Despite what some senior cyclists might say, bicycle saddle bags do have their place on a bike. Let’s be honest, puncture repair kits, gel bars, and toolkits aren’t as small as you think. Cramming all that into your new cycling jersey is going to stretch it beyond recognition.
However, if you want to turn your cycling jersey into a trailing parachute go ahead but for me a saddle bag is a necessity. I won’t leave the house without it fully stocked and securely strapped to my seat post.
What is a Saddle Bag?
Before I delve in, some of you might not even have a clue about what bicycle saddle bags are, so here is a brief overview. The best bicycle seat bags should be small, lightweight, compact, and sit tight to the saddle rails and seat post. They should also be just big enough to carry only the essentials for your ride, not for cramming in your packed lunch!
As far as cycling etiquette goes, a saddle bag should be as discreet as possible, blending in with your bike as much as possible. There are various saddle bag types and even bike frame bags that sit on the frame, however seat bags are to most popular with today’s riders.
Bicycle Saddle Bags 7 of my Favorites
Below I have listed seven of the best bicycle saddle bags that surely deserve a place on your bike. Saddle bags comes in varying shapes and sizes but for this breakdown I have concentrated on smaller ones.
The large saddle bags and pannier sets are better for touring and I might write a separate list of my best picks in the future so keep a look out for that.
Birzman Roadster II Reflective Saddle Bag
Rating: ★★★★★
The Birzman Roadster II is a lightweight bike bag that has reflective detailing on its rear, plus it has enough Velcro to ensure a snug, tight fight to any bike seat post. For those of you looking for a small bicycle saddle bag this this is an excellent option.
I love the feature LED loop on the top of this bike bag for when you are out at night. What else can I say? It’s a good quality, cheap saddle bag that looks great.
Lezyne Caddy Saddle Bag
Rating: ★★★★★
The Lezyne caddy saddle bag comes in various sizes and colors, the one pictured is their medium offering and it provides 0.5L of space for stuffing all of your saddle bag essentials.
Attaching to your bike is super-easy by using the velcro to hook and fasten to the underside of the bike saddle, plus it has a reflective detail for extra safety in low light conditions. It’s extremely lightweight weighing only 75g.
Ortlieb Micro Saddle Bag
Rating: ★★★★★
If you are looking for a waterproof bicycle saddlebag this offering from Ortlieb might be just what you’re looking for. Ortlieb is known for the well-made waterproof backpacks and already have a loyal fan base.
The Ortlieb micro saddle bag is slightly different in design to the other bags as it uses a roll closure and elastic bands to ensure it is completely waterproof.
I love how this saddlebag looks, it comes in an array of different colors and has a reflective detail to help you to be seen at night. Attaching to your bike requires a little more effort (no velcro here), using the 2 provided screws attach to your bike and lock in place.
Brooks England Challenge Tool Saddle Bag
Rating: ★★★★★
The Brooks England challenge tool saddle bag is pricey, when compared to the others. But you do get what you pay for and like all of Brooks products the quality of the bike saddle bag is amazing and is built to last.
They offer an array of different colors from red, blue and my favorite green, among others. This saddlebag is just the perfect size for keeping those biking essentials and with the inside measuring around 17cm there is room for most of the best multi-tools and nutritional snacks.
Evoc Saddle Bag
Rating: ★★★★★
This Evoc saddle bag comes in varying colors and is the perfect choice for those of you who love quirky, colorful biking accessories.
Weighing only 70g its fairly lightweight, the inner volume of the bike bag is around 0.7L giving you plenty of space for all the biking essentials you need to take.
I love the internal mesh pockets on this bag which are perfect for keeping small little bits like money. Fixing to your bike is pretty standard and it attaches using velcro to hook and securely fasten to your seat posts and saddle rails.
Topeak DynaWedge Micro Saddle Bag
Rating: ★★★★★
The Topeak dynawedge micro saddle bag is one of the lightest bike bags I found weighing in at only 66g. Its inner capacity is roughly 0.35L, which is more enough to snuggly squeeze your necessities into.
The opening on this bike bag is unique and open very-much like a sunglass case, giving you easy access to anything you might need mid-ride.
unlike the other best bicycle bags the Topeak use adhesive straps to fix to your seat post and saddle rails. I really love the positioning and unique shape of this saddlebag a lot.
Pro Medi Saddlebag
Rating: ★★★★★
The Pro Medi is what I like to call the classic looking bicycle saddle bag. It’s made from hard-wearing water resistant nylon and comes with enough side pockets and internal mesh pockets to keep everything snugly in place whilst you on the road.
Fitting is easy, just like the others this bag uses velcro straps to securely and snuggly hook to your seat post and saddle rails.
Bicycle Saddle Bags Essentials
Ok, so you have got yourself a new bicycle saddle bag, it looks great attached to your bike but now what? What should you put in it? Don’t worry I have a brief overview of the things I keep in mine to give you an idea.
✓ Multi-tool
Just like your bike saddlebag the best multi-tool should be compact and lightweight. However, it still has to have the essential tools to carry out any key roadside repairs. For most of us only a handful of tool are required such as a selection of Allen keys and possible a chain splitter.
✓ Inner Tube and Patches
If you ride a lot the reality is you will get a puncture at some point, sure good quality tires and inner tubes will help in reducing the likelihood but it better to be prepared that stuck on the side of the road with a flat.
You bicycle saddle bag is the perfect place to store a spare inner tube along with a puncture repair kit. I rarely repair my tires at the side of the road, and prefer to quickly replace the inner tube. However, the glueless patches take up little space so will get you out of trouble if your replacement inner tube goes flat. Also don’t forget to take your best bike pump, this can easily be stored in your jersey pocket.
✓ Tire Levers
In the event of a puncture the tire levers will help you to get you tire of the rim with ease. There are many different types to choose from but I personally prefer the plastic tire levers as they tend to cause less likely to damage the wheel rims.
✓ Emergency Cash
The saddle bag is the perfect place to store some emergency money for your ride. It can be used to possibly buy a new inner tube if needed or even pay for a taxi in case you are stuck at the side of the road.
