Best Bike Handlebar Bag (Small, Waterproof, for road or dirt bike … everything)

BEST BIKE HANDLEBAR BAGS COMPARISON

MY BEST LIGHTWEIGHT PADDLE BOARD REVIEWS

Revelate Designs Mountain Feedbag

Best Front Handlebar Bag that Keeps Water Bottles Fresh

PROS: – Holds a full-size water bottle firmly in place and its easily within reach – Good quality – So versatile – Keeps your water bottle fresh for a longer period

CONS: – Mesh pockets on the outside were a little shorter to secure a phone

Ortlieb QR

Best Touring Handlebar Bag

PROS: – Solid attachment – Does not interfere much with cables – Plenty of bar to tire clearance – Secure and stable Attachment System – Fits a lot of handlebars – Does not rub the head tube – sturdy – Great middle-ground size – Brilliant quick-release system

CONS: – Ortlieb does not suggest it for carbon handlebars – Mesh pockets are prone to wear – Works better on wider bars

Revelate Designs Egress Pocket

Best Bicycle Handlebar Bag for Day Rides

PROS: – Very sturdy – Stable – Easy to install and use – Smart and simple design – Attach securely to handlebar with supplied Velcro straps – Multiple mounting options make it work with almost any setup – Doesn’t bounce around – Compact – Includes shoulder strap and belt loops – Interior zippered pocket keeps small things organized

CONS: – Roll-top isn’t ideal for constant in and out but ensures rain and mud stay out – The bottom strap for the head tube is barely long enough – No pocket or an easy way to store a cell phone with easy access

REI Co-op Link Handlebar Roll

Best Bikepacking Handlebar Bag

PROS: – Good little pack for your bikepacking adventure – Easy to attach and pack – Very durable – Stable on smooth pavement and gnarly single track – Does not obstruct items mounted on the handlebar – Excellent value for the money – Snugs up nicely to the handlebar

CONS: – One user struggled to position it so it doesn’t push on brake cables – Makes putting your hands on the top of the bars difficult because it fits snug – Does not affect steering – A pain in the butt to use with drop bars

Ortlieb Ultimate Six S Plus

Best Small Touring Handlebar Bag

PROS: – Very practical – Very accessible during riding – Comes off the bike very easy – Quality construction – Nice locking feature – Very compact although big enough – Locking system prevents it from being opened or taken away by opportunistic thieves – Lid magnetic closure holds tight – Clear instructions – Top clear part is convenient for holding your cell phone so you can look at GPS, etc

CONS: – One REI buyer received a broken/returned package missing the shoulder strap – Won’t mount on bikes with an occupied center of the handlebar – Carrying the bag on its strap is awkward and uncomfortable against the body

Swift Industries Catalyst

Best for Touring with Narrower Handlebars Widths

PROS: – Well-built and perfect size – Convenient pocket on the top flap to stash a phone and wallet – Good for bikes with small tire clearance – Good for riders with narrower bar widths

CONS: – Pricey

Swift Industries Paloma

Best Handlebar Bag that Fit Many Road, gravel, or Touring Bike

PROS: – The main compartment is easy to open and close while riding if you put the cord around the stem – Mounting the bag on the adapter takes a couple of seconds – Durable – Useful Inside organizer pockets – External front-facing flap pocket is convenient for map/phone

CONS: – Not good for mountain biking because it does bounce around – Pricey – Designed that it must be removed from the mount, just to open the main compartment

Chrome Helix

Cycle Handlebar Bag with a Great Value for Money

PROS: – Stays securely on the bike – Works well as a purse – Not too bulky but still has plenty of room – Seems durable – Cables in the way make it attach by just a small portion of the Velcro – Compact and stylish – Good value for money

CONS: – The bottom strap that secures the bag to the frame sometimes hit the spokes because it’s a bit long

Revelate Designs Saltyroll

Best Bikepacking with a Great Tire Clearance

PROS: – Bag both ends access make it easy to quickly get what you want – Webbing is useful to attach items to make a really nice setup for bike packing – Very affordable – Very tough – Great for front tire clearance – Do not move around too much – Big bag, but so compact

CONS: – Red loops are too small for some

Swift Industries Ardea

Durable Small Handlebar Bag

PROS: – Versatile and easy to use – Sturdy and durable fabric – Plenty of pockets and compartments – Hassle-free mount

CONS: – Pricey

REI Co-op Junction

Best Handlebar Bag for Commuting

PROS: – Affordable – Versatile (fanny/waist bag) – Quality zippers – Stays in place – Simple design – fits really well on small size handlebars – Quickly mounts on or removes

CONS: – Two users said that the straps are too short to hold onto the handlebar

Ortlieb Slate

You Are More Likely to Return it Back

PROS: – Large enough to carry a small tent – Keep items dry inside in heavy rain

CONS: – Some significant wobble made steering challenging – Straps would come loose after an hour of riding – Does not fit well on drop bars – Quickly wear away the frame paint of two buyers, which may be due to not using the spacer that is intended to keep the pack off the headtube/fork – These foam spacers shakes out of place on gravel roads – Not durable – Didn’t come with instructions – Does not work with exposed cable

Po Campo Kinga 2

Best handlebar bag for drop bars

PROS: – Versatile – Keeps small necessities handy and organized – Great visibility – Stylish – Easy to attach even with other bar-mounted items – Heavy-duty zippers – Does not interfere with the steering feel – Nice amount of inner pockets & zipper compartment – Easy to take off and take along with

