Jamie has been testing Ortlieb’s quick-access, universal-fit, top tube storage. After a whole heap of off-road bike packing adventures, it’s time to see what he thinks.
How does Ortlieb’s Top tube bag stand up to the rigours of the Traws Eryri? Time to find out.
Photos by Jamie Edwards.
Key features:
- Waterproof frame pack
- 1.5L capacity
- Magnetic closure system
- Includes mobile phone mount
- Quick release system
- £77.00 RRP
- Ortlieb.com
The Ortlieb Top Tube Bag is a waterproof, 1.5L stash space that’s ideal for compact cameras, snacks, tools, gloves, gels – basically anything you might need to grab without interrupting the flow of your ride.
It’s ideal for bike packing, bike touring, adventure riding and – why you’re probably here, mountain biking. But might look a little chunky for your mountain bike depending on your tastes.
Fitting the Ortlieb Top Tube bag is simple – you can either bolt it directly to your frame or stick it on using the supplied rubber straps. It’s quick and easy to fit and similarly hassle-free to whip off when you get home.
A really nice feature is the quick-release system which allows you to unclip the bag from your frame and then easily pop it back on again. No need to remove the mounts, just clip and unclip – perfect for nipping into a cafe without leaving your essentials unguarded and no need to remove the mount when you’re not using the bag.
On the trail, the Top Tube bag has been really useful. I recently bought a decent quality compact camera, the Ricoh GRiii, and the bag has been the perfect home for it. It’s waterproof, always in very easy reach and very, very easy to use.
Many brands use zips, which can be a real pain whilst riding along, can break easily or get snagged, Ortlieb instead use a chunky hinged lid which flips open and then snaps easily back into place using magnets to keep it sealed.
The design is absolutely perfect to use whilst riding along, snaps closed very easily and can be used one-handed, on the move. No faffing, minimal time for rain to get in and really easy to chuck your phone, camera, gel wrapper back into when you’re done.
I think that it really helps on a big ride if you can access your food on the move – the easier it is to eat, the more likely you are to stay fuelled. If you can grab snacks without having to stop and on almost any gradient or terrain, you’ll eat more and ride better. The same goes for your camera, if it’s no faff to grab it, the more likely you are to use it. The Ortlieb Top Top Bag has been great for both of those things – easy, simple, hassle-free to use.
Another benefit of that ‘lid’ is, unlike a zip, you can run cables in and out of the bag without compromising the waterproofing. That means you can charge lights, your Garmin, your phone etc without any hassle in rainy conditions. You do need to be careful that the lid folds back into place properly when you snap it shut, but, that’s an easy fix.
Something you might also like – the Ortlieb Top Tube Bag allows you to strap a mobile phone to its lid using a supplied rubber bracket. I’ve not tried it.
The bag is also rock-solid on my frame. It wobbles a little on rough terrain but has never moved out of place, fallen off, opened accidentally or done anything untoward. It locks in place, limpet-tight and I really trust it to look after my gear.
There’s a couple of slight gripes – first, I can’t pretend it’s not a great, big, boxy lump on the clean lines of my bike. Almost every friend who’s seen it has made a polite “wow yeah, it’s pretty lumpy aint it?” comment. The spacious 1.5L size and lid approach is practical, but I’m not sure you could accuse it of being hugely pretty. It doesn’t bother me for bike packing or cycle touring, but, I doubt I’d shift it over to my ‘proper’ mountain bike – which perhaps slightly limits its use. Your call on that though.
The chunky, boxy shape does take up some space on your top tube and is noticeable when you’re stood up and climbing. I bump it with my knees and thighs and loose some dexterity and a little of my ability to move around. It doesn’t stop me doing anything particularly and is only noticeable on climbs, but took some getting used to. Shorter riders will notice this more than taller ones. It also gets pretty mucky from your knees rubbing it constantly, but, that’s easily fixed.
What Do We Think
Overall, the Ortlieb Top Tube Bag has been a really welcome addition to my bike packing and big-ride mountain bike setup.
It’s easy to fit, the quick-release system is awesome and it places snacks and essential items exactly where I need them. I can grab them, use them and put them away on the move, at any speed and on any terrain. It’s probably the most intuitive, hassle-free on-board storage I’ve used.
There’s a couple of very, very minor details that I’ve learned to live with, mainly the fact I bump my knees on it when climbing, stood up – but they’re just a symptom of the size and the super-effective snap-shut lid.
It’s not super pretty and it’s definitely not one I’d carry across to my enduro or trail mountain bike without some funny looks. You decide if that’s a problem to you though.
Last thing to say – Ortlieb also manufactures the Ortlieb Fuel Pod which is the smaller, 1L version of what you see here. With a slightly smaller size it may well be a good answer if some of the issues above bother you. I’ve received one of these to test, but haven’t quite given it a go yet. Watch this space.
We love:
- Near perfect one-hand system that’s effortless to open and close.
- The snap-close system is brilliant.
- 1.5L capacity is perfect for phones, cameras, snacks and essentials.
- Puts your must-have gear in super easy reach – it’s super convenient.
- The quick-release system is really effective.
- Stays locked in place like a limpet on all terrains.
Could do better:
- Looks a bit boxy, which may not appeal to everyone, especially the MTB crowd.
- Slightly limits movement when stood up and pedalling, but, you’ll get used to it.
