TreeLineBackpacker

From commuting to cruising, sometimes biking requires a reliable way of carrying the essentials without weighing you down. I present to you, the Handlebar Pack from North St. Lightweight, convenient, and able to stash more than it seems, it’s a simple solution to a longstanding problem. My review:

So what is a handlebar pack? Simply put, it’s essentially a small backpack for your bike. This particular pack straps onto the handlebars to provide 2.8 liters of storage, which offloads the weight from the rider to the bike. It connects to the handlebars via two included nano-straps and an optional bungee cord. The pack features a large double-zippered primary pocket, a smaller single zippered front pocket, two stretch mesh pockets on the back, and a hidden, zippered internal pocket complete with the ever important key fob clip. It is constructed primarily from EPX 200 sailcloth fabric, with smoother pack cloth lining the inside. The dimensions come in at 9″ x 5″ x 3.75: (228 x 127 x 95 mm). It weighs just 7 oz. (205 grams) and retails for about $100, with several colors being available.

I’ve been rocking the Handlebar Pack for about a month now. Primarily I’ve been using it for bike commuting and longer gravel rides where I needed more equipment due to the rapidly swinging temperatures and weather in my area. There is nothing worse than leaving on a cold, frosty morning, only for the temperature to skyrocket with no way to shed a layer due to a lack of storage. This pack has given me a way out of that situation. Not only can it hold an extra lightweight layer (or two!), I’ve been able to stuff a bike pump, a change of gloves, a couple snacks, a multi-tool, and a spare tube, all inside without much fuss. It’s seriously impressive how much this small, out of the way pack can hold. For work days, alternatively, keys, wallet, lunch, and other accessories easily slide in the main compartment, with my phone generally going in the front pocket to prevent it from getting scratched up by my other tools. The two mesh pockets are located on the back of the pack. These are useful for snacks as they’re easily accessible while riding if need be, but I’ve also used it for IDs and other items that I may need to grab on the fly. The pack also includes a couple of Velcro strips that are located on the bottom of the inside which can be used for other North St. accessories, but I’ve not been down that road yet but will report back if I do.

Attaching the pack is quite simple. The straps are all included and allow the pack to be attached in a couple of ways, depending on the handlebar configuration of the bike and the preferences of the user. There are multiple lashing points on the pack itself, allowing for several attachment points for the straps. I found that using the center-most attachment points allows the pack to be mounted below the stem of the bike, while the outer-most attachment points pull the bag up higher. I opted to hang the bag lower as I had to dodge a mess of cables and mountain bike-like brake levers which protrude out quite far. Drop bar bikes seem to work better with the wider connection points, but either method will work fine. The bungee strap just slips around the handlebar and pulls the bottom of the pack in tight, which helps prevent it from flopping around and shifting side to side. This is technically optional but generally recommended. It’s been surprisingly secure with only some very minor shifting from side to side on rockier terrain,. The pack doesn’t handle jumps very well, which is expected. Thankfully, normal gravel riding, curbs, pavement, and even rocky sections have been no problem at all.

Construction and build quality is overall fantastic. The pack feels like it could last a decade or more with the proper care, with robust zippers, rugged fabric, and replaceable attachment straps that are easily sourced in the event of failure.

My only minor quibble with the bag is that, by default, internal organization is pretty limited. Loose items can bounce around inside the pack quite easily if it’s not filled up a bit or secured in some way. There is no included internal bungee or divider to prevent this. For example, on a recent short ride I took with just a pump and some tools inside had the equipment bouncing around when I hit bumps, making nice metallic clangs and clacks. I used a simple Velcro strap to tie the loose tools together and that alleviated the problem, but the bulk of the items still hopped around. A better option would be be picking up some accessories that North St. offers: organizers and tool rolls that attach to the bottom of the main compartment, just for this type of situation. Otherwise, I really can’t complain much here.

Other neat details worth mentioning is that the pack can be removed and used as a shoulder bag (with an extra $15 should strap). It sheds a light rain well enough to shake of a surprise shower, and it has a lifetime warranty with North St. also offering accidental repair, for a fee.

Special note for installation

My bike has a metal, jagged shaped emblem on the front (a pepper). Installing the bag on my bike resulted in it rubbing against this when I turned or hit bumps, which shredded a small hole in the bottom side of the pack. Luckily it’s an easy repair. Check your frame for similar issues. It’s not the fault of the bag but I felt the need to point it out for anyone reading. I covered my emblem with some duct tape until I find a better solution.

Overall

Since I first strapped the North St. Handlebar Pack to my gravel bike, it simply hasn’t come off. The convenience factor of having so much storage space at arms reach just cannot be overstated. It’s not that I haven’t used bar bags before, in fact I generally haven’t liked them in the past. That changed with this pack. Part of this comes down to the excellent design. It’s lightweight, easy to use, and it attaches and detaches in seconds, for most setups. It doesn’t drag down the steering of my bike, and it, for the most part, stays in place while riding. It could use some included retention options for the primary compartment, but otherwise it’s an excellent option for those who need storage on their bike, without adding a lot of weight or complexity. It’s durable, looks great, and is a pleasure to use. I can’t recommend it enough.

Highly Recommended

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Big thanks to North St. for sending this over for review. I reached out and they were happy to help me out. We couldn’t do this without their support.

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