CONS: – Multiple users said that it falls off endlessly because the velcro is terrible – More than one buyer found it small – Outside pocket is too small for some smartphones

Topeak Compact

Best for Cameras and Electronics

PROS: – Very sturdy mounting hardware – Pack detaches with ease from the mounting bracket – Very high quality and well designed – Right size to be in the way – Can converts to a waist pack – Let the cables run free because it sticks out from the handlebar – Included shoulder strap – Easy to use – Easy to install attachment to the bike – Fully padded main compartment

CONS: -The front interior mesh pocket snags to camera (but can be removed easily) – Hard plastic bracket attachment can get uncomfortable when used as a fanny pack – Bolts can be short for some bars – Bag attachment occupies prime real estate at the stem

Po Campo Speedy

Best Kids Handlebar Bag

PROS: – Large zippered pocket – Good fit for both small and larger kids bikes – Very high quality – Very cute and gender neutral patterns – Goes on and removes easily – Fasteners allow mounting on a variety of handlebars – wears it as a fanny pack or a purse – Can be worn as a fanny pack or a purse

CONS: – The velcro alternative on the front/back pockets doesn’t stay secured very well – No pockets in the zippered section makes you dig for things

HOW TO CHOOSE YOUR BIKE HANDLEBAR BAG

MATERIAL

The material that the bike handlebar bag is made of is essential because it will make it dictate if it will be able to survive biking conditions like repeatedly being taken off and on from the bike.

• Polyester and polyethylene are a combination of fabrics that make durable and waterproof bags.
• Leather on the other hand is attractive but needs to be mainteianed and its suitable only for urban biking.

If you are more likely to carry expensive electronics like cameras, you need an option like Topeak Compact that is robust with internal padding and include a rain cover to become waterproof.

WATERPROOFNESS

A handlebar bag with the waterproof feature is extremely useful, especially if you are bike camping or commuting in the rain because it’s what ensures your gear will stay dry and safe.

Approximately half of my recommended products above are fully waterproof, like Ortlieb QR
and Revelate Designs Egress Pocket.

VOLUME

Normally measured in Liters, the bag volume is the gear capacity that the bag can carry inside.

If the handlebar bag has pockets, then these will be included also in the total gear capacity of the bag.

Bigger is not always better, because if you need something to carry in your wallet, keys, phone, and a couple of snacks, a smaller bag that is lighter and takes less space would be better.

• Less than 5 liters: bags in this range are great for coommuting because they are enough to carry everyday items and dont impact bike balance.
• More than 5 liters: bags this big are great for overnight or multi-day adventures like bike camping.

WEIGHT

The bike handlebar bag weight is also something that you should look at when you are searching because it reduces your speed and ease of climbing and may affect your bike balance.

HANDLEBAR COMPATIBILITY

The handlebar bag compatibility is the number one concern of many people buying online, so if you are short on time and you need something that fits your bike from the first time, take your bike to a local shop and shop.

If you have time and you prefer getting it delivered to you, having a good look at your handlebar’s shape and width is enough to help you decide and if the bag doesn’t fit, you can return it for a refund or for an exchange.

• Drop bars: these limit the width of the bag and makes side-entry bags accessible only when taken off from the mount. Getting a compact design will fit better.
• Flat bars: These do not have the limitations expressed above but still have issues with cable routing, especially if they are larger.

MOUNTING SYSTEM

• Velcro straps: handlebar bags with this mounting system are suitable for people that transfer between bikes because it is easy to un-attach.
• Quick-release brackets: This system is good for bikes with lots of cables in the front because it gives a little bit of room between the handlebar and the bag.

EASE OF USE

Easy to attach and detach bags should also be considered especially if you often jump from one bike to another one because you share or own multiple bikes.

EASE OF ACCESS

• Zipper and top/front access: These bags are ideal for repeated opening for things like a phone, wallet and keys.
• Roll and side access: These are ideal when your stored items things like a tent, sleeping bag or clothes, etc, which you look for once a day.

TIRE CLEARANCE

If you have a small bike with 29er wheels or just a bike with a low bar position, you should double-check how much distance is between the handlebar and the front tire to make sure your desired bag will fit.

FAQ

WHAT SIZE HANDLEBAR SHOULD I GET FOR TOURING?

If you will use it to carry small things and have them accessible, something around 3 liters with a top zipper can be enough.

If you will use your handlebar bag for some hefty extra carrying space, above for some liters is what you should look for.

BICYCLE HEADLIGHT SOLUTIONS WHEN YOU HAVE A HANDLEBAR BAG

The best solution to mount a headlight with a handlebar bag attached to bars is:

• Axle mounts: With this type of mounts, expect some light interference with the front wheel and some shadows from ground objects.

• Eyelet mounts: Similar to the previous type, but when its mounted higher, the ground objects shadows fewer.

• Steerer mounts: This type of mount elevates your light over your handlebar.

• Brake stud light mounts: Similar to eyelet mounts but are higher.
  

how to keep handlebar bag from slipping

HOW TO KEEP HANDLEBAR BAG FROM SLIPPING?

To keep handlebar bags from slipping you need a handlebar extender and zip ties. How? Wrap the zip-tie around the first leg of the handlebar extender and under the stem and back up over it and secure it. Repeated the same thing with the second leg of the handlebar extender.

Still didn’t get it? watch this video.

WHAT HANDLEBAR ORTLIEB BAG IS BETTER?

My best Ortlieb bag for touring is Ortlieb Q

Updated on August 30, 2021 by Ben