Looking for a minimalist seatbag
 

I have a spurcycle roll-top seat bag that has worked out pretty well but it's starting to crack and it looks like they don't make them anymore. Looking for something that does not attach to the seatpost and fits fairly close to the bottom of the seat since I have a Cycliq fly camera and a small rear light I need to fit on the post under the bag. I don't carry much; 1 tube, levers, CO2 cartridge and inflator, Allen wrench for thru-axle, a couple of surgical gloves, and a disposable wipe or two.

Considering the following:
Arundel Uno
Lezyne Road Caddy
Silca seat roll assymetrico (The Premio seems to no longer be available)
Silca Mattone
Blackburn Grid

Anyone have any feedback on the above bags or have something else to suggest?

On a side note, anyone have suggestions for a compact tubeless plug/repair kit?

Silca Mattone - that is what I use on all 3 of my bikes both tubeless and tubed bikes. Not too big has boa and fits just right on the saddle.

Yeah, the Silca Mattone is great recco based on the OP’s needs— I use one, too!— but also the Cyckit Aeroclam fit’s the bill as well (I run two of those!).


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...25381b302.jpeg
Cyckit Aeroclam P2 on Fizik Aliante R3
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...077711c79.jpeg
Silca Mattone on San Marco Shortfit Racing

I have a Road Caddy that I've used on road bikes and gravel bikes. Tucks up tight against the saddle. Holds plenty of repair gear (see below). And has been durable.

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...759090572d.jpg

Loaded up here with; road tube, 2 Co2, air chuck, Park IB-3, tire boot, patch kit.

I used the Lezyne Road Caddy as well, and it's fine. I have since ditched saddle bags altogether and keep my essentials in my middle rear pocket.

Here you go. And unlike the Silca option, it doesn't rely on an overly-complicated (i.e., failure prone) Boa system.

This tubeless plug kit is inexpensive, small, and works like any other. I've had mine for 3.5 years and the plug strips are still sticky and perfectly usable.

I've been satisfied with the Lezyne Road Caddy for a few years. No problems. Holds up well. Packs more than I'd expected, although I had to switch to a smaller CO2 chuck and flatter multitool, and Continental's lightest, thinnest butyl tube (Race Lite?). But it all fits.

Another vote for the road caddy
 

It’s been great

Consider the Arundel Pico instead. I like it a lot and it seems waterproof (vs the Uno) -- I think it's the same size. I have what you mention in mine.

Another option is the Orucase 25 Holds quite a bit and is very secure to the saddle rails.

Make sure to do your research with the Aeroclam mentioned above. I looked into it a couple of years ago and they only supported certain saddles at the time. Things may have changed though.

I use the Road Caddy and it works great for me.

After all this praise, I googled the Road Caddy. It looks pretty great, and it's light and inexpensive. Probably worth a shot -- esp since everything else I've bought from Lezyne has been pretty great.

Speedsleev Ranger. It comes in 3 sizes, 5 different colors, does not attach to the seatpost, and stays in place(no sway). It also uses simple velcro so it is fast to mount or remove and wont fail(like Silca Boa styles used to). The velcro is nowhere close to contacting lycra shorts too, which is important.
I have had this style bag on all my road bikes and gravel bike for almost 3 years now. The large size fits a big 35mm tube, multitool, tire levers, patch kit, chainlink, and co2 inflation.
They are often on sale for under $25.
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...f5cb24a8d2.png

As an alternative to any bag, I would suggest the Apex Occam strap. The number of items in your kit would be pushing the limits of this attachment method, but it could work. You would probably want to roll up all the smaller items in your tube and then attach this bundle to your seat rails with the strap. It's a very simple, lightweight solution and can be quite secure. I have one and sometimes use it to carry a raincoat somewhere on my bike frame. Mountain bikers use them for all sorts of things, including repair essentials, such as what you're carrying.

I have an Arundel Dual on two of my bikes, and it checks all your boxes. So if the Uno can really accomodate everything you need to carry, it's even smaller than the Dual so definitely should be near the top of your list.

+1 for the Road Caddy, keep 2 x CO2, 1 x tube, Topeak mini ratchet and patch kit in mine.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...8bfef8bbd.jpeg

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...98469e378.jpeg

one of my 'hobbies' is accumulating small seat packs lol

I used the Cannondale seat pack at top right for years ; held multitool, tube, two levers, patch kit, two co2 cartridges, qwickfill, etc

had a small leather strap sewn on to the back part of the pack so I could attach a small taillight (at the time seat packs did not have these attachments)

the three packs bottom left (and top / second from right) are slim/narrow packs that have a 'vertical' profile when installed

There are really lots of good options nowadays, which is quite different from the way it used to be not-so-many years ago.

I think one has to go out of their way to find a small saddle bag with faults, whereas it used to be that even top brands could have problems, like too long velcro straps that would furl at the ends, bags which weren’t secure and would sway on the bike, weren’t water-resistant let alone waterproof, or had crummy construction.

The other thing which makes it hard to go wrong is that we generally just don’t use bags as heavily as we used to. Bike quality is better, so we’re not in-and-out of the bag as much, and with things like smartphones and tubeless tires, we don’t need to carry as much either, so seat packs don’t need to meet the same demands.

Blackburn Grid on the roadie is nice and slim. I use Almsther on the gravel rig since the tube is larger, but same style.

I hate bags that need a velcro strap on the seat post. Often leaves rubbing marks over times. Only exception is apidura bike packing style bag there the seatpost strap is very secure and doesn't rub.

You've made me feel better about my collection.

This is an important criterion for me. I have a pair of MTB shoes on which the Boas need to be replaced (one or the other) waaay too frequently...And after a ride last night, my friend's Boa dial completely detached from his shoe -- the mounting part just tore loose. And yet, I still have a pair of 17-year old Shimano road shoes with velcro straps that still work perfectly.

The Boa dial is a solution in search of a problem, and not even a very good one. Having a seatbag's Boa dial fail in the middle of a race would be a real PITA.

How many races allow you to have a seatbag?

I’ve never heard of a race that does not allow them.

Have you ever looked at the rigs that people ride in long gravel races like Unbound? Large saddlebags, frame bags, and top tube bags are not at all uncommon — often one of each on a bike.

I’m curious why you think that saddlebags would be disallowed in races. After all, race directors have strong interests in everyone making it back to the finish line under their own power.

Century Road Club Association, the organization that hosts all the local licensed criterium and stage races in my neck of the woods, explicitly forbids lights, pumps, or saddle bags on participants' bikes during road races. I just assumed that was standard protocol for all such licensed races.
(Admittedly I have no idea what standard protocol for off-road races might be.)

Interesting! Looks like mostly crits and hill climbing events? If so, I can understand the rules. Short frenetic races on loops don't really call for tools -- a breakdown just requires the rider to walk back to the start line. Though when I was racing crits (not in your neck of the woods) I don't recall ever seeing such rules -- but I never would've carried a seatbag on a mile-long circuit anyway. But in real road races (30-80 miles), yeah, I always carried supplies to fix a flat. I would usually have spare wheels in a wheel wagon, but that only helps if you're in the lead group -- and, um, I sometimes wasn't. :lol: