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review

Silca Seat Roll Premio

8
£48.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Incredibly secure and non-rattly stylish under-saddle storage for ride maintenance essentials. Beautifully made and correspondingly pricey
Weight: 
108g

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The Silca Seat Roll Premio is a pricey yet top quality, incredibly secure and some might say stylish way of carrying ride maintenance essentials under your saddle in a non rattly way.

Silca claims it's the first on-bike storage system to use a Boa dial closure system, and I'm inclined to believe it, as the turn-and-tighten wire system is pretty much the reserve of fancy cycling shoes. Like those posh shoes, the Premio is a high-end bit of kit. It's very well constructed out of a thick waxed canvas that's been prettily patterned with reflective stitching for a hint of visibility. That Boa dial gives it an air of refinement, and the fixings and rail guard are all incredibly solid and well made. It's a world away from your 'bits of flimsy nylon and a Velcro strap' seatpack, and that's reflected in the price.

> Find your nearest dealer here

> Buy this online here

The Premio is a very on-trend tool-roll design, rather than the more common zipped pouch affair, and when it comes to storage it has three pockets to fill. There's enough room to get a tube, some tyre levers, a multi-tool and a few other bits in there – a CO2 canister or some patches and glue maybe, pretty much just your ride essentials really. If you feel the need for all that plus a couple of energy bars and some gels, arm warmers and a phone, a packet of Polos and a lucky gonk, then you'll need to look at other more capacious and bulbous saddlebags.

Silca Seat Roll Premio - Open Tools.jpg

As the Premio is designed to wrap around itself to form the roll, a little bit of trial and error is required in positioning all your desired gubbins just so within those pockets, in order to get a tidy fold to the roll when it's all wrapped up.

Silca Seat Roll Premio - Wrap Strap.jpg

Fitting it on a bike is a tiny bit more fiddly than a normal seatpack; it's not a 'wodge everything in, do up the zip, strap it to the bike' affair, but it's worth the effort. Fold the flap of the roll over the contents, tightly wrap it around itself and then hold it all together with the elasticated securing strap. This stops it all flopping open again, making it easier to secure to the saddle.

Silca Seat Roll Premio - Wrap.jpg

To do that, feed the Boa cords through the saddle rails, much as you would any other seatpack strappage, making sure the rail guard is centred to protect those rails, then popper the end of the strap to the Seat Roll, click the tab on the strap into its dock, then gleefully crank on that Boa dial until it's as tight as you like. The first time you do this it feels a little over-complicated, but it soon becomes quick and easy, like most saddlebags have a knack to get them sitting just so.

Silca Seat Roll Premio - Mounted Boa Strap.jpg

Taking the Premio off the bike is a lot quicker: flick the Boa dial open to release all the tension on the strap, un-pop the other end of the strap and yank it off. It can require a committed tug if you've ratcheted up that Boa dial to a crazy tension.

Once the Silca Seat Roll is on, it's on. It manages to be totally secure with just that single Boa strap; it doesn't need another strap on it or a loop around the seatpost to make sure it's secure or to stop it flapping about, and you don't need to add another strap of your own to stop it wobbling around a bit, or just for peace of mind in case the straps want to let go and it jettisons itself when you thump over that big bump.

Silca Seat Roll Premio - Mounted Underside.jpg

And you won't have to stop a little way into the ride to tighten everything up once the contents have settled like you have to with some saddlebags.

Finally, and maybe most importantly... thanks to the snug wraparound nature of storage combined with that tight-as-you-dare ratchet system, the contents don't rattle. At all. This might please you but it will also please a lot of other people on the group ride. You know who you are.

If you're the sort of rider who needs to get a multi-tool out of their saddlebag each time you stop (you know who you are) or prefers to carry readily accessible stuff such as café money and keys and phone and whatever in their seat-pouch, then you'll find the whole unpacking, retrieving, strapping up process a little fiddly compared with a pack you can unzip and rummage around in while it's still attached to the bike. But if you're a rider who just packs their saddlebag with tool and tube maintenance emergencies that might not be needed on a ride but you wouldn't go for a ride without them, and you're happy for them to be there secure, quietly unnoticed and tidily out of the way, then you'll appreciate the Premio.

Silca Seat Roll Premio - Mounted Under Rear.jpg

While the heavy cotton canvas of the Seat Roll Premio is waxed for waterproofing it's not a totally waterproof bag. The tuck and roll system of the bag means water can eventually get in labyrinthine fashion through the edges, but it takes a deluge to do that, and the roll will happily shrug off standard issue rain ingress and tyre splash.

