# Saddle bags? Pics?



## Radio (Mar 8, 2011)

Lookin at getting a new saddle bag this week. Any ideas, suggestions, pics???


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

I use the Lezyne Caddy in size M. Carries everything I need, has taped zippers for water resistance, and secures well to the saddle/seatpost. $22, and it comes in 4 colors. They also make larger and smaller bags to fit your preference.


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## Radio (Mar 8, 2011)

I like that one alot. The medium is the one in the picture, that had room for the multi tool and a tube?


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

Yeah the tube and levers, ID, cash,etc. all go in the main pouch pretty easily. My multi tool, which is a Crank Bros Multi 17, fits easily into the neoprene pocket underneath the bag that you can see in the pic.

In my opinion, it's one of the highest quality saddle bags available. I've used many others including Pedro's, Serfas, Topeak, Specialized, Jandd and Trans It, and my favorites are the Lezyne Caddy in size Medium and the Topeak Aero Wedge.


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## BlackHawk1 (Jun 19, 2010)

It stinks that the Lezyne doesn't have the ability to clip a light on the back of it. Some reviews of it say the material (seams) shreds easy. I thought about this one, but I have reservations.


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

BlackHawk1 said:


> It stinks that the Lezyne doesn't have the ability to clip a light on the back of it. Some reviews of it say the material (seams) shreds easy. I thought about this one, but I have reservations.


What are you talking about? I clip a light to the reflective stripe you can clearly see in the pic. And it works well. The light I use is the Planet Bike Superflash. Is there a dedicated light attachment point to which you are referring that can be commonly found on other bags?

And I'm not sure about shredding the material, as I don't usually crash on my bikes or rub against rough surfaces. I'd be far more worried about ruining my saddles than my cheap saddle bag.

I mean, don't take my word for it. Specialized makes some great saddle bags too. Use what you like, or what fits your budget.


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## BlackHawk1 (Jun 19, 2010)

jtmartino said:


> What are you talking about? I clip a light to the reflective stripe you can clearly see in the pic. And it works well. The light I use is the Planet Bike Superflash. Is there a dedicated light attachment point to which you are referring that can be commonly found on other bags?
> 
> And I'm not sure about shredding the material, as I don't usually crash on my bikes or rub against rough surfaces. I'd be far more worried about ruining my saddles than my cheap saddle bag.
> 
> I mean, don't take my word for it. Specialized makes some great saddle bags too. Use what you like, or what fits your budget.


I didn't think it was possible to clip a light to that particular Lezyne. I thought the reflective strip wasn't able to accommodate one as it's flush with the bag and there's no play in it? I'd like to see a picture of a light mounted to it if you can provide one. Yes there is a dedicated light attachment section on many bags. Most bags have a little loop built in to them that allows for mounting a light. Both Topeak and Planet Bike bags have that feature as do many others. I attached two pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. I have the Super Flash as well. Also the Blaze 2W on the front. Planet Bike has some nice products at reasonable prices.

This review shows the material on the Lezne shredding after just one ride...
http://talesofthemissing.wordpress.com/arundel-dual-saddle-bag-review/

"_Above is the Lezyne Caddy the holes seen appeared after the very first ride. The material used is simply too thin and easily worn through_."

More reviews on the Lezyne...
http://www.mtbr.com/cat/accessories/bags/lezyne/l-caddy/PRD_416695_1485crx.aspx

The Lezyne L Caddy is one I have been interested in, but the more I look in to it, I may have to eliminate it from consideration.


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## Mr Pink57 (Jul 30, 2009)

https://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FTBII








This is one awesome mother of a bag, can carry everything I had in my old Camelbak with smart planning.

https://www.jandd.com/detail.asp?PRODUCT_ID=FMMW2NDS








(comes in black)
This bag is equally awesome, I like to use this bag on wet days has waterproofing on top and bottom.


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## ADDam (Jun 7, 2008)

Another vote for the Lezyne M Caddy, This'll be my next bag!


