Carradice Baja Bar Bag

The Carradice Baja Bar Bag is well thought out and well specced for the money, and it looks to be as tough as old boots too. The Camo finish may not be to everyone’s taste, but you can also get it in black or even ‘now you see me’ fluoro yellow.

For more luggage carrying options, check out our guide to the best bikepacking bags.

There are many handlebar bags on the market and the majority of them are very similar, with often just small details that make the difference between a good bag and a very good one. The Baja bag is definitely one of the latter.

> Buy now: Carradice Baja Bar Bag for £52 from Carradice

First of all, it’s easy to fit. It’s simply a case of passing each of the two straps around the handlebar and through the plastic clamps to give a good secure fit.

Between the clamp and the handlebar you’ll find some foam padding – two sections on each strap – which creates a bit of space for your fingers between the bar and the bag. They can be removed if you want.

For added security there is a third strap, which you can use to attach the bag to the head tube or wrap around your cables. I didn’t need it on the road bike, but if I was out on rough gravel trails then I would use it to stop it swinging around too much.

You can’t reposition the straps, like on some bags, but I found them to be placed ideally – wide enough apart to offer stability, without covering the taped sections of the bar, and far enough away from the stem that they don’t clash with computer mounts or light brackets.

Because of the way they tighten, the straps will also work with aero-shaped bars, and their length means that if your bike has exposed cables and hoses that keep the bag further out front, there won’t be any issues.

The strap positions mean the Baja can also be used as a saddle bag on those seats with bag loops.

At 3.5 litres in volume there is plenty of space inside for your ride essentials. I could easily stuff in a lightweight rain jacket, spares, tools and snacks if I wanted.

> Cycling emergency essentials: the 10 things you should take with you on every ride

Everything inside is kept dry in pretty much all weather conditions. Even though Carradice doesn’t make any waterproof claims, light rain and drizzle beads off the 1,000 denier Cordura, although heavier and prolonged rain will make its way through eventually. Personally, I’d never fully trust the waterproofing claims of any bag, so for anything electronic or that needs to remain dry I’d use some kind of internal bag or pouch if I knew I was in for a day of rain.

One thing that does help here is the flap that sits over the top of the bag, poppering in place to cover the main zip.

Within that flap is an extra zipped pocket which is ideal for small items that you want to grab on the fly – energy gels, map pages, work passes, that kind of thing. That flap also has a loop for a clip-on light, which sits facing straight ahead when attached to the bike – not something every bag achieves – and there is also a reflective circular detail too.

Carradice has also added reflective strips running top to bottom on the sides, which is a nice touch for when you’re riding past junctions or on roundabouts in the dark.

In fact, everything works well. The only slight niggle for me is that when empty the bag doesn’t hold its shape, unlike the Topeak Tubular bar bag that I reviewed recently.

It’s not a major deal, it’s just that the Topeak is easier to get things in and out of, even when lightly packed, plus it looks better – very important.

Quality-wise, there is little to fault the Carradice. It is well made throughout, and it’s made in the UK too. The material is very robust and has stood up to all kinds of abuse from overgrown hedges and foliage on my local gravel trails with not a scratch or hitch in sight.

Priced at £52, it’s decent value for money, too. The Topeak I mentioned above is £67.99 for a similar size – a touch bigger than the Baja at 3.8 litres, but not hugely so.

Restrap’s Canister bag is similar in shape and fitment, and is a couple of quid cheaper at £49.99, but you are only getting 1.5 litres of space, and a single pouch too. It is waterproof, though.

Conclusion

The Baja works well regardless of the bike you are fitting it to. The build quality is great, as is the size, with the only downside possibly being the lack of full waterproofing. Carradice makes no claims on that front, though, and for the money I think it’s a very good purchase.

Verdict

Not as waterproof as some, but well made with neat attention to detail

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