The Barfly The Hopper Saddle Bag

The Hopper saddle bag from Barfly (the company better known for its Garmin out-front mounts) is a brilliantly simple method of transporting an inner tube or two under your saddle bag.

What you get are two durable straps with a couple of adjustable buckles and some Velcro. Take your inner tube and multitool or two inner tubes, pop them into a discarded coffee bag, or a simple plastic bag will do, and first loop the bigger strap (with the Barfly logo) around the package. The thinner strap then loops under the saddle rails and secures the inner tube in place. And that's it, you're good to go.

You don't have to use a discarded coffee bag of course, but if you're not running mudguards the inner tubes are going to get caked in mud and water in short order, which won't be nice when you come to use them and they're covered in slime. And of course if you're going to employ a coffee bag and you're a bit of a coffee connoisseur, what better way to show off your favourite beans than under the saddle of your bike?

And that's it really. One inner tube fits well with a multitool, but two inner tubes also fits with a bit more patience, and was my preferred option. You could fit tyre levers and a CO2 canister with one tube. What you carry under the saddle is up to you of course, these are just my suggestions, you're basically limited by how well you can package the bits in the coffee bag and get the straps to accommodate them. Once affixed to the saddle rails, the Hopper doesn't budge and in the couple of months I've been using it, hasn't come loose once.

Some people might be thinking 'but I could do that with a toe strap and it would be cheaper' and true you could, I do just that on my winter training bike in fact. The Hopper is a bit easier to use though and, because of the two straps, infinitely more reliable. And of course, if you don't happen to have any old toe straps lying around unused, then the Hopper does appeal.

It is however expensive for what is ultimately a pair of Velcro straps, and you have to disassemble the whole lot to get at your inner tube which is a faff. Faced with the excellent Lezyne Road Caddy which costs just a pound more and offers much easier access to your spare tube, the Hopper isn't easy to recommend. If you want to display your love of coffee and want a super light and minimalist approach, then the Hopper might just appeal

If you're not sure how to use the Hopper, BarFly have helpfully produced this short video:

Verdict

Brilliantly simple and lightweight saddle bag for transporting inner tubes under the saddle