A motorcycle handlebar bag is easy.
It’s a fanny pack on your bike, constructed with consideration for all your bike-specific wants, like having the ability to open it when you’re using, or accessing a subway card or a key.
Whereas an excellent one can’t change your life, it may prevent from displaying up with a sweaty again after pedaling throughout city to the workplace, the get together, or the workplace get together. And perhaps displaying up much less sweaty to that get together will change your life.
After spending greater than 30 hours interviewing biking professionals and researching handlebar baggage, we picked 20 baggage, put them on our bikes, and began using. And now we’re positive that the Street Runner Baggage California Burrito is the only option for anybody seeking to change their trip.
Our choose
Spacious with out taking on an excessive amount of actual property in your handlebars, this Cordura-nylon bag is easy, straightforward to make use of, and able to holding all of the necessities—however solely the necessities.
The Street Runner Baggage California Burrito is just designed in a method that’s efficient, elegant, and sturdy all of sudden. This 3.3-liter, tube-shaped bag (concerning the dimension of a six-pack) matches all of the necessities you may want for a day in your bike: pockets, cellphone, keys, some instruments, snacks, and a lightweight jacket. That is the most important bag that Street Runner makes—sure, you would get away with a smaller bag, however having some additional room is handy.
The nylon straps are movable to suit your bar width, and that straightforward but distinctive characteristic makes this bag stand out from the opposite baggage we examined. It has a single zipper that’s straightforward to function when you’re in your bike and aspect pockets for small objects you may wish to entry shortly. Manufactured from sturdy Cordura nylon, it is available in six enjoyable colours to match your bike. The California Burrito additionally readily converts right into a shoulder bag with Street Runner’s common shoulder strap (offered individually; $17).
Funds choose
Smooth and low profile, this polyurethane-coated polyester handlebar bag is simply the appropriate dimension to go together with you all day lengthy. Its handlebar mounting system could possibly be higher, although.
The Chrome Helix Handlebar Bag is glossy sufficient to carry with you anyplace, however in our checks we discovered that its Velcro harness attachment system wasn’t fairly as useful on our bike because the buckles on our high and runner-up picks. Although some individuals may balk at a $65 bag being thought-about a “funds choose,” we decided that the $50 to $60 vary was the least one might count on to spend on a bag and nonetheless have or not it’s sturdy sufficient to not bounce round on the handlebars.
This 3-liter rectangular bag is the scale of two takeout containers (the basic white folding-box type). Accessing objects when you’re in your bike is straightforward for the reason that lid opens towards you; whereas that characteristic isn’t distinctive, it isn’t widespread to all handlebar baggage. The Helix doesn’t have any exterior pockets however does have two inside mesh pockets. It’s manufactured from a sturdy and really water resistant polyurethane-coated polyester materials that’s stiff sufficient to maintain its form even when empty. This bag’s stowable sling belt makes it carry effectively off a motorcycle, too.
Improve choose
Constructed with recycled laminate nylon sailcloth materials, the Catalyst is a high-capacity and solidly constructed bag that works simply as effectively on and off a motorcycle. It’s fairly expensive
The Swift Industries Catalyst Pack is the one bag that appears like a messenger bag off a motorcycle but nonetheless features as a handlebar bag on a motorcycle. Rectangular in form, it has a high flap that clips down over the entrance of the pack, in addition to an inside cinch closure, very similar to a shoulder bag you’d see somebody carrying. That is an costly bag, however it’s unequalled in considerate options for commuting by bike. It’s manufactured from the sturdy and waterproof Ecopak EPLX400 cloth, a recycled nylon materials initially designed for sailcloths. The marginally smaller Catalyst is the right dimension for bike commuting, although.
This bag has a 7.5-liter capability, simply large enough to suit a Yorkshire terrier or different small canine breed—actually, that is the one bag we examined that felt sturdy sufficient to confidently carry a furry buddy on a motorcycle’s handlebars. We managed to stuff a complete 3-liter field of wine into this bag, together with a heat jacket, snacks, instruments, and a guide. Though the Catalyst is sort of massive, it’s simply sufficiently small to suit on just about any set of handlebars and is surprisingly light-weight. The expandable lid works nice for shortly stuffing a jacket beneath when you’re using, too.
Additionally nice
This high-tech quick-release mounted bag is manufactured from a completely waterproof, polyurethane-coated Cordura nylon and provides quick access on a motorcycle. It doesn’t include a handlebar mount, although—that’ll value you not less than one other $30.
The Ortlieb Final City handlebar bag appears like a surprisingly trendy lunch field, however this lunch field is straightforward to make use of when you’re in your bike, and the 5-liter capability can maintain lots. We simply match a six-pack of cans on this bag, with room for a number of sandwiches to finish the picnic.
The lid makes use of a magnetic closure and flips open away from the rider, so it doesn’t sit between you and the bag’s opening, which faces the rider; because of this, you’ll be able to open the lid with one hand when you’re in your bike and dig round inside. (This was the one bag we felt assured sufficient to try this with.)
It additionally has a transparent touchscreen-compatible pocket on the highest of the lid so you’ll be able to have your cellphone viewable always—helpful when you’re utilizing your cellphone for maps. Observe, nevertheless, that you must buy this bag’s mounting system individually (from $30), however there are a number of mount choices for differing rider wants and for various kinds of bikes, together with e-bikes.
Additionally nice
This small, solidly constructed polyurethane-coated polyester bag can preserve you mild whereas carrying the necessities.
The Rapha Bar Bag is a lower-capacity bag that’s remarkably effectively constructed. Every part about this bag screams wonderful craftsmanship—from the stainless development apparent upon shut inspection of the inside lining to the best way the straps are tacked onto the skin of the bag. The inflexible polyurethane-coated nylon materials retains it from sagging in your bars, which is rare in smaller handlebar baggage.
The primary compartment stays particularly accessible whereas the bag is on a motorcycle, because of zippers which might be the best to function of any bag we examined. The bag has two inside mesh pockets for small objects plus a second, zippered exterior pocket for something you wish to preserve separate throughout a trip. This bag is just simply large enough to suit the requirements—a lightweight jacket, a multitool, a tube, and a bar or two—so it’s higher suited to leisure using or fair-weather commuting.
