I've had this pack for about 3 years now, and put it through hell. No issues. Those saying you can't fit a spare / levers / multitool / co2... yes you can; it is possible. It's not roomy by any means, but as long as you carefully pick what you put in the pack, you're good. Keep things flat. For road rides I keep the following: 32-42 butyl spare, one Pedros lever, one much thinner ProBike lever, one Silca Italian army knife, one 20g co2 w/inflator, one Park patch kit, one nitrile glove and one small microfiber rag. Few band-aids. For gravel rides I just stuff the Dynaplug pill in there - and it also fits (tightly). Almost everybody I ride with has this seat pack, it's kind of the standard these days. Worth the extra coin.
This seat pack is perfect for the road cyclist that wants a minimalist flat kit and nothing more. Its everything it needs to be and doesn't overcomplicate (i.e. silca mattone). Fits a TPU tube, tire lever, 16g CO2 w/ head, tire boot, and small mini tool perfectly. Quality construction and I like the wider velcro strap. Can't beat it for the price. Looks clean on the bike- nice not heaving a seatpost strap.
(*would be too small for a regular butyl gravel size tube and accessories)
Was reluctant to spend the money on this saddle bag, but I was going on a trip that required riding 100 miles per day for 7 days. I usually just carry a Dyna Plug and my small battery operated pump with me, but based on the fact that these rides were un supported and there was no available services for most of them I decided to get the bag. It worked out great. I was able to put my small multitool, a co2 cartridge, a mini pump hose and my dynamite plug kit. Turns out I had to use it twice. Once for a friend and once for myself. Highly recommend this product.
I already had several non-Ortlieb top tube bags, and I wanted the convenience and added security of a quick-release system that would allow me to bring my valuables into a market with me and didn't require me to fiddle with rethreading and adjusting straps each time I got back on.
The Ortlieb Fuel bag and Top tube bag use the same mounting system. Ortlieb offers the Ortlieb Mounting-Set to support the use of the same bag across multiple bikes. But if you are handy with an awl or hot nail, you can modify the bags you already own.
This system works very well in retrofitting other top tube bags. All the hardware you need to attach the quick release to your bike is included. I converted a Timbuk2 bag to take advantage of the M5 frame bosses. The included internal bag fasteners provide enough rigidity to remove the four frame and stem straps from the bag and rely solely on the bosses.
I no longer have to worry about:
1. straps wearing down the bike frame and stem finishes
2. a top tube bag flopping from side to side
3. leaving valuables or an expensive frame bag on the bike when I head into a store or overnight accommodations
Finally, if you pick up a couple of these, you can quickly move one bag between bikes and swap bags on your bikes depending on the ride's needs.