> How to carry stuff on your bike

I've used a lot of seatpacks in the past and there's a cupboard full of their discarded husks. I'm on a constant search for the perfect one. What people want out of their seatpack and what they want to cram it with are wildly different. I don't feel the need to carry everything I own in my saddle-pouch and have it dangling off my saddle like a pussy, distended growth – I'm happy with just a tube, some tyre levers, a multi-tool, some instant puncture patches and proper ones with glue, oh, and a few spare chain links, just in case.

I can go for dozens of rides without ever having the need to touch the contents, but when I do I need it to be there and it not to have bounced off somewhere. This has happened. The rest of the time my seatpack needs to be tucked under the saddle, ignored, silent, unobtrusive and almost forgotten until it's absolutely needed. The Silca Seat Roll Premio does that very, very well.

Verdict

Incredibly secure and non-rattly stylish under-saddle storage for ride maintenance essentials. Beautifully made and correspondingly pricey

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Silca Seat Roll Premio

Size tested: n/a

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Silca says: "Seat Roll Premio is the world's first on-bike storage solution powered by the Boa® Closure System. The foundation of the Premio Seat Roll is a waxed canvas of SILCA's own creation, heavyweight cotton canvas is first hot-melt waxed for water-proofing, and then computer quilted with reflective thread for improved visibility. Seat Roll Premio attaches effortlessly to your seat rails using the beautiful Boa Closure System allowing for a lighter weight, more durable, more powerful and more adjustable attachment to the seat rails than traditional designs. Seat Roll Premio has 3 pockets sized to hold 2 CO2 cartridges with regulator, an inner-tube up to 700x45, and a multi-tool or other accessories."

Yup, it's a saddle-pack with a Boa closure system.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Waxed Canvas with Reflective Cross-Stitch Quilting

Boa Closure System with Guide

Three Internal Pockets - Holds Tubes up to 700x45mm

Center Strap for added Security.

Rail Guard protects Saddle Rails and Speeds Installation

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

An extremely well made seat-pack, especially when compared to the flimsy construction and untrustworthy securing of some.

Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10

It kept tools and tubes firmly under a saddle at all times without a rattle or wobble.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

A thick tough cotton body and high quality features mean it should last a long time.

Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
4/10

The stout cotton construction, plastic fixings and Boa dial make it a fair bit heavier than other more basic nylon-and-straps seat-packs.

Rate the product for value:
 
4/10

It's a LOT more expensive than most other saddle-bags, but what you get in return is excellent build, no rattles and 100% security.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It kept the basic ride tool basics well secured under a saddle, which is not a lot to ask but something many seat-packs can't manage.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Secure, not waggly, no rattles, looked tidy on the bike. Boa dial.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Bit more fiddly to attach than others. Pricey.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

While the Silca Seat Roll Premio might seem a hell of a lot of money for a seat-pack, it is incredibly well made and has the secure Boa system ensuring it doesn't need supplementary strappage, isn't going to bounce off and doesn't wobble, dangle or rattle. Some might find it doesn't hold enough for their ride needs though.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 47  Height: 180cm  Weight: 73kg

I usually ride: It varies as to the season.  My best bike is: The one I'm on at the time

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: road racing, cyclo cross, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking, fun

Jo Burt has spent the majority of his life riding bikes, drawing bikes and writing about bikes. When he's not scribbling pictures for the whole gamut of cycling media he writes words about them for road.cc and when he's not doing either of those he's pedaling. Then in whatever spare minutes there are in between he's agonizing over getting his socks, cycling cap and bar-tape to coordinate just so. And is quietly disappointed that yours don't He rides and races road bikes a bit, cyclo-cross bikes a lot and mountainbikes a fair bit too. Would rather be up a mountain.

Add new comment

18 comments

Avatar
Jack Osbourne snr | 7 years ago
1 like

I'm with mike the bike.

Looks like a giant slug attached itself to your saddle rails.

To be fair, there seems to a trend at present where significantly above average priced kit looks shit.

Avatar
SingleSpeed | 7 years ago
0 likes

Innertube, Co2 Cartridge and a few wraps of insulation tape, lighter, neater costs about 20p

Avatar
Anthony.C | 7 years ago
0 likes

I can't see beauty in this either, a saddlebag looks neater.

Avatar
mike the bike | 7 years ago
0 likes

 

To my uncultured eye it looks great unfolded but terrible slung under a saddle.  It's a good job we're not all alike.

Avatar
tritecommentbot | 7 years ago
0 likes

I like good looking kit too. Can see myself picking one of these up if the price drops a bit (not much of an RRP kinda guy). 

 

Will be nice for touring when you don't mind loading up a bit more.

Avatar
peted76 | 7 years ago
0 likes

As ridiculous as the price is, it's a beautiful bit of kit. I brought one the moment I saw it.. however to prove just how silly I am, I've not used it yet as about three months in.... and to top it off, I now have Donkey Label tool roll envy https://donkeylabel.com/product/tool-roll/ and I still don't use a tool roll or saddle bag.. 

Avatar
surfer35 replied to peted76 | 7 years ago
0 likes
peted76 wrote:

As ridiculous as the price is, it's a beautiful bit of kit. I brought one the moment I saw it.. however to prove just how silly I am, I've not used it yet as about three months in.... and to top it off, I now have Donkey Label tool roll envy https://donkeylabel.com/product/tool-roll/ and I still don't use a tool roll or saddle bag.. 

For £25 I can take the Silca Premio off your hands  3

Avatar
oldmixte | 7 years ago
0 likes

My £4.99 clip on tool bag from Lidl doesn't rattle and easy to detach and take with you, this one doesn't seem to have any security.

Avatar
Man of Lard | 7 years ago
1 like

I assume it's meant to convey the ugliness and unwelcomeness of having a suppurating boil attached to one's saddle.

Avatar
muppetteer | 7 years ago
1 like
Quote:

I don't feel the need to carry everything I own in my saddle-pouch and have it dangling off my saddle like a pussy, distended growth...

 

What on earth is a "pussy, distended growth", supposed to mean in the review? Could somebody explain?

Avatar
beezus fufoon replied to muppetteer | 7 years ago
1 like
muppetteer wrote:
Quote:

I don't feel the need to carry everything I own in my saddle-pouch and have it dangling off my saddle like a pussy, distended growth...

 

What on earth is a "pussy, distended growth", supposed to mean in the review? Could somebody explain?

I hope it means "full of puss" - the alternative just doesn't bear thinking about!

Avatar
The _Kaner replied to beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
0 likes
beezus fufoon wrote:
muppetteer wrote:
Quote:

I don't feel the need to carry everything I own in my saddle-pouch and have it dangling off my saddle like a pussy, distended growth...

 

What on earth is a "pussy, distended growth", supposed to mean in the review? Could somebody explain?

I hope it means "full of puss" - the alternative just doesn't bear thinking about!

Yep...I had to reread that several times.

I was like, WTAF...

thought we had ventured into some crazy XXX territory....

Avatar
Simon E replied to beezus fufoon | 7 years ago
0 likes
beezus fufoon wrote:
muppetteer wrote:

What on earth is a "pussy, distended growth", supposed to mean in the review? Could somebody explain?

I hope it means "full of puss" - the alternative just doesn't bear thinking about!

It's pus - with a single 's', the manky stuff oozing from a bacterial infection such as found in cow's milk when they have mastitis (a common problem).

Avatar
Tass Whitby replied to Simon E | 7 years ago
1 like

Simon E wrote:

beezus fufoon wrote:

muppetteer wrote:

What on earth is a "pussy, distended growth", supposed to mean in the review? Could somebody explain?

I hope it means "full of puss" - the alternative just doesn't bear thinking about!

It's pus - with a single 's', the manky stuff oozing from a bacterial infection such as found in cow's milk when they have mastitis (a common problem).

Haha! I did discuss this with VecchioJo when subbing and "sometimes old cats get that funny flappy baggy tummy thing" did come up! But yes - pus-y. Pus-filled. Maybe I should have subbed it out...

Avatar
timmyotool | 7 years ago
2 likes

Looks like a very over engineered Ramblin Roll
or if you've UK based a road roll https://www.mackworkshop.com/products/road-roll

Avatar
TrippyZ replied to timmyotool | 7 years ago
0 likes
timmyotool wrote:

Looks like a very over engineered Ramblin Roll
or if you've UK based a road roll https://www.mackworkshop.com/products/road-roll

 

Thanks for the tip,  just bought one.

Avatar
Simon E | 7 years ago
0 likes

Another one I discovered last week is the Toob Roll, made from old inner tubes:

https://www.etsy.com/uk/listing/463507766/toob-roll-tool-roll-for-roadfi...

Avatar
MNgraveur | 7 years ago
0 likes

This does look very nice. I will say that that there are very nice, slightly less expensive alternatives from Lezyne and Chrome, among others. No boa system, but otherwise identical more or less in terms of quality, fit, etc.

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