5 Frame Bags For More Than Just Snacks
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5 Frame Bags For More Than Just Snacks

August 3, 2021

Amanda has been pootling around town with various frame bag solutions to see what shape and size work best. Here’s a few of the best on test!

I have gradually evolved from a rider that doesn’t believe anyone needs a frame bag, to a rider that almost always has some form of storage attached to my bike. Discovering new bike disciplines, longer days out and really understanding the need to snack often has made me appreciate easy access packs that I can get my hungry paw in whilst moving.

I have previously tested some small options, and since then I have gone as far as camping on Helvellyn on an enduro bike, so I’ve tried lots of shapes, sizes, and materials of frame bag. Below are the ones that never make it to the back of the shelf.

Wizard Works Lil Presto! Barrel Bar Bag

  • Waterproof zip
  • Quick-stash pockets
  • Daisy chain

This barrel bar bag from Wizard Works is made from waterproof Cordura outer fabric with a waterproof Nylon liner. Sandwiched between these layers is a plastic liner offering structure and holding the shape. The zip is also water-resistant, but none of the seams are taped.

  • Saddle mounting is possible
  • This toggle secures it to the saddle
  • Voile straps are excellent

The bag attaches to your bar or saddle using Voile Nano straps – secure rubber that won’t damage carbon bars, and won’t shuffle out of place. Wizard Works advise that you need saddle loops like on a Brooks saddle, but I’ve had no issues mounting this to my Nukeproof saddle, and it’s surprisingly secure when you use the drawstring cord provided to hold it to the seatpost and stop it swinging back and forth.

The entire Wizard Works range will attract anyone looking for a jazzy accessory and loud colour schemes, and those looking for function over form won’t be disappointed either. This is one of the more secure bags I’ve used, it’s spacious, the side pockets are useful, and it looks excellent. Ticks all boxes for me!

Things I love:

  • Really secure fit on both bar and saddle
  • Spacious yet not too bulky
  • Great colours and designs available

Things I would change:

  • Side pockets would be more secure if elasticated
  • Saddle mounting for mountain bike saddle rails

Wizard Works Go-Go Top Tube Bag

The Wizard Works Go-Go Top Tube Bag is available in two sizes, this one being the medium. You can get a 3D printed Nylon top tube accessory for securing the pack if you have a low stack height. It’s £15 extra for this, and so far I haven’t struggled with the fit for the stem strap.

  • Choose the position that suits your frame
  • Chunky headtubes are no problem

The base has five positions for the two Velcro straps, meaning you can find the most secure fit for your frame, accommodating the chunkiest enduro frames. My complaint with the fitment of this bag is the narrow width of Velcro doesn’t seem to be enough to hold it upright, and I frequently find it flopping to one side.

  • Foam block protects and helps the fit
  • Easy grab zip
  • Great for snacks on the go

Despite the bag not being a great fit for my skinny steel tubing, I’ve continued to use it thanks to the capacity and how accessible it is on the move. The zip pull is great, and the zip itself never sticks or catches items inside the bag.

Things I love:

  • The shape allows for bulkier items, like an apple or a beer
  • Great colours available on all Wizard Works frame bags
  • As with the rest of the range, items are packaged in eco-friendly material

Things I would change:

  • Wider frame straps would be more secure
  • If the seams were taped I would probably use this through winter, when I need more kit with me

LifeLine Adventure Top Tube Bag

  • Neat, splashproof, compact
  • Rubbery base helps keep it in place and aids durability

This compact top tube bag is so deceiving. You might look at the price and think it’s not going to be as good as other frame bags on the market, but I cannot fault it. The waterproof, welded design keeps everything dry, which is exactly what you need for an open packet of sweets, your phone, your face mask. The two-strap design is secure thanks to the rubber base on the bag and the width of the straps.

It’s lightweight and although it doesn’t have any plastic liners, it holds shape really well. Soft enough to cram it full yet tough enough to not lose shape. The zip pull even has a reflective strip on it so you can find it in the dark, they’ve thought of all the important stuff without adding features we don’t need and increasing the price in the process.

Things I love:

  • The price
  • The waterproofing
  • The secure fit

Things I would change:

  • The angle the zip pull attaches to the zip makes it slightly off centre (I’m clutching at straws here)

Restrap Bar Pack

  • Sturdy!
  • Straps work but are fiddley to use
  • The biggest pack I’ve used. Has a light clip on the front since you probably can’t fit a bar-mounted one on with this.

This 10litre capacity bar bag from Restrap is designed for big days out, shopping trips, photographers, and anyone that just likes to carry a lot of stuff they want easily accessible. Restrap packs are all handmade in Yorkshire from 100% waterproof textured nylon, with a nylon lining. This one features an elasticated drawcord storage space on top to easily stuff jackets or gloves in, two roll-top compartments, space for a D-lock to be stored and some structural rigidity to help with the size.

Things I love:

  • Huge capacity
  • Made in the UK by a really friendly team
  • Drawcord stasher on top is really useful

Things I would change:

  • The buckles for attatching the pack are a bit fiddley, I feel like they’re facing the wrong direction
  • A toggle cord around the stem/headset would be easier to secure than the Velcro strap
  • If the pack were slightly wider instead of the boxy shape it is, it might give more tyre clearance for lower stack bikes

LifeLine Adventure Seat Pack

  • Expandable
  • Easy to attach
  • ‘Put it in the boot!’

This welded, water-resistant saddle bag has a capacity of 7.5litres, but can be rolled smaller as you remove items. This makes it a really solid, secure pack. It attaches by two buckles under your saddle rails with a seatpost strap to stop any unwanted movement.

  • Nice secure fit
  • Well-considered light hooks that suit any capacity

This pack has carried my bivvy bag, sleeping bag and a few snacks, it’s really spacious if you pack it right. I’ve found it useful for items I will need infrequently on the ride – it’s easy to get into but you obviously have to stop and dismount, which on a long day out you may not want to keep doing.

It’s one of the most useful bargains I own. It’s not often I’m on an adventure big enough to need a saddle bag, but when I am it’s great to have a reliable, weatherproof, easy option.

Things I love:

  • Another fantastic price from LifeLine
  • It doesn’t move around, I think the rubbery material adds to the secure fit
  • There’s added structure where the bag meets the seatpost to hold it’s shape

Things I would change:

  • The seatpost strap is really long. It could lose about 20mm and still hold the bag tightly in place
  • I rarely have anything small enough to fill the ‘point’ at the bottom of the pack, but if you don’t fill it from the bottom, it mounts a bit wonky
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Amanda Wishart

Art Director

Amanda is our resident pedaller, who loves the climbs as much as the descents. No genre of biking is turned down, though she is happiest when at the top of a mountain with a wild descent ahead of her. If you ever want a chat about concussion recovery, dealing with a Womb of Doom or how best to fuel an endurance XC race, she's the one to email.

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