In the past year, more people than ever jumped on bikes. According to our reporting, fitness bike听sales were up 125 percent after the pandemic first hit. Gravel bike sales were up 144 percent in June 2020 compared to 2019, and electric-assist bike sales were up 190 percent, year over year,听in June 2020. Many analysts predict this trend will continue through 2021.
For those of you who bought a new bike or jumped on an old one, welcome鈥攐r welcome back鈥攖o the team. I鈥檝e relied on bicycles听for stress relief for more than two decades and found cycling to be my saving grace during the most isolating parts of听lockdown. Now that the weather鈥檚 getting warmer, I find every excuse I can to get out, be it on my commuter bike for simple errands or my gravel grinder for听long, dusty weekend rides.
I鈥檝e spent lots of time testing听bike accessories to see what sticks. I always roll with a helmet and water and never leave home without lights鈥攆ront and back鈥攂ecause they can help reduce accidents no matter what time of day. The one other piece of gear that now makes it onto nearly every bike I own is a simple handlebar bag.
After听thousands of miles, I鈥檝e found that these pouches are听an easy and accessible way to haul around my most important repair tools and everyday carry gear. Instead of carrying a clunky backpack听or shoving my听repair kit, wallet, keys, and phone into my pocket every time I run an errand, a handlebar bag carries听all those items.
Most of these bags easily attach to your handlebars via Velcro or plastic straps, are designed to stay put, and don鈥檛 interfere with cables or lights. I don鈥檛 have to worry about my phone falling out of my pocket, and I won鈥檛听forget my tool听kit, because it鈥檚 always in the bag and on the bike.
My current favorite is the ($70). It鈥檚 just one cavernous pouch鈥攖here aren鈥檛 any additional pockets鈥攂ut it sits atop听my list because its rolltop is easy to get into and听close, even while riding. The Ex 2.0 also comes with a hideaway strap that turns it into a shoulder bag off the bike. That portability is important for me because I live in a city with lots of petty theft, so I听don鈥檛 leave anything on my bike when听it鈥檚 locked up and I鈥檓 inside for an extended period of time.
On long gravel rides, I used to shove all my snacks and repair tools into my jersey pockets. That worked fine, but it feels better to have that weight off my back and on the front of the bike听instead. The Ex 2.0, which carries three to five liters thanks to the expandable rolltop, is big enough to carry my usual items, plus听an extra layer, a packable windbreaker, and even a small camera.
There are instances where听handlebar bags听aren鈥檛 practical. If I鈥檓 riding 100 miles on a road bike, aerodynamics and weight are more important than convenience. Most听mountain bikers might favor on-body storage options, like backpacks or fanny packs, because handlebar bags tend to bang around on rough terrain. But for other styles of riding, handlebar bags are hard to beat.
In addition to the Ex 2.0, here are three other options听that I鈥檝e tested and recommend.
Farewell Barrel Bag ($88)
听are听made by hand just down the street from the 国产吃瓜黑料听offices in Santa Fe. The Barrel is about two liters听smaller听than the Ex 2.0 but still carries my essentials, no problem. It鈥檚 built with a 1,000-denier Cordura nylon that鈥檚 bomber and light听and uses indestructible mini Voile straps as handlebar attachments.
Ornot Handlebar Bag ($90)
One main pocket on swallows your ride tools and snacks, while your phone slides into its own pouch on the outside and is held in place with a small elastic cord. This feature creates easy access when you鈥檙e riding and听want to pull out your phone for a photo.
Swift Industries Ardea Pack ($135)
Tuck away the听robust hipbelt听while is on your bike, and听flip it out if you want to take it for a hike. Swift also makes a number of attachments, like ,听that fit onto the Ardea to carry things like a water bottle, camera, or phone.