Free Parable Design Monkii Mono bag

The Free Parable Monkii Mono is a useful way of carrying things on the bike if you have a few bikes and you like to keep a single set of tools, or for extra storage. It's not an essential but you'll probably find a job for it.

The Monkii Mono is one of a number of products using Free Parable's mounting system, which consists of two discs that can be attached to bottle mounts or elsewhere on the frame or seatpost using a separate caddy. The idea is that the various bits of kit slot onto the discs and are held firm; removing them is a simple case of sliding or twisting. There's a tool roll available too, as well as various bottle cages.

The Mono will happily accommodate a couple of road tubes, a multitool, a patch kit and some other bits and bobs; even a pump, if you have a tiny one. Alternatively it'll swallow your phone, keys, wallet and gels and the flock internals will help to prevent scratches.

Two full-length zips along the top mean access is easy; Free Parable don't claim it's fully waterproof but it's never let in any water on soggy rides.

The most obvious positions for the Mono are on a bottle boss, on the seatpost and on the top tube as a sort of energy hopper. The latter will only work on relatively narrow-tubed frames as the biggest bracket Free Parable make accommodates a 38mm tube.

In the main triangle of a bike, position one really, it's a bit of a squeeze when you're also packing a bottle, even on a big frame like I ride. That means it's not really an option for smaller bikes if you want to carry water too, which you inevitably do.

On the seatpost it's pretty effective and easy to swap between bikes (assuming you get more than one mount) although it's a bit wider than some seatpacks. It works on the top tube pretty well, even though that's not what it's really designed for. 

Verdict

A versatile bag for holding a few essentials on the bike, but size limits its appeal in a bike's main triangle.