Best The top bicycle handlebar bag
A simple bike handlebar bag It's a bike-specific fanny pack that was designed with all of your needs in mind, such as being able to reach a key or a subway card while you're riding. While a good one won't revolutionize your life, it will save you from arriving at the office, the party, or the office party with a sweaty back from biking across town. Perhaps changing the way you arrive at that party will make a difference in your life.
We chose 14 bags, mounted them on our bikes, and got riding after spending nearly 20 hours interviewing cycling experts and studying handlebar bags online. We are now certain that the California Burrito from Road Runner Bags is the ideal option for anyone wishing to switch vehicles.
Road Runner Bags California Burrito
Most beloved handlebar bag
This Cordura-nylon bag is simple, easy to use, and roomy without taking up too much space on your handlebars. It can contain all the necessities.
The California Burrito by Road Runner Bags has a straightforward design that manages to be both practical and stylish while still being robust. The size of a six-pack, this 3.3-liter tube-shaped bag holds everything you would need for a day of biking, including your wallet, phone, keys, some tools, food, and a light jacket. Despite the fact that you might get away with a smaller bag, having a little additional space is useful. This is the largest bag that Road Runner produces. This bag stands out from the other bags we evaluated because of the basic yet distinctive feature of the nylon straps being adjustable to fit your bar width.
It contains side pockets for little items you might need to reach quickly and a single zipper that is simple to use while riding a bike. It is available in six vibrant colors to match your bike and is made of sturdy Cordura nylon. With the help of Road Runner's universal shoulder strap, the California Burrito is also easily transformable into a shoulder bag (sold separately).
Chrome Helix Handlebar Bag
This polyurethane-coated polyester handlebar bag is the perfect size to carry with you throughout the day because it is low profile, sleek, and more water-resistant than our top pick. However, its handlebar mounting system might be improved.
$60 from Backcountry
The Chrome Helix Handlebar Bag is stylish enough to take anywhere you go, but during our tests, we discovered that its Velcro harness connection mechanism wasn't quite as effective on our bike as that of our top pick. While some may object to a $65 bag being referred to as a "budget selection," we found that the $50 to $60 price range was the lowest one could expect to pay for a bag and still have it be strong enough not to bounce around on the handlebars. This rectangular 3-liter bag is equivalent to two takeaway containers in size (the classic white folding-box kind).
Even though the lid opens toward you, not all handlebar bags have that capability, making it simple to access stuff while you're riding your bike. The Helix has two inner mesh pockets but no pockets on the outside. It is constructed from a sturdy polyester material with a polyurethane coating that is exceptionally water-resistant and rigid enough to maintain its shape even when empty. This bag may be easily carried off a bike thanks to its stowable sling belt.
Swift Industries Catalyst Pack
practically a messenger bag
The Catalyst is a high-capacity, sturdily-designed bag that functions equally well on and off a bike. It is made of recycled laminate nylon sailcloth material.
The only bag that resembles a messenger bag off a bike and still performs as a handlebar bag on a bike is the Swift Industries Catalyst Pack. It is rectangular in design and includes an internal cinch closing similar to a shoulder bag, as well as a top flap that clips down over the front of the pack. This bag is pricey, but it has the best features for commuters who ride bikes.
It is constructed from recycled nylon fabric called Ecopak EPLX400, which is durable and waterproof and was initially created for sailcloths. The Zeitgeist Pack, the bigger sibling of this bag, is well-liked among backpackers and is known to last for tens of thousands of miles.
However, the somewhat smaller Catalyst is the ideal size for commuting by bicycle. This 6-liter bag is the only one we tested that felt substantial enough to carry a furry buddy on a bike's handlebars with confidence. It is just big enough to suit a Yorkshire terrier or another small dog breed.
We crammed a winter jacket, snacks, tools, a book, and a whole 3-liter box of wine into one bag. Even though the Catalyst is very large, it is surprisingly lightweight and just small enough to fit on almost any pair of handlebars. While you're riding, the extensible lid is excellent for swiftly stowing a jacket underneath.
Ortlieb Ultimate Six Urban
An entirely watertight bag
With rapid access on a bike, this high-tech quick-release mounted bag is composed of Cordura nylon that is entirely waterproof and polyurethane coated.
The Ortlieb Ultimate Six Urban handlebar bag resembles a surprisingly stylish lunchbox, but it's practical to use when cycling and has a large 5-liter capacity. This bag readily accommodates a six-pack of cans and still has space for a couple of sandwiches to round out the picnic.
You can open the lid with one hand while you're riding your bike and see inside because it has a magnetic closure and flips open away from the rider rather than getting in the way of the bag's opening, which is facing the rider.
The only bag we felt comfortable doing that with was this one. Additionally, it has a clear touchscreen-compatible pocket on the top of the lid that allows you to always keep your phone within sight—useful if you're using it for mapping. But keep in mind that the mounting system for this bag must be purchased separately.
Rapha Bar Bag
a little bag
This compact, well-constructed polyurethane-coated polyester bag can help you stay light while transporting your necessities.
A lower-capacity bag that is remarkably well-made is the Rapha Bar Bag. This bag exudes superior craftsmanship in every way, from the impeccable construction visible upon close study of the internal lining to the manner in which the straps are fastened to the bag's exterior. Since smaller handlebar bags typically sag on your bars, the strong polyurethane-coated nylon material prevents this.
The most user-friendly zippers of any bag we examined make it especially easy to access the main compartment while the backpack is mounted on a bicycle.
It contains a second, zipped outer compartment for anything you want to keep separate during a ride in addition to two internal mesh pockets for small items. This bag is more appropriate for leisure riding or fair-weather commuting because it is just large enough to hold the essentials, including a light jacket, a multitool, a tube, and one or two bars.