Bridge Street Saddlebag - Medium

The Bridge Street Saddlebag came about via a successful Kickstarter campaign last summer, with the bags being manufactured in Warwickshire. It took a year to get the bag through development with 14 prototypes. That investment in getting it just right has paid off, because the end result is a real gem.

The appeal of the Bridge Street Saddlebag is that it uses an off-the-shelf Klickfix mounting system that can be fixed to any round seatpost. Unlike some saddlebag designs that hook onto the bottom of the saddle via small loops, the Bridge Street has been happily doing service on everything from traditional touring bikes to sub-7kg carbon race bikes during this long-term test.

Admittedly it looks a little out of place on a carbon race bike, but it certainly works just fine and if you have some long distance adventures planned this summer with an overnight stop, this is perhaps your best solution where you can't fit a rack, and don't want to carry a rucksack. It also doesn't have the old fashioned looks of a Carradice, the main choice in this small market, and you don't have to have a Brooks saddle with bag loops either.

Where the Bridge Street really scores well is in its lack of weight. It's very light. That's due to the hollow polymer frame and coated nylon exterior. The roll-top opening means it can accommodate varying loads easily and ensures it's waterproof. I've commuted in persistent rain and the contents remained dry.

Installing the bag onto the bike is pretty straightforward. You do have to remove the seatpost to fit the Klickfix mounting arm though. It'd be nice if the mount didn't necessitate the removal of the post to fit, but once on it is very secure. At the other end of the mounting arm is a one-click release bracket that snaps the bag securely into place.

It's all very solid; I've been testing it extensively for months including the occasional 110km round trip into the road.cc office, and even included some rough roads and gravel paths to test its ruggedness, and it's coped just fine.

How much can you fit in the bag? Plenty, that's for sure. Bridge Street offer three sizes; I tested the medium because that seemed like the best compromise for some commuting and light touring. That gives you 8 litres of capacity. The size small bag offers 4 litres and the large 15 litres. That should be plenty for most commutes, provided you don't have to carry a laptop; I got my seven-inch tablet in there just fine.

If you're going to use it touring as your primary bag, you'll have to travel extremely light. You can get a change of clothes in there and some lightweight shoes, some essentials, food and tools etc, but then you're starting to run out of space pretty quickly. You get a bit of extra load lugging ability with the twin straps under which you can stash a waterproof jacket and arm warmers.

It's worth bearing in mind the 5kg weight limit Bridge Street advise, but you'll probably want to keep your contents on the light side anyway. Because the medium bag is quite small, it's prevents you loading up too much stuff; it certainly focuses your attention on the absolute essentials.

Inside the main compartment is a small zipped pocket that is ideal for storing a mobile phone, wallet and house keys.

Because the Klickfix mounting system is also available for the handlebars, you could mount a size small bag to the bars, use the medium or large bag at the rear and have enough space for a few days touring the open road.

A light can be fixed to a small loop on the back, and this was really my only cause for complaint. Unless the bag is very carefully packed, the light could sag down and point towards the rear wheel, rather than at the traffic behind you. With the seatpost, the regular place for mounting lights, out of action because of the bag, I'd like to see a better solution to the light mounting for winter commuting and riding. There are a couple of reflective details and trim that boosts night time visibility however.

During riding you certainly don't notice the bag. Because it's centrally mounted, any weight is well balanced and after you get used to the extra weight through the first couple of corners, you soon forget it's there. And because it's tucked away behind your body, it doesn't impact your aero performance as much as a pair of panniers, making it ideal for speedy commuters or brisk tours.

Verdict

Brilliantly simple saddle bag that can be fitted to any bike; ideal for commuting and light touring