Large but not HUGE saddlebag
 

hello cycling lovers,

A little about my cycling habits since you are here already. i have a road/race bike, i mostly commute with.

i am looking for a large but not huge saddle bag- something that can snuggly fit size 9.5 sneakers. a little bigger is okay than that to fit a MacBook 12 inch but I understand if a frame bag would be better suited for that task.

So far i have found big saddlebags (ex. .8-2 liter) OR very big 8-14 liter saddle bags. ideally i guess i am looking for a 5 or 6 liter saddle bag thats not crazy expensive. Cheap China bag works for this application.

I am tired of having a sweaty back from wearing a backpack. please if anyone has any ideas on a saddle bag that may work you are the best!

SADDLEBAGS - choose the right one for you

https://www.carradice.co.uk/bags/saddlebags

Carradice, the choice of club cyclist since 1932.
Not cheap junk, suitable for decades of use.


-Bandera

Topeak BackLoader 6L Seatpost Bag:
Topeak BackLoader 6L Seatpost Bag - Bike Nashbar

A saddle bag that can fit a pair of shoes or a MacBook is huge IMO.

not sure I'd put a macbook in bag attached to any part of the bike. The shock of the road and bunny hops may crack the screen.

I have the apidura/rapha bag and it's 11l, will fit commuting stuff just fine but no where near space for laptop.

For you, I'd suggest a 20-30l slim backpack with some venting padding on the back.
I like this and like them
Timbuk2 Spire
https://zitseng.com/archives/14466

and
northface Kaban Transit (factory outlet for $37 score)
The North Face Kaban Transit Backpack Review 2016 ? RMK Outdoors
https://www.thenorthface.com/shop/kaban-transit#hero=0

Rivendell has flat saddle bags that will hold a laptop, but they are expensive. Or you might be able to cram your laptop in the Jandd mountain wedge III. They also have the commuter pannier which is awesome. SJS has good prices on carradice saddlebags which is probably what I would get if I didn't have a rack on my commuter.

Check out some of the Banjo Brothers Leather & Canvas bags. Banjo bros. bags tend to be nicely made but not overly expensive. No affiliation with them, I just have a few and are quite happy with the bags.

wow active forum, great accurate responses! thanks all,

https://banjobrothers.com/collection...f-saddle-trunk

i like this, however something a bit more narrow would be awesome really don't want to spend more than 30 ish, otherwise i might end up making one with the use of a sewing machine and a couple buckle straps. i will look over all of the options and see if anything catches my eye. thanks a lot guys

someone should make a backpack that attaches to the saddle and seat post that can be worn as a backpack. i imagine would be very useful to other commuters as well... maybe not?

I've been using the Timbuk2 Sonoma and have absolutely no complaints. I was initially worried about the fit, as the Amazon reviews are middling at best, but those people just don't know what they're talking about. I've had mine stuffed with 10lbs of stuff and it doesn't move an inch. Also, if you don't care about color, you can get a red one for 25 bucks. Probably too narrow for a laptop, but I dunno if I would put a Macbook in any saddlebag, honestly. That's pannier/rack territory.

Revelate Viscacha or Pika. Expands from 6-to-14 liters and 6-to-12 liters respectively.

https://www.revelatedesigns.com/inde...-bags/Viscacha

Keith

$25 is more like it. guys maybe im cheap but cycling is expensive and id much rather spend the money on lightweight jerseys for summer or on an element bolt computer. too many things to spend money on to spend more than $30 on a saddle bag imho. especially when i already have 3 , one ultra small one. one 1liter one and one of those jumbo 12liter bags. i really like this will it fit sneakers? thanks

also the MacBook is one of the newer 12 inch smaller ones. about the size of a large iPad. im probably going to regret putting the laptop in there but i seem to only learn the hard way

It would fit a pair of shoes no problem. On long rides (80+ miles) it fits all of the gear for myself and my wife: arm warmers, leg warmers, two jackets, gloves, keys, wallet, food, everything. A pair of 9.5 tennis shoes would be no problem.

cool, thanks... i hope to get my girlfriend out riding with me when the weather warms up. this is great advice and a great price since i have no cares for colors. also thanks everyone else for the great suggestions. some higher quality than needed products in here, always a good thing if this one doesn't work out. will give it a try and follow up. :thumb:

I would use a bar bag to carry the computer, not a saddle bag.

Apidura or Revelate.

Shoes would go in there as well.


-Tim-

Thanks for the suggestion, even though I’m not racing, commuting FAST is important to me hence the race/road bike with spd-sl pedals. Therefore, aerodynamics is important As well. This being said only a saddlebag will work, or An equally Aerodynamic solution. I’ll update on if the timbuck2 bag listed here suites my needs as I’ve ordered it using prime. So should know by Sunday apparently

The Pendle is a nice, mid-sized bag. :)

I ordered the red one yesterday and it was $26.34. This morning the price has jumped up to $36.33! Gotta love Amazon's pricing algorithms. Also their delivery algorithms. I went with Super Saver shipping and it is going to show up today even though they originally predicted the end of next week.

thats interesting! i chose the 2day shipping ordered earlier yet get mine tmrw... on a sunday, yay for no more needing to wear the backpack

Bag is bigger than I thought would be, can be folded up however can do with a smaller but not small bag

I loves me some huge flaps.

I ended up purchasing the Ortlieb saddle bag in large, as the timbuck2 although nice was a little too big. Let’s see how the Ortlieb large saddle bag does for my needs.

Link of the product

http://www.cyclocamping.com/Saddle_Bags/ortlieb_saddle_bag_small_medium_large__slate_blue_lime_red/F9401_64-170.aspx

The newer MacBooks have very fragile screens. Be careful!

Let’s see how big the bag is, squeezing sneakers and the laptop in would be nice. Also to have room for a slim neoprene laptop case and pack able rain jacket.