atwl77

https://www.rapha.cc/ap/en_AU/shop/w...uct/BSD01XXBLK

Couple of things I like about it compared to my existing bag:
- the two-piece design appears to make it a lot easier or less fiddly to quickly access stuff in the bag and then secure the bag again
- from the description text there appears to be an aluminum frame which would prevent sagging, which in turn results in rubbing the rear wheel, if the contents of the bag aren't neatly organized

However, some things I don't get, and need feedback on:
- according to the Q&A someone asked for the capacity and got quoted 15L...... but from the pictures it just doesn't look/feel like it. Seems about equal or (shorter?) than my Topeak 10L Backloader, so I'm a bit cautious about that.
- based on Rapha's previous line of saddles, shoes and helmets, I'm guessing this one is also a rebranded product. Does anyone know the original manufacturer?

atwl77

I had forgotten I made this post until now. I received the bag last week and it is somewhat disappointing.

One one hand, its advantages is as I have observed in my OP. Also, capacity seems legit, though it would probably take some very careful and efficient packing to fit 15L worth of stuff in the bag... 10-12L seems like a more practical number.

But on the other hand, the bag comes with no light attachment loops. Big oversight for a bag designed for long distance. On their website, the FAQ suggests attaching lights to the straps, but some issues with that:

1. The main rear strap is a vertical strap running from top to bottom of the bag, no not much you can attach there unless you use some physical means of preventing an attached light from sliding down the strap (sewing, glue, etc).

2. The two straps by the side that hook onto the saddle rails are far too deep inside, if you want to attach lights there you would need to use a pair of lights on each side since a single light on one side will not be visible from the other side.

Oh, and speaking of straps, the seat post strap is incredibly short. It covers the full velcro patch without seat post, meaning with even a small and narrow seat post you won't get the strap to reach the full velcro patch. On wider aero seat posts, it barely reaches the velcro strip.

rhm

Thanks for the follow-up!

I use a much cheaper saddle bag, and I have similar misgivings about it.

clasher

I just bought a similar bag, this axiom seymour seatpack. I loaded it up and rode 220k with it and it was pretty good, it didn't sway too much when I used the pull straps to compress the bag and as long as I packed the heavy stuff at the bottom it didn't wag me too much unless I was sprinting out of the saddle, which isn't something I do very often. The axiom bag has a strap for a light at the back which is nice, now I need to buy a light with a good clip. The only thing about this bag that I didn't really like was putting my multi-tool at the bottom since it's heavy, I had to unpack everything else to get it out. I might get one of those little top-tube bags and use that for a tool/tube bag when doing long distances. The 3 seatpost straps on the axiom bag seem pretty good and give some flexibility on how it's mounted... the ends don't have anything to tuck into which is the only complain I have about it, but they are long enough to go around a big seatpost or an aero ones I imagine.

It was a bit more of a pain to get stuff from the bag than it is with my dill pickle saddlebag. Unfortunately I don't ride a saddle with the bag loops anymore so it hangs lower when I use the bolt-on loops that attach to the rails. I also don't have a fender or anything to keep the bag from sagging onto my rear tire so it will rub if I am not careful with loading it up. I still use it on my gravel bike since I run fenders and can easily mount a little rack to support that bag better but putting a rack on my road bike is too much trouble.

atwl77

That Axiom bag looks similar to my current Topeak Backloader bags, with the two same annoyances - pain to access stuff, have to be careful packing to avoid sagging - which is the reason I was looking for alternatives.

But at least the Topeak has several light attachment loops and side pockets to stash loose straps. I might just end up continuing to use the Topeak bag for PBP.

clasher

Yeah, since I didn't use the full capacity of that bag and I compressed it a lot the extra straps were kind of annoying, but they easily stashed in the elastic part of the top. I bought my bag for PBP so I might end up using a couple of thin bags inside this big one to keep stuff a bit more organized... but also I don't know how much stuff I will be bringing so this bag might just be a bit too much for me since I have two drop bags on the course.

Dylansbob 

Just get a Revelate.

unterhausen

I'm using a Revelate Vischacha. I'm not sure how widely available they are in the rest of the world though. Lots of companies have copied it. I was interested in the Ortlieb copy for a while. The secret to the Revelate is thei nterior strap. I still think it could be a little easier to use, but I try to keep things organized by bags and put the stuff that I'm less likely to use further into the bag.

I would say the main annoyance I have with it is the spot tracker bag doesn't always face the sky if the bag isn't pretty full.

znomit

Revelate have discontinued the Vischacha and the Pica. Get em while you can still find them. They now have the vole, which is 7l, or the terrapins (8/14l), but there are plenty of similar bags out there.
https://www.revelatedesigns.com/inde...alog/Seat-Bags

I usually use a Pika for 300+ rides, but got a 15l Topeak Backloader for a weekend away and will probably use it for 4/600s if I anticipate needing extra cold weather gear (thermal bibs and jacket).