So I used these to carry a running shoe each during a 30 adventure race in WV - probably not what they were designed for, I think, but they still did the job. The constant hammering of the trails caused the tightening screws to work loose over time, but once adjusted they were back to normal. I imagine on a more gentle tour type ride, this would not happen. They are super sturdy, the straps really held my shoes in place, not worried about loosing them, so all good really. When I took them off, there were some marks on my forks so maybe using some sort of tape under the attaching straps would be a good idea if you're worried about the look of your forks. All good though.
I bought this bag specifically because I wanted something that was small enough to carry the essentials and strong enough to keep dry in tough, gravel conditions. Additionally, I wanted the ability to have a quick connect to easily take the bag on and off for travel - yes, I remove everything from my bike when I tow it behind the car.
The first test of this bag was the Croatan Buck Fifty on a sloppy, wet course. Over 100 miles later, I was soaked and muddy - but the bag was great and the contents were as dry as expected. It passed the initial test and I have no doubt it won't continue to serve it's purpose.
Pros:
- Makes bike transport in small hatchbacks feasible without requiring hitch or roof mounting. That's meaningful for my EV, where aero matters a lot for range.
- Bike seems well protected
- Lots of extra space around the bike to stuff other gear
- Rolls easily on pavement
- Reasonably sturdy
Cons:
- Expensive
- Had to take off rear derailleur to fit my XL bike that was just within the stated wheelbase limit. And the steerer tube was tall enough to bulge the zipper out a bit at that area.
- Could use a grip/handle on the bottom near wheels to make it easier to tip into a car
- Wish instructions included flat bar bikes like mine
I bought this to use on my gravel bike so I could have one with repair stuff for gravel tires and another with road tire supplies for when I put road wheels on the bike. Instead of switching tubes and stuff our of one bag when I switch wheels, now I change out the seat pack. Easy peasy. The only nit I have to pick is that, since the pack takes up seat post space, the tail light needs to go on the pack which should provide a surface that faces toward the following traffic. Instead, it faces slightly downward which affects the distance the light can be seen. Tried adjusting the mount to make it more upright without success. Don't have this problem with the model that hangs from the seat rails. Still, it holds everything I need (got the medium for gravel tubes and tubeless stuff, small for road stuff), is well constructed, and makes switching a breeze.
