Topeak Tubular Barbag Slim 1.5L

Topeak's Tubular Barbag Slim sits well on the handlebar, carries a useful amount of stuff, and keeps the worst of the weather out. It's competitive in terms of price, too.

Check out more options in our guide to the best bikepacking bags.

This Slim version of Topeak's Tubular Barbag is 1.5 litres in volume, so takes up little room out front of the handlebar, yet it's roomy enough to carry your essentials like tools, a mini-pump and snacks. You could even stuff a waterproof jacket in there, although with not much else.

At 190mm in length it'll fit pretty much any handlebar, and with a 100mm diameter it's not bulky either.

It's held in place via two Velcro straps which Topeak says can accommodate up to 56mm diameter bars, and to minimise sway it also comes with a reflective elastic cord that can be secured around the head tube.

Sway isn't really an issue, though, even when loaded up to its 1.5kg maximum, and one thing that I do like is that the bag maintains its tubular shape even when empty. That makes it easy to get things in and out of on the fly, plus it looks better.

For access there is a large zip that runs from one side to the other, with a tab that makes opening it easy when wearing gloves.

Another neat addition is the row of loops along the front that you can hang a light from, or other stuff.

The bag is made of 600D polyester, which is water repellent rather than waterproof, so in very wet weather you'll need to place anything that needs to be kept completely dry inside some kind of dry bag. That, though, is probably the only chink in the bag's armour. The material is tough and the whole bag is well made throughout.

Colour options are black or this green.

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Price-wise, it's cheaper than the similarly sized Restrap Canister Bag (£49.99), although that is handmade in the UK.

It's £3 less than the Zefal Z Adventure F2 Front Bag, but that's actually 2.5 litres, although it doesn't really look that much bigger. The Zefal is also waterproof, but Bryn criticised the small zip opening.

The Cycology Secret Garden Aqua Handlebar Bag looks to be slightly better value at £35, especially considering it's 2.4 litres in volume, and it comes with extras like a side pocket.

Conclusion

Overall, although there are bigger bags available for similar money, I think the design of the Topeak makes good use of the volume on offer. I think it's a well-designed bag too, and made to a high quality, with the biggest plus being that it retains its shape, making it easy to access when riding.

Verdict

Good quality bag that makes the most of its size and sits well on the bike