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

BlackHawk1 said:


> I didn't think it was possible to clip a light to that particular Lezyne. I thought the reflective strip wasn't able to accommodate one as it's flush with the bag and there's no play in it? I'd like to see a picture of a light mounted to it if you can provide one. Yes there is a dedicated light attachment section on many bags. Most bags have a little loop built in to them that allows for mounting a light. Both Topeak and Planet Bike bags have that feature as do many others. I attached two pictures so you can see what I'm talking about. I have the Super Flash as well. Also the Blaze 2W on the front. Planet Bike has some nice products at reasonable prices.
> 
> This review shows the material on the Lezne shredding after just one ride...
> http://talesofthemissing.wordpress.com/arundel-dual-saddle-bag-review/
> ...


It's definitely possible to clip a light to the bag. I don't have any pics with me, but it clips on the same way as any other bag.

Thanks for the info about the fragility of the bag. The blog showing the holes after one ride interests me - I wonder if they were caused by the threaded ends of his CO2 containers?

I mean, it works great for me, but I don't pack it full of crap until it's bursting at the seams. I have a tube, a patch kit, a tire lever, and my multi tool in there (as well as ID, cards, and cash) and I really don't have any problems. I got it at the same time I got my Lezyne Alloy Drive pump, which is awesome, so overall I have very few complaints about that company.

I'm not sure about the large size, however. For the price, you may want to stick with something more tried-and-true.


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## BlackHawk1 (Jun 19, 2010)

jtmartino said:


> It's definitely possible to clip a light to the bag. I don't have any pics with me, but it clips on the same way as any other bag.
> 
> Thanks for the info about the fragility of the bag. The blog showing the holes after one ride interests me - I wonder if they were caused by the threaded ends of his CO2 containers?
> 
> ...


My bad on the clip for the light... if you say it can accommodate one then I believe you. Without looking at Lezyne's site for the description of the caddy... I don't recall them making note that it can handle a rear light. They should make note of it and maybe even include a picture showing one attached. I emailed Lezyne weeks ago with a pump question and they never did get back to me. That bums me out. The video card recently went bad in my computer and I emailed 6 different video card manufacturers about purchasing a replacement and just 2 of the 6 replied. I don't know what it is these days, but customer service with many companies stinks. I wanted to purchase the Lezyne Alloy Drive, but I'm not so sure I want to go that route now. I like the size, the flexible extension tube for less stress on the stem is a huge plus IMO, and the looks are nice, but... I'm looking for one that I don't have to pump 100+ times to inflate a mountain bike tire. I think the Topeak Mountain Morph pump just moved up to the top of my list. I agonize over these purchases. LOL!

The Lezyne Alloy Drive...

http://road.cc/content/review/4297-lezyne-alloy-drive-mini-pump-small

"_On a 26x2.00 mountainbike tyre 100 pumps took it to 27psi, with another 50 strokes bringing the tyre up to a workable 39psi, not too bad for a mini-pump. 100 strokes pumped a 700x32 cyclocross tyre up to 47psi, with the last 20 thrusts being quite hard work, both pump and pumper getting a bit warm with the effort, a further strained 30 strokes and the tyre was a rideable 60psi_."

That's what's holding me back from the Lezyne. Who knows... I may end up going the CO2 route. If you have any pump tips and selection suggestions I would greatly appreciate hearing from you. Thanks!

The fragility of the bag... it's hard to believe any bag would show that kind of damage after short use, but who knows. The person writing it said the material is very thin. I can't say it is as I never had one to look at in person. The holes/slices look to be due to rubbing against the seat rails. That's just a guess though. The reviews on this site (MTBR) also were not good. Two out of two people (I know that's not many) had complaints of poor material, ripping, seams coming apart, etc. I included that link in my previous post. I really like the fact that the Lezyne Caddy is more narrow than other bags. As I said though, the reviews however have me holding off on that purchase. I'm leaning towards one of the Topeak models... maybe a waterproof one.

I'm one a roll lol... how about multi-tools? I need to get one of those...

The Crank Brother multi-19 seems nice and useful. I also like the Topeak Hexus 2 and the Alien models. The "wire chain hook" on the Topeak models would come in handy? Video of the Hexus 2...






Let me know what you think. Thanks!

P.S. If it helps in deciding on these selections, I have a 2010 Trek 6700. It has hydraulic disc brakes.


