velcro strap around seatpost

#1 and #3 are easy. Most options fail #2 for me.

wobbly
Posts: 296
Joined: Tue Sep 26, 2006 3:50 pm

by wobbly

And needs to stay high enough so that it's out of the way of my legs.
One of mine is a Topeak which has the quick release tab which is useful but the overall volume is slightly too small.

gravity
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Joined: Sat Feb 25, 2012 10:01 am

by gravity

I need a bag that i can take the stuff inside without taking out the bag from the saddle. The one im using is a lezyne road caddie which needs the bag to be detached from the saddle to access the items. A quick fix is much appreciated when the unfortunate happens.

Also the material must stand the weather. Canvas will look worn once it is exposed to rain, sun, rain, sun. The one fizik have would look pristine even after horrible weather.

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basilic
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Location: Geneva, Switzerland

by basilic

"2 spare tubes, 2 tire levers, 2 CO2 canisters, Multitools with chain tool, patch kit"
= too much stuff, the bag will be too big (for day rides). How about 1 tube, levers, small multitool, patch kit. No CO2 for those who use a pump.
You'll need several sizes if you want to make everyone happy.

"Quick attach" => the bag will hang below the saddle like a dog's scrotum.
I'd like to see a bag that would fit "into" the saddle, between the rails, visually unobtrusive.

Also, separate pocket for the tube so it doesn't get punctured by the tools.

survivor
Posts: 557
Joined: Tue Apr 28, 2015 5:08 pm

by survivor

kkibbler wrote:1. Holds 1-2 tubes and a small multitool
2. Quick release with attachment point that fixes to Specialized Swat or newer Pro saddles
3. NO velcro strap around seatpost

#1 and #3 are easy. Most options fail #2 for me.


We are working a solution to address #2. What do you think about a quick release that will work across all saddles rather than brand specific saddles?

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kkibbler
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by kkibbler

survivor wrote:
kkibbler wrote:1. Holds 1-2 tubes and a small multitool
2. Quick release with attachment point that fixes to Specialized Swat or newer Pro saddles
3. NO velcro strap around seatpost

#1 and #3 are easy. Most options fail #2 for me.


We are working a solution to address #2. What do you think about a quick release that will work across all saddles rather than brand specific saddles?

Dime a dozen. Usually involves clamping something to saddle rails which doesn’t work with certain rail and clamp combinations and offsets. Also, looks trrrible.

by Weenie


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kkibbler
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by kkibbler

double post

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