Tag: Arundel

Earlier this summer, I wrote about the individual items you should carry with you on a ride. I also wrote about the use of a ride wallet. However, I never talked about the container that holds those items: the saddle bag. The lowly saddle bag is the recipient of a lot of grief from serious cyclists and weight weenies who wouldn’t be caught dead with a saddle bag attached to their bike.

The truth is, the saddle bag can save you from stuffing your pockets full of needed cycling paraphernalia. It is your physical insurance policy against the mishaps that can happen while on a ride: a flat, broken chain, a loose bolt(s), etc. With those points in mind, I view the saddle bag as a ride essential.

What is the Purpose of a Saddle Bag in Cycling?

If you’re like me and you wear a cycling jersey as part of your overall kit, you have three large pockets sewn into the back of your jersey. Some cyclists store all they feel they’ll need in those pockets for a ride, but that is a messy (and not very practical) way to view carrying things you might need during a bike ride.

That’s not to mention the fact that carrying all that stuff is bulky, heavy, and leaves you no room for your phone, some gels, an energy bar, your cleat covers, etc. An important point to mention here is if you hit a bump or fall off your bike in some way, all that stuff (or at least some of it) in your jersey pockets may get dislodged from your pockets and end up on the ground.

That means you could end up losing a CO2 inflator, a tire lever, or any number of items. My advice, invest in a good saddle bag and fill it with the items you might need so it is all in one place.

Types of Saddle Bags Used in Cycling

Saddle bags come in many configurations. Some are large, some are very small, and some fall in the in-between range much like my Arundel saddle bag pictured above. It all depends on what you carry with you on a ride (or what you feel you need to carry). Some cyclists feel confident carrying just a spare tube and a frame pump or a mini-pump. Others feel they need to carry a lot more, including a whole range of tools.

Personally, I carry with me just enough to cover any possible situation that might occur during a ride. Here’s my list but you can add or subtract as you see fit.

• spare tube,
• tire lever,
• CO2 cartridge and inflator,
• a spare piece of my current chain,
• chain tool,
• multi-tool.
• I do carry a mini-pump but place it in my jersey pocket.

That list of stuff I mention may seem like a lot, but it fits nicely in my medium-sized saddle bag. The type of saddle bag I use attaches to the back rails of my saddle and has a velcro closure so it stays secure and doesn’t jostle around. And it’s small enough to be somewhat hidden by the saddle.

If you use a larger bag, it will definitely move around while you are riding. Some cyclists use a bag that attaches to their handlebars but that has never appealed to me. There are also bags that can be attached to your top tube. I’ve never used one of these so I can’t comment on their size or how easy they are to attach to a bike.

Cost of Cycling Saddle Bags

Like most things in life and (in particular the world of cycling), saddle bags come at all price points. If you’re not particular, you may be able to find one for $20.00 or less at your local bike shop or somewhere like an REI.

Mine was purchased a while ago, so I forget what I paid for it. The Arundel website lists saddle bags like mine for around $40. But I was seeking something specific, a saddle bag that was medium-sized and that I could secure to my bike without a lot of movement occurring while I was riding.

The bags you can secure to your handlebars or mount on a top tube are more expensive for some reason. On the Arundel website, they start at $54.00 and go up from there. I’m unsure why there is such a price jump. I can only assume that the need to have a front-mounted saddle bag is a rarity among cyclists.

Last Thoughts

Whether you view using a saddle bag as a ride essential is a matter of personal opinion. I do because I don’t wish to cram a bunch of stuff in my pockets. All I carry in them is my ride wallet, which contains my phone, house keys, a small rag to wipe off my hands after changing a flat or messing with my chain, gels, my cleat covers, and a mini-pump.

Everything else (all the items I mentioned earlier in this post), I pop into my saddle bag. Is it lightweight? No. With all that stuff inside that I mentioned, the saddle bag becomes a heavy item. However, that’s a small tradeoff to know I have what I might need for a possible event and that all that stuff is in one, easy-to-access place.