Just got back from a trip to Europe and picked up one of these at a bike shop. I've only used it twice, but figured I'd throw in my 2 cents.

Overall, I like it. My first day out included a spare tire, tire levers, pump, jeans, socks, boxers, belt, polo, hand towel, undershirt, flip flops/shower shoes, and my 13" laptop, along with a set of Campy Record brakes that I was selling on Craigslist! I probably had a bit of space to spare. It was heavy, but that was only a factor when I had to stand up on the saddle for a couple of hills. The affect on balance was noticeable. Besides that, getting on and off the bike felt a bit awkward with the extra weight, but that wasn't a big deal for me. The next time I used the bag I didn't have the laptop or the brakes and it felt more manageable off the saddle.

This was my only commuting experience (approx 12 miles each way, heat and humidity during summer months) without a backpack and I really prefer this method. I previously had been using a nice osprey pack with a steel frame to keep it from sitting directly on my back. I was far more comfortable and cool using the saddle pack, and felt noticeably less fatigued on my rides home without having 15 pounds on my back.

Downside: Only two at this point. The first is the balance issue when getting out of the saddle as discussed above. The 2nd is the fact that I ride small frames and have my seat raised considerably high, even with that height the bag eventually ends up sitting on my seatpost binder. I think that over time that will damage the paint. So, I'm trying to think something up that either covers the area where the bag touches, or keeps the bag off the binder bolt completely. If I ran a shorter seat post this problem would be exacerbated.

EDIT: 1 other issue - there aren't any smaller compartments inside or outside of the bag. So, smaller items have to be thrown into the large space vs. they're own zippered compartment.

https://www.apidura.com/product/saddle-pack-regular/

Nice review. I think that the fabric of the bag would be in more danger than the paint!

Did you find that your thighs touched the bag at all? I've been annoyed lately that my regular saddle bag (not supersize like this one) hangs too far forward and touches my thighs and gets bumped back and forth.

Is there a rigid frame inside it to keep it from sagging? Or do the straps just keep it up?

No thigh touching, and you can get it tight enough so that it doesn't move at all when riding.

No rigid frame. Just the seat tube and under seat straps keeping it up.

pics, including with the laptop inside?

See attached. I was in a rush and probably could have packed it a bit better so it didn't extend so long, but that's the gist of it.

For the lack of extra storage compartments (which I think it is a good thing to just have 1 large area), use small ditty bags for your small stuff. Easier to find/pull out when you need it. Hecky, I have a small/medium mesh bag that I roll my clothes into for my pannier so I can just grab those when I get to work without taking anything else out until I am showered and changed. Works really well

Or quart/gallon ziploc bags. For best long-term reuse, probably the kind with a plastic 'zipper'.

slebo, that bag looks pretty cool, and your bike is sweet too!

I do that, but I can't see how it's easier. My backpack has 2 small pockets that are dedicated to my wallet and keys. With this I have to put my wallet in keys in another bag. Then take the extra effort to either A) plan on needing it first or last and place on the top or bottom accordingly, or B) dig through the bag to find it when I need it. Same goes for deodorant, phone, etc. And if you end up putting all of that into a bag, you're effectively digging through that bag to avoid digging through the first bag.

Part of the issue might be that this is kind of narrow. So, you can't dig through it too well. You kind of have to take out the items that are on top to get to the bottom items.

I keep my keys in one of my jersey pockets, phone too or on the handlebar. I'll pack the wallet away or leave it at home but put my ID and some money and/or a credit card in a Ziplock and put that in another jersey pocket (usually will put the car keys in the same Ziplock). I just want the other small things to be easily accessible and together when I get to my destination, which usually means most of everything is going to come out anyway. As always when packing, small things go on top.

Personal preference. I'm done with small things as soon as I leave the house and need toiletries as soon as I get to the office. If the small things are in a bag on top then they need to be set aside so I can get to the toiletries. Ideally I wouldn't have to go through one to get to the other.

And even if you're practice was applicable to my specific situation, it would still involve the conscious thought of what to pack and where. By using packs with smaller pockets I can skip that step for the most part.

Not a huge deal, but my personal preference is for a few smaller zip pockets on a commuter bag. Judging by the overwhelming majority of commuter products on the market having a few small zip pockets, I'd say I'm safely not in the minority. But to each his own.

AWESOME

Might have to seriously consider this as a backpack replacement for commuting... hmmm