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

PUMP:

The Topeak Mountain Morph doesn't directly compare to the Lezyne Alloy Drive. It's more related to the Lezyne Micro Floor Drive, which I haven't used. 100 strokes for a small, lightweight frame pump seems pretty standard in my experience, and the benefits of the Alloy Drive are that it's made well and the chuck is very easy to use. Also, the review website you provided complained that it didn't inflate a road tire easily, which is probably because it's not a road pump. Lezyne makes a road-specific pump that works better for high pressure situations.

I have both CO2 inflation and my hand pump. I use CO2 during races or for after-work rides and I bring my Alloy Drive on longer trips. Both work well.

For the record, I also use a Cannondale-brand pump that I've had for the past 12 years. It gets mixed reviews online, but I've rebuilt it a few times and never had a single problem with it. I think many of the negative reviews on gear these days are from user-error, not product durability.

BAG:

I'm 99% sure that the holes in Joey's Lezyne saddle bag were _not_ caused by the saddle rails - they are far too close to where the bag clamps to the seatpost to be caused by the rails. In looking at what he puts in his bag, I'm pretty sure he put the CO2 canisters side-by-side and the threaded ends rubbed a hole in the bag. I can see how this is a problem for many people, but I haven't had any trouble since I got the bag in December.

Also, Lezyne (on their website) indicates that the Caddy saddle bags are compatible with tail lights:

"Ready for Weather Water resistant zippers and reflective tail light loop make caddys ready for all weather."

But if you're not sure of the durability, I say forget it! Go with something you know will work. As MrPink shows above, Jandd bags are great and actually pretty inexpensive...go check out different brands at your LBS and pick one you like.

TOOL:

I've had Topeak multi tools in the past and they've worked very well. I got the Crank Bros as a gift, and I've been impressed with its durability over the past year. If anything, it's a small tool, which makes it tougher to torque on stuck bolts trailside. I have never used the wire tool to hold the chain together - it complicates things and doesn't actually help much. If you know how to use a chain tool properly, you will not need one.

In the end, it's about how much riding you do, and how much money you want to spend. Topeak makes great products, as do most accessory manufacturers these days. Don't worry too much about your gear - just worry about where you're going to ride next.


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

I snapped this crappy pic on my way to work this morning showing my rear light clipped to my Lezyne Bag. FYI, the bag is loaded with my multitool, a spare tube, patch kit, and tire lever. Still some room to get a CO2 canister and head in there.


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## BlackHawk1 (Jun 19, 2010)

jtmartino,

Thanks for the picture! I appreciate you taking the time to do that! It is a nice bag. Is that the medium or large bag? Nice saddle/seat too! I have a MTB Devo. I may pick up a MTB Vigo since the price may be right... $25.00 taken off of a new bike. It's all black with white lettering. It doesn't look like the typical Vigo's I've seen. I'm guessing MTB made this color scheme for certain stock bike manufacturers. I'll try to find the story out.

*Pumps*... I understand the Topeak Mountain Morph and the Lezyne Alloy Drive are in different leagues. Obviously the TMM is larger and takes less to pump up a tire when compared to the LAD. Right... that site did speak of road tires and I didn't quite understand that because the LAD wasn't made for road tires. The site did however make note of how the LAD handled a mountain bike tire. And you are right that the # of pumps it takes to get up to a certain pressure is par for the course with the LAD and others in it's league. I just don't want that much work. LOL! That's why I may go the TMM route... it has the hose extension for less stress on the stems and it can pump rather quickly from what I understand. The only downside as I see it is it's size. Then again as I think I said before I may end up going strictly CO2 for the time being. I wonder how the Topeak Mini Morph compares to these 2 pumps? I'm guessing it's more in the Lezyne Alloy Drive league?

*Bags*... my LBS stinks big time! They have very little in the way of anything. Heck in fact when I purchased my Trek 6700 last year the woman there wasn't even going to do a "fit" and adjustments for me. I've been told by others that they are a place that likes to make the sale, but not much else. The only reason I went with them is because they are close and the next closest place was 1 hour away. I'm still on the fence... looking at these...

Avenir Bigmouth: http://amzn.to/hUtFjS

Topeak Wedge DryBag with Strap (Large): http://amzn.to/gOZyWK

Topeak Aero Wedge Pack with Velcro (Large): http://amzn.to/fPtGRq

*Tools*... Watching the Topeak video lead me to believe that the wire tool for the chain was extremely useful... like a second pair of hands. Another tough choice...

