The Dakota has two attachment straps, one fixed on the bottom aft of the bag, and one adjustable soft velcro head tube strap on the front. The interior of the bag is accessible through a single center #8 waterproof YKK zipper. The pack has a pleasingly curved, tapered design that offers the perfect amount of volume for a medium/large sized top tube bag. We’ve noted how Bedrock’s consistently been releasing ever more elegant and innovative bags over the last couple of years – and the Dakota is no exception. When I saw he was working with that splatter paint Cordura, I was excited to see he still had some left to make this bag.
The bag has room to fit plenty of snacks for an extended period of time and has proven to be one of the most secure fitting top tube bags I have ever used. Whether he likes to make them or not, his Custom Top Tube bolt on bag is a winner. Andrew is a one man band based in Kansas City making custom and stock bikepacking bags. Neil’s Thoughts: When it comes to elegance and functionality among bikepacking bags, Andrew the Maker is always in the conversation. The strap on version has adjustable straps, and both are available in wide selection of colours in both X-Pac and Cordura. The bag’s sides are reinforced with plastic stiffeners, and the bolt on version (as tested) is reinforced with grommets and comes complete with stainless bolts and washers. There is a cable port at the front lower corner of the bag for charging duties or headphones, and it can be strap on or bolt-on depending on your preferences. If in doubt, a model with moveable fasteners will likely be the best option, though the former tend to be the most stable.Īndrew The Maker’s Top Tube Bags are all custom and made to order. Some are fixed, while others are adjustable. Perhaps the most important point worth checking is the position of the velcro fastening points in relation to your framebag.
And there’s padding and internal dividers to factor in, depending on what you intend to stow. Height and top tube clearance are worth pondering too, particularly on smaller frames. And, depending on the width of your bottom bracket, the larger and wider the design, the more likely they are to graze against your knees when you’re riding out of the saddle, especially if you tend to throw your bike from side to side. Choosing the Right Top Tube BagĬonsiderations to factor in include size, width, and length, with larger top tube bags being inherently less stable than their smaller counterparts. They’re also perfect for other items that warrant easy access, such as a multitool, a cellphone, lights, trail mix, a half eaten burrito, or even an ice cold beer. While recent designs have evolved in size, shape, and materials used, the top tube bag’s concept and convenient placement is nothing new before modern bikepacking iterations, they took the form of smaller ‘bento boxes’ used by triathletes and road racers.Īs with stem bags, top tube bags offer high volume storage and one-handed access to snacks and energy bars. We’ll keep to the drier but more descriptive ‘top tube bag’, rather than more pictorial alternatives for the purpose of this roundup.Īs you might expect, a top tube pack is mounted behind the head tube and secured by 2 or 3 velcro straps (or bolts) to the top tube and head tube – helping stabilise it from side-to-side movement. However, it’s worth noting that that name was actually coined and trademarked by Revelate Designs.
We often hear top tube bags referred to as ‘gas tanks’ thanks to a teardrop shape reminiscent of 1970s dirt bikes. Being an ideal cubby hole for stashing snacks and small items, they’re great accessories for any ride, no matter the distance. A top tube bag is an especially handy addition to a bikepacking kit, or any bike luggage setup for that matter.