Saddle bags have no place on a road bike, and are only acceptable on mountain bikes in extreme cases.
Saddle bags: how do we define them? Is it a saddle bag if it attaches to the seat post and the saddle, if it has a zipper, if it is leather, has two natty straps with buckles, if it swings below the saddle like bumper bollocks?
I weaned myself off a discreet EPMS after twenty-five years of use. I was not happy about transferring the contents to a rear pocket but I’m a team player so I conformed. Previous to that was the ‘core sew-up tire held under the saddle with spare toe clip strap. Back then bikes only had one bidon cage, held on with paint ruining metal clamps. The position forward of the seat tube was reserved for a silca frame pump. Some ride with a tire in a jersey pocket, but with no second bidon to bastardize, it usually had to go under the seat. At least we weren’t wearing tires around the shoulders. I’m not that old, FFS.
When I see professional cyclists out training here, they rock the EPMS. Am I going to correct Ryder, not in this life. I couldn’t catch him to start with, if I did I would be too winded to explain myself and really, why? If you ride clincher tires, with inner-tubes or sealant, one has to carry some tire levers and a spare tube, at a minimum. My custom waterproof phone/money/drivers license/inner-tube/levers/5mm allen wrench bag was a fat bastard. Getting things out of it quickly or elegantly was near impossible.
Then Lezyne came to the rescue with the waterproof mobile phone/money/card /fits in cycling jersey pocket, wallet. They actually didn’t come to the rescue, I paid retail for it but the design rescued me with its brilliance. The phone is in a safe waterproof compartment yet one can access and operate it through the clear plastic window. So all that went into my center rear pocket, but left me with a tube/levers/5mm allen key to stow, in another pocket? Nay, it’s the Lezyne caddy sack, I’m thinking this tucks under the seat, held with old toe clip strap; the clincher rider’s spare tire, without the tire. It’s a sew-up without the outer casing. It’s a nod to the old school in a nice waterproof pvc dry sack, and yes, that is crap.
What does Frank say? I believe his words will be something like “What you have here is a crude looking EPMS held under you saddle with a nasty looking old strap.” Where does he store his spare sew-up tire? I’m already abusing Rule #1, Rule #30 and now Rule #31 too. Luckily or sadly, he is many miles away probably won’t get wind of this.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/j.andrews3@comcast.net/EPMS/”/]
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Merckx have mercy on your soul!
@piwakawaka
Yes, I'm still fiddling with the fit and I might make slight changes while on a ride. I've also used it on other's bikes as well.
Still waiting for Fränk, here, ha ha. When I mentioned considering demo'ing an SMP, he said, "I'd rather have a numb dick." An SMP + the highly visible abuse of a perfectly good piece of kit in the service of wrecking the aesthetics of a perfectly good bike, yes, this should get an entertaining rise out of a dutch monkey.
Which was, no doubt, this Keeper's intention all along. No doubt.
Lob a grenade and head out on the bike. Gianni has got to be taking the piss here. Keep in the bathroom mate Nobody needs to see.
@gregorio you can't unsee stuff people, please think before you post.
@Beers
You kind of lost me at the inhaler part Spalding.
For fucks sake.
What you have there is a shit looking saddle with a shit looking EMPS. What's worse, it's on possibly the sexiest bike amoung the Keepers.
I'll define a fucking saddle bag for you: anything tied to you saddle that isn't a tubular fucking tire.
I suggest that if you want to pay homage to a tire under a saddle, that you stop fucking around and get tubulars. If you're too sissy for that, then you don't deserve the coolness quotient of the toe strap.
And a general note: stop carrying so much shit, people. Minimize, everything goes in the middle pocket - phone, id, cash, tube, levers, patches, mini tool. If it doesn't fit, get smaller tools, don't buy bigger bags.
Merckxdamnit.
Aww dammit... I've been vehemently defending my none use of a knackersack to my unenlightened cycling buddies and then you go and post this!
Shit the bed, I'm putting my gear in a carrier bag and hanging it from my drops next ride.
@gregorio that is beyond comprehension. why on earth if you are doing rando's, with a giant bag on the rear of bike, do you still have pockets filled to the tilt making the jersey sag like a wet diaper?!
gianni, i take it you grew a pretty good batch of maui wowie?