Topeak Mini 20 Pro: http://amzn.to/hFekoj

Crank Brothers Multi Bicycle Tool (19-Function): http://amzn.to/h9Ve03

I apologize as I am very new to this... I forget what it's called exactly... Do you know anything about a disc brake wedge or something like that? I read in another thread that I can't locate that this thing or some other tool helps when changing a tire so you don't have an issue with disc brakes getting stuck or something? It holds something in place while you change the tire?

I need to purchase 2 spare tubes. I have a 2010 Trek 6700 with Bontrager XDX 26x2.2 tires. Hmm I have presta and I see there are 36, 40, and 60 mm presta tubes in this size on Ebay. How the heck do I know what to get??? Any suggestions on some good spares that are the right size for my situation? A direct link would be super helpful! Thanks!


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

Hey BlackHawk,

Sounds like you've been doing some good research. My Lezyne caddy is a size medium.

As far as pumps are concerned, the larger the pump, the faster you'll be able to inflate your tire. Both the Mountain and Mini Morph are good options. For me, the Lezyne has the added benefit of being made from Aluminum, whereas most other pumps are plastic, which has a tendency to get beat up over the years.

Out of the 3 saddle bags you picked, I like the Aero Wedge. The Bigmouth looks too bulky and the DryBag is only good if you regularly ride in the rain. I've actually used the Topeak Aero Wedge in size M before. It's a great pack, but I'm not sure I'd be comfortable with the Large one. What exactly are you planning on carrying around in there, anyway?

For the tools, just pick whichever one you like. Don't plan on using the Topeak's tire lever too much - just get a Pedro's lever and be done with it.

The different measurements of your tubes are due to valve lengths. I've never purchased tubes on eBay, but I do buy tubes from Price Point all the time. I get them in packs of 10 which makes them $2/tube, and the work well. They also have different pack options and "light" versions of their tubes too:

http://www.pricepoint.com/thumb/3-74--stylename-0-3-14-0000000000.htm

Lastly, the disc brake wedge is to prevent your hydraulic brakes from compressing while you have the wheel off. You don't want to squeeze your brake levers when the rotor's not in the caliper, otherwise it's a big of a pain to get the pads to retract (have to use a screwdriver.) As long as you don't squeeze your brake lever while the wheel is off the bike, you don't really need the wedge during a simple tire change. They're more for transporting bikes with the wheels off. I have 3 bikes with hydro brakes but I don't actually use the wedges on any of them (because I learned the hard way to not squeeze the lever with the wheel off!)


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## BlackHawk1 (Jun 19, 2010)

Hi jtmartino,

Thanks so much for the tire fix, disc brake tip! I never knew that... thanks to you I have learned something very valuable! If I did decide to get a disc brake wedge "for the heck of it" do you have a link to one you could recommendation to me?

Well buddy you will be glad to know I got the pump out of the way. I decided to order the Topeak Mountain Morph. I should have mentioned I have some back issues... herniated disc at L5 S1 and obstruction of neural foramen on both the right and left side with the right being the worst. You are probably wondering why I am even riding a bike?  Anyway I love everything about the Lezyne Alloy Drive except that it will be a good bit more work to fill up a tire when compared to the Topeak Mountain Morph. I know you are well aware of that. 

The tubes... so the valve lengths don't matter as long as I get a tube that fits? It simply comes down to my preference or is there an advantage with one valve length over another? Maybe I will go measure the ones I have and stick to that size.

Tools... you have to check out the Crank Brothers Pica and Pica+. I think they just came out. I saw them on their web site early this AM. They look sweet and Crank Brothers mentions that they click in to place. Just when I was about to pull the trigger on the Topeak Mini Pro 20 this comes up! LOL! The Pica's... not only do they look nice, but more importantly they look like they would be really functional, very nice to use.

