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btr waterproof wedge saddle bag

btr wedge saddle pack

a twitter conversation only the other day, revolved around a kuota bikes publicity photograph informing the twitterati that, should they wish to hand over the dosh, they could have a kiral model upgraded from shimano ultegra to dura-ace, free of charge. according the rest of the tweet, this would offer a saving of well over £700. unfortunately, the image included in this tweet was in grave danger of offending the sensibility of anyone who has ever assembled an entire bicycle on their own. and i include shop mechanics in the above category.

the default advice, when fitting the stem to steerer, is to allow sufficient length for the desired number of spacers below the stem, plus the depth of the stem clamp, plus a 5mm spacer on top. quite who had assembled the illustrated model, i know not, but at a rough guess, there were four, 10mm spacers placed above the stem. aside from being an undesirable look, one has to wonder who thought it ok to use this particular image for such a promotion.

btr wedge saddle pack

ever one to inflict a smart-ass one-liner upon an unsuspecting public, i suggested that perhaps the tower block above the stem clamp was, in fact, a coin holder in which to store money for coffee. daft, i agree, but what else is twitter truly for?

though my remark was intentionally facetious, to deny that even a dura-ace or campagnolo record riding cyclist might need a suitable place in which to store something as important as coffee money, would be arguably met with several sharp intakes of breath. other fripperies such as tyre levers, inner tubes and a multi-tool would surely be regarded as the absolute minimum to be carried by any self-respecting rider without the benefit of a following team car. velominati can argue all they want about rule #29, forbidding use of saddle bags, but with the paraphernalia the modern pelotonese need to carry, three rear pockets are scarcely going to cut the mustard.

btr wedge saddle pack

emulating the current trend for bikepacking-style bags, btr offer a well-sized and constructed, wedge-style saddle bag, easily fitted 'neath the saddle, fully waterproof and capable of carrying one or two inner-tubes, a couple of tyre levers, a multi-tool, and quite possibly a smartphone, should you be willing to entrust such a device to the bicycle's nether regions. fitting is simplicity itself: there's a velcro strap that grasps the seatpost, and two straps that fit over the saddle-rails and clip on the underside of the bag. once clipped, the strap tension can be adjusted to suit.

btr wedge saddle pack

the wide rear opening eases placement of cargo, before being rolled up and clipped on each side of the bag. once this is done, a short loop at the rear allows the user to clip a rear-light to the back of the bag. i have had many a saddle pack that offered similar opportunity to fit a rear-light, but most have been too loose to retain such illumination over the rough stuff. though in this case, the bag was fitted under the saddle of my ritchey logic road bike, such was the grasp offered to the light, that i figure you could undertake serious amounts of rough-stuff bikepacking without concern that the rear light would make a successful bid for freedom.

once again, avoiding the usual period of dessication that accompanies the likelihood of anything waterproof actually getting wet, the pack witnessed both yours truly and the btr fluorescent jacket being given a thorough soaking, all the while keeping its own contents impressively dry.

it's unlikely that this size of bag would assist with the clothing requirements of even a short bikepacking trip, but btr offer a few bar bags and top tube bags that might cover an away-day or weekend ride. normally £20, the saddle-bag is currently on offer at £17, so if you have the need, now is perhaps the time to satisfy it.

btr waterproof wedge saddle bag

wednesday 10 june 2020

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................