Ortlieb  Handlebar Pack - 15 Liters

Traded out a small handlebar bag and seat bag that was a total of 8 liters and a couple of oz heavier for this bag. I used the bag on a mountain bike with wide handle bars. First they provide foam pads which are used on the handlebar straps and the fork strap. The foam lifts the bag away from the frame to prevent rubbing of the bag on the frame. Second, the bag ends utilized a solid piece of plastic to facilitate an easier twisting of the end necessary to close the end. Although the bag had a ton of space, I could cinch up the end to make the bag smaller when desired. Third, even when filled to capacity I never touched the bag as I pedaled/rode as the bag was extended forward of the handlebars and not suspend under the bars. I didn't have any issues with too much forward weight but I suspect this is not an issue as I ride a trail oriented bike with a more slack headtube angle (as opposed to xc). Suprisingly, for the waterproofing, I didn't feel the weight was excessive, and appreciated it when I got caught out in a storm. All in all a nice product for my test ride on technical mtb trail in the random Colorado summer afternoon rainshower. I am glad I got it.

Just finished a 30-mile test ride with this bag on pavement, gravel and rough single-track, mounted on a Surly Krampus and stuffed with an XL 3-season sleeping bag and an XLT winter jacket, with room to spare. Pros: The bag was very stable and did not affect handling in any way. Easy to load, and guaranteed waterproof. Cons: Difficult to mount. Took me at least ten tries over two days before I was finally satisfied with the mount; fumbling around trying to keep the bike upright, handlebars steady, and cables out of the way while simultaneously pulling the thick Velcro straps tight, only to wind up with a frustrating amount of slack each time (the outer cinch straps don't remove excess slack - they just add security). Maybe there's a trick to it, but the Ortlieb videos offered no help for the issues I was having. Bottom Line: I like the bag and can recommend it, but there's no way I'm going to take this off the bike each night in camp and then try to get it back on the next morning when it's raining and my fingers are numb from cold. It's staying on, and I'll fill it with smaller bags that are easily removed as needed.

Everything about this bag is quality, however one feature I wish it had was that the bag could come off from the straps to the frame. If you want to take the bag off, you need to unstrap everything.

I needed a handlebar bag that I could put my tent in with no problems and I did. Plus, Ortlieb makes good stuff.

Lasted on trip then glued on velcro came off handlebar strap. Incredibly bad design.

Just what the doctor ordered! Way better than [BRAND REMOVED] I returned after one ride.

Bag is lightweight, which is good, but the bag came with 3 of the 5 spacers. Maybe I got a returned item?