After hearing your input I will think about the seat bags some more... especially when it comes to size. I hate to do it, but I may have to order a few to see what they look like (especially size wise) and then return the rejects. I wish my LBS had even just a little bit of variety. That's the problem... there's *very little* there so I can't compare things. No joke... Most stuff there has a layer of dust on it. My LBS is such a long story... totally inadequate and surprisingly uninformed on many things. They are an authorized Trek dealer (hard to believe) and when I won a Trek item via an online Trek promotion I went there to pick it up as I was told to go to my nearest dealer... well my LBS told me "we don't participate in that sort of thing." I couldn't believe it. It's either order online or drive an hour to see things in person. I take it the large bags I am considering are HUGE and totally unnecessary? They would look out of place on my bike? I'm sure you've dealt with a newbie like me before and us overdoing it. The "boy scout" term I've seen around here.  I want to carry at least 1 spare tube, but 2 would be best I guess, a multi-tool, a CO2 inflator, a SKS Airchecker digital air gauge, tire levers, a cell phone, a wallet, a Clif bar or 2 lol. Maybe a digital camera, maybe a very small bike lock. Outside of that what else would I need? Thanks!


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

BlackHawk1 said:


> Hi jtmartino,
> 
> Thanks so much for the tire fix, disc brake tip! I never knew that... thanks to you I have learned something very valuable! If I did decide to get a disc brake wedge "for the heck of it" do you have a link to one you could recommendation to me?
> 
> ...


I'm not too familiar with different suppliers of the brake spacer, but I know they are included in many bleed kits, and your LBS _should_ have some lying around. Honestly, anything will work - my buddy uses cardboard wrapped with tape.

Good call on the pump, I'm sure it'll work well for you.

Regarding the tube valve length, most mountain bikes are fine with the standard (35-36mm?) valve length. They make longer valves for aero or carbon wheels. The only thing you need to worry about is getting the correct size tube for your wheel.

Those Pica tools look really nice, but damn are they expensive. I seriously doubt they will be significantly better than other options. Honestly, my vote is for something in the $20 range, as it'll work just fine. As someone relatively new to the sport, I understand the excitement of getting all the cool accessories, but realistically your money is better spent on things like comfortable grips, a good saddle, clothing, and anything else you'll constantly use. You may use your tool once every 5 or 10 rides, but you use that other stuff every time you get on your bike.

Actually, after your description of what you want to haul in your bag, I recommend getting the large size. You have a lot of stuff you want to bring, but you should leave the digital tire gauge at home, as well as the CO2 inflator if you're bringing your Mini Morph. It's kinda overkill to bring 2 types of inflation. When you're home, pump your tires to your desired PSI and squeeze the sides. Remember what that feels like, and always pump back to that same pressure. Getting the PSI exact when you're on the trail is not really necessary.

It sounds like you have everything covered. You'd be fine with 1 tube, 1 patch kit, 1 method of inflation, 1 tire lever, a multi tool, and then your camera/phone/wallet/etc. Clif bars are easy to stuff in the jersey or shorts. Just make sure that if you get a big bag, you want it to be narrow (especially running the type of saddle you have) otherwise your legs will rub.

Alright, enough talk. Let's see some pics of your bike! Here's one of my hardtail from a little city ride the other day.


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## GpzGuy (Aug 11, 2008)

Not that I mind the topic, its interesting to me as I was looking for a way to carry spare tubes and not have them in my hydration pack....

But why was this posted in the Car and Biker forum?


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## Killroy (Mar 9, 2006)




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## BlackHawk1 (Jun 19, 2010)

Hi again.

Nice Bike there! My cousin has one that looks similar. What city is that? That's not the US is it? Looks nice. I don't have any good pictures of my bike. I took these (the only ones) right after I bought it. One is at the store with a blue Trek 6500 next to it. I was deciding between the two. The 2nd picture is in back of the Rav4. The 3rd picture was taken with a cell phone. My bike is a 2010 Trek 6700. In the end the Sram trigger shifters and Avid Juicy disc brakes sold me on it.


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

Cool bike, you're gonna have fun. The city is San Francisco, and to the left across the bay is Marin county.


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## BlackHawk1 (Jun 19, 2010)

Thanks! Oh I see. It looks like it was in some other country. San Fran... very expensive place to live I hear. I have a friend in San Diego who just got in town to visit.


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## jtmartino (Jul 31, 2008)

I moved here from San Diego about 9 months ago for work. It's about 50% more expensive to live up here than SD, and the weather is not nearly as good! I'll be back in SD within the next few years, I can guarantee that .

On the other hand, there's fantastic mountain biking around the Bay Area, so it's not all bad.


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