What Type Of Bicycle Saddle Bags Do I Need?
October 14th, 2009 by Jeff Kudo, under Travel and Leisure. No Comments
Grab your touring bike and lets take a fun outdoor adventure. You have the destination but you just don’t know what type of bicycle saddle bags you’ll need. You need to know how far you’re traveling and how many nights, if more than one. How long is your trip? Will you travel a short distance and take your time over several days or really max out your daily miles on the bike? Finally, how much weight will you carry on your bicycle?
If you’re going on a short trip then you probably wont need large panniers that sit over the front and rear wheel. So if you’re traveling a short distance for only a day trip then you probably need smaller bags that don’t require an over the wheel rack to mount them. These include; behind the seat bags, handlebar bags, and under the top tube bags.
A good behind the seat bag sits directly under your bike seat and is actually attached to the seat itself. Depending on the size of the bag you can typically fit your bike tools, a tube or two, and a foldaway tire. [youtube:PK_9nbIwCrg;[link:What Type Of Bicycle Saddle Bags Do I Need?];http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PK_9nbIwCrg&feature=related]
Getting a handlebar bag is also a great bicycle saddle bag choice. These bags mount in seconds and are the most convenient to access. Just make sure you keep your loads to a minimum on those handlebars. Too much weight will make steering your bike difficult and create balance problems.
The most aerodynamic bag is called an under the top tube bag and obviously mounts just below your top tube. These bags wont hold much but will add a little extra room for those items you need to get to quickly. Warning, overfilling these bags may cause your legs to rub against them when you pedal.
If you plan on going for a multiple day trip over many miles then you need to carry a lot of weight safely. If you try to cram too much gear in your small day trip bags you’ll risk a crash because your weight will be too high on your bike. You need panniers or bicycle saddle bags that will solve all your problems.
These panniers will attach to racks that you mount over your front and rear tires. You can have up to 2 bicycle saddle bags on the front and rear bags totaling 4 bags altogether. Youll be able to now safely carry all the weight you need for your trip.
