Stebles Bikes Aero Box

The Stebles Bikes Aero Box is a good shape and holds stuff securely, but it doesn't hold enough stuff, and the way it attaches to your seatpost with zip-ties isn't very user-friendly, or reusable.

Stebles was founded in the UK by Mark Stebles in 2012 with a mission to 'revolutionise bike design', and one of its first bikes to go into production has mudguards integrated into the frame. As well as bikes, Stebles has began designing 3D printed accessories. This saddle box, which houses a puncture repair kit, is the latest.

>Buy Stebles Bikes Aero Box

Designed to replace a traditional fabric seat bag, the 224g Aero Box ties onto a seatpost or seat tube and is smoothed into a curve shape. Inside, Stebles supplies a Schwalbe inner tube, plus Park Tool patches and tyre levers for the £29.95 asking price. It sounds ideal, and when I put in on my bike I was happy with how streamlined and clean it looked, suspