Carrying stuff for a ride is like a Goldilocks puzzle. How do I carry everything I need for that particular ride in the least bulky & burdensome way? Enter the “everyday bike bag” category.

Saddle bags are ubiquitous, but rather limited. They are optimized to be as small as possible, often only able to fit a multitool & flat fix essentials. Anything else you wanted to carry on your ride typically had to fit in 2-3 jersey pockets. I’ve always found jersey pockets to be an awkward, uncomfortable, and unflattering method of ride cargo storage. Wearing a backpack, messenger bag, or hip pack can also be uncomfortable and is often overkill.

Handlebar “burrito” bags & frame bags started to gain in popularity in recent years, especially as gravel, adventure riding, and bike packing took off. But, most were bulky and you rarely saw them on road bikes or shorter trips. Once the pandemic hit NYC, however, we were forced to start carrying more supplies: hand sanitizer, alcohol wipes, extra tire plugs, extra tools, and ALL THE FOOD, so as to be as self-reliant as possible. This made the small bike bag an essential part of everyday rides.

The marketplace is now starting to catch up by introducing small bike bags in all sorts of shapes, sizes, attachment methods, and features. We picked some of our favorites, and share with you what we love about them and also where they may fall short.

The Little Bike Bag

Reviewed by Lucia

The Little Bike Bag frame bags are hand-made in Brooklyn, NYC by a cyclist with a fashion handbag industry background, and it shows. They are stylish, coming in a variety of colors and patterns, and are simple and very lightweight. They can serve as an alternative to, or supplement, handlebar bags. They declutter your bike’s front end by tucking perfectly within the triangle of your bike frame (or in the corner between your seat post and top tube). The only major downside is that for smaller frames, you will not be able to fit this bag with a seat-tube mounted water bottle.

PROS

• Very lightweight

• Lots of options: colors (solids & patterns), water resistant materials, sizes, attachment configurations

• Tucks away in your frame triangle (declutter your cockpit & more aerodynamic?)

• Easy access while riding via 1 zipper

• Tightly secured by 3 velcro straps (no jostling or noise)

• Locally made by woman-owned small business

CONS

• For smaller frames it may not fit with a seat tube mounted bottle (Lucia rides a 48cm bike and can squeeze in a regular 16oz bottle under the bag)

• May not fit on full suspension MTB frames

PRICE: $49-$55

Road Runner Burrito Handlebar Bag

Reviewed by Leah

Road Runner is an LA-based, cyclist-owned company which makes handmade bags for bike packing and everyday riding. I’ve used one of their backpacks for commuting for a few years and have always been impressed by their design and construction. When the zipper broke my overstuffed saddle bag one too many times, I decided to buy a Road Runner burrito bag. It isn’t huge, but it’s a big step up from a tiny saddle bag: I can fit a pump, tubeless repair kit, multitool, snacks, a vest or small jacket, extra gloves, and still have room to spare. It comes with three velcro straps: two wrap around the handlebars and the optional third strap can be used to secure the bag to the headtube. I typically don’t use this, but it can be helpful to cut down on jostling if you’re planning to ride on rough terrain. It’s also very easy to swap between bikes — I’ll throw it on my commuter for quick errands, on my trainer bike for easy snack access, or on my road/gravel bikes for longer rides.

PROS:

• Fairly small and unobtrusive, but fits a surprising amount of stuff

• Very easy to take on/off and swap between bikes

• Lots of bold color options

• Sturdy, durable and water-resistant

CONS:

• A bit tough to access while riding since the zipper is on the front of the bag, not the top

• Has a tendency to bounce around while riding on rough terrain (the optional headtube strap helps with this)

PRICE: $45.00

Skingrowsback Little Lunch Handlebar Bag

Reviewed by Scott

Skingrowsback is an Australian brand based out of Sydney (they do ship internationally!). I got the Little Lunch handlebar bag from my sister as a Christmas gift. I originally sent my sister a link to a different brand but she wanted to support Australian brands and I couldn’t be more happy that she did!

The Little Lunch was a god-send during the pandemic and allowed me to carry extra snacks, hand sannie, masks etc to get through my summer rides. The bag features two one-wrap velcro straps that can be attached in a variety of positions to suit different bar widths or avoid a computer mount. The bag is about a litre, has a water proof zip and is reinforced with plastic to help keep shape.

PROS:

• Waterproof

• Available in a variety of colours and can even be custom made to suit your bike

• Zipper with loop makes it easy to undo whilst riding

• Easy to attach

CONS:

• Little loops near the zipper became un-stitched but I don’t know what they are for anyway

Price: $89AUD

Timbuk2 - Beacon

Reviewed by Mitchell

Waking up for early season Central Park races is tough. Bringing a rain cover or jacket and having picking it up soaked post race makes things worse. The Timbuk2 Beacon scratched that itch. I got this bag to help shuttle and store my extra kit and accessories on race mornings. In the event of a rainy day I had protection from the elements in this waterproof bag. I had done a lot of searching for a bar bag (eyeing the burrito as well as others) before settling on this one for it's sleek design. The ability to leverage the bag as a shoulder strapped cross body also adds to it's versatility. With no racing in the Covid Era I have been using the bike on my gravel bike to carry extra layers and snacks.

PROS:

• Waterproof compartment

• Large carrying capacity

• Sleak, modern design

• Cross body attachment

CONS:

• The clasps for the handle bar straps are weak (snapped on my second ride, switched them out for velcro)

• Tight fit w/ under stem mounted computer setups

PRICE: $48.73

NOTE: this bag might be discontinued by the manufacturer, probably for the crap quality clasps…

POCAMPO

Reviewed by Lucia

Pocampo, another woman-owned business, makes the Kinga Handlebar Bag 2, which is waterproof, multi-compartment handlebar bag that comes with a detachable cross-body strap so you can easily take the bag with you at your destination. These bags come in black and a few bold patterns. The bags have two zippers and multiple internal compartments to organize smaller items, however these added bells and whistles come at the cost of added weight. The bag is secured to your handlebars with only two velcro straps. I thought this would result in a lot of jostling and noise, but the bag stays surprisingly secure, save for a bit of bouncing on only the roughest of rides (yes - I have used this on my downhill MTB bike!). Tire clearance is an issue on smaller frames or onbikes with very short head tubes or a “slammed down” stem.

PROS:

• Versatility with included cross-body strap & multiple compartments

• Bold design

• Waterproof materials

• Reflective accents for night visibility

• Sustainability focused, woman-owned small business

CONS:

• Front tire clearance issues on smaller frames or lower cockpits

• Noticeably heavier than comparable handlebar bags

PRICE: $49.99