Been riding with this pack now for a couple months and almost everything about it is great. Much easier access to tools when fumbling around on roadside repairs. And this is a great application for the BOA strap. Only thing is the pack tends to gradually come loose--the roll starts to squeeze out from the BOA strap. It happens slowly, so I just check it before the start of each ride. I'll keep adjusting the pack job too to see if I can get it better.
Liked the idea and look or a roll pack and friends had the previous version and loved it. Yes, tools are easily accessible in a roll bag, but a) this bag does not hold that much* (1 inner tube, 2 CO2, tiny inflator, very thin tire levers, tubeless patch kit) -* muich is relative, but I like two inner tubes. b) this bag will simply not stay put!!!!! I packed it according to the instructions, I tried several ways of organizing the stuff inside, I wiggled and placed the bag in all possible ways, I had friends attach the bag. It just wiggles out.
I mean seriously a bike bag should not require this much work and skill. It is a safety hazard if it is so flimsy and delicate to place (assuming I placed it wrong, but seriousy how many ways can you place a bag). In one 80 mile ride over smooth roads (I am a road cyclist) I had to stop more than 5 times to attach the damn thing and one of my C01 cannisters fell out.
As many people have noted, this pack has a tendency to fall out of places regardless of how much you tighten the boa closure. On my road bike that has a Fizik saddle, there is no conceivable setup where I can get it to stay put even on smooth roads, it slips out of the boa closure no matter what. On a WTB Volt saddle on my gravel bike that sees much worse roads, I can get it to stay in place. As others have mentioned, once it moves around a bit, retighten and you should be good to go, depending on the seat rails that you have (from my experience that is the factor). You can't fit much in there, couple co2 canisters, Lezyne inflator tip, darts and tire levers is pretty much all that goes in mine.
I agree with the reviews that complain about the pack shifting or even coming open during a ride. I had this problem for the first couple of weeks. I finally figured out that I needed to pack it with the bare minimum--two CO2 cartridges with one connected to nozzle, one tube (700cx28), one Parktool tire lever, one Parktool GP-2 patch kit, one Parktool I-Beam mini tool. Arrange all contents into roll as flatly as possible. Fold roll loosely so that the both side of the velcro strap line up exactly. When securing to seat rails, ensure that the velcro strap and the padding used for the BOA wire are pressed together. The friction between the two surfaces is key to keeping roll fixed in place when riding. Once I figured this out, I had no problems but feel Silca should have given these instructions rather than learning through trial and error. This should make sense if you give it a try.
This does what it says it does: holds roadside repair tools under your seat. It looks good and compresses well. It is difficult to get anything out of it, so I use it only for emergency supplies. Reviewers who had it fall off were not attaching it correctly. I use it for 50 mile rides and it is secure, but make sure you fold it as instructed, velcro it tightly, position it with the BOA bands across its center, and then tighten the BOA well. Then work it back and forth a bit and retighten a few more clicks. Finally, check it after the first few miles (not necessarily by stopping - you can just reach under the seat and see if it's still tight).
Note: my 3 star value rating is uninflated: the price is neither high nor low. It is worth what it costs.
Obviously this roll is pretty expensive, and I honestly thought the reviews indicating that it fell off were probably more issues of user error than a product defect. Unfortunately, I think I was wrong. I've tried securing this roll in multiple ways, with different tensions, and the end result is always the same: rough pavement causes the bag to rotate around the BOA strap. I have no issues on smooth pavement, but on my last ride over some pretty unpleasant pavement I had to stop three times to reattach the bag. I love the saddle roll concept and how this roll looks (and is built--it's a very cool design) but I'm definitely shopping for a less troublesome replacement.
With the advent of COVID - and the lack of long distance "event/charity" rides, I decided to re-think my packing strategy. With this, I can carry a tube, co2 inflator, cartridges, a multi-tool, and a couple of tire levers. That's all I really need for rides that terminate at the house; a more serious breakdown, and it would be a 'phone home' rescue :-)
I've had no issue packing this into the roll. The BOA closure is genius - it is super snug. There's no rattle, no movement of the pack.
I have not yet had to use it "in the field", but I like the concept.
When/if we get back to longer group/event/charity rides, I'll continue to use this, but I'll throw in a couple of other things into a ziploc bag, in a jersey pocket.
Construction quality is quite good. Haven't ridden in the rain, so no comment about water-proof-ness.
All-in-all, as long as you don't need to pack the kitchen sink - this (or the slightly smaller Premio) are a really good alternative.
Likewise - it's easy enough to switch between bikes if you have a common set of tools/tubes/etc
Boa closure ensures a nice firm fit, never worried about it coming open. The roll-up offers a bit of bulk inside, so you may find yourself picking and choosing what goes in, but it fits the essentials. The only issue I've had is that depending on your saddle and positioning it does sometimes slip a bit, but that's resolved by finding the position to best keep it close and tightening it down like crazy. 4 stars on value simply because there are some other products that come in at almost half the cost that perform almost-as-well.
Very disappointed in this gadget. Holds a ton of stuff very well and very securely. The shape once loaded with even a minimal amount of gear is terrible. The boa cable could be far better placed although still wouldn't work for me, it is simply too wide to fit beneath my saddle and the cable is too short to work on the top tube.
The boa dial strap isn't centered so one side is always heavier than the other and often slips out and dangles. Had this problem with even just one standard road tube. Will fit multiple TPU tubes. Might fit other saddles better im running a pro stealth with carbon rails.
i used this the first time on a gravel ride and it was not a good idea. the pack held everything and it was secured tight to the post. however, the gravel trails caused this to flip itself multiple times causing it to dangle by the BOA cord. the first time I was lucky not to lose everything because i was unaware it happened. i re-secured it two additional times and did not enjoy stopping to fix it until i shoved it into my jersey.
When I first packed it, it was a little overloaded on one side and it worked its way loose. I repacked it evenly and no problem at all. 2 tubes, 2 CO2 cylinders fit nicely. I carry tools in my jersey pocket. 1 tube, 1 CO2 + tools would work fine.
After about 25 - 35 miles on decent roads, the pack usually vibrates out. Have had to stop multiple times to re-attach the bag. Also, have had CO2 cartridges fall out on the road twice. Used some duct tape to stop my stuff from falling on the road on my last ride, but vibrations still make the bag come loose. Unfortunately, buying another bag after 5 rides for 225 miles and mishaps on 4 of those rides.
This bag has come loose 4 times in 90 miles. Once it fell off at speed and got run over by a truck. it appears that the the bag is somersaulting around the axis of the BOAclosure strap and then dangles upside down until falls.
Its a shame because I have the seat roll premio that worked fine for ~3800 miles last year.
I've tried this in both orientations (pockets up and pockets down). It might just be my saddle/seatpost combination, but it doesn't stay put. I dropped a CO2 cartridge into my wheel at about 40 kph on a relatively smooth road - not pleasant. Cranked it tight and no dice. Should have saved my money and kept using my ratty 9 year old Lone Peak bike wallet. Good build quality, but poor execution.
Fits a lot of items in a small area
Nice and tight on the saddle, another great item from SILCA
