In the past year, more people than ever jumped on bikes. According to our reporting, fitness bikesales 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,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—or welcome back—to the team. I’ve relied on bicyclesfor stress relief for more than two decades and found cycling to be my saving grace during the most isolating parts oflockdown. Now that the weather’s getting warmer, I find every excuse I can to get out, be it on my commuter bike for simple errands or my gravel grinder forlong, dusty weekend rides.
I’ve spent lots of time testingbike accessories to see what sticks. I always roll with a helmet and water and never leave home without lights—front and back—because 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.
Afterthousands of miles, I’ve found that these pouches arean easy and accessible way to haul around my most important repair tools and everyday carry gear. Instead of carrying a clunky backpackor shoving myrepair kit, wallet, keys, and phone into my pocket every time I run an errand, a handlebar bag carriesall those items.
Most of these bags easily attach to your handlebars via Velcro or plastic straps, are designed to stay put, and don’t interfere with cables or lights. I don’t have to worry about my phone falling out of my pocket, and I won’tforget my toolkit, because it’s always in the bag and on the bike.
My current favorite is the ($70). It’s just one cavernous pouch—there aren’t any additional pockets—but it sits atopmy list because its rolltop is easy to get into andclose, 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 Idon’t leave anything on my bike whenit’s locked up and I’m 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 bikeinstead. The Ex 2.0, which carries three to five liters thanks to the expandable rolltop, is big enough to carry my usual items, plusan extra layer, a packable windbreaker, and even a small camera.
There are instances wherehandlebar bagsaren’t practical. If I’m riding 100 miles on a road bike, aerodynamics and weight are more important than convenience. Mostmountain 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 optionsthat I’ve tested and recommend.
Farewell Barrel Bag ($88)
aremade by hand just down the street from the ϳԹoffices in Santa Fe. The Barrel is about two literssmallerthan the Ex 2.0 but still carries my essentials, no problem. It’s built with a 1,000-denier Cordura nylon that’s bomber and lightand 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’re riding andwant to pull out your phone for a photo.
Swift Industries Ardea Pack ($135)
Tuck away therobust hipbeltwhile is on your bike, andflip it out if you want to take it for a hike. Swift also makes a number of attachments, like ,that fit onto the Ardea to carry things like a water bottle, camera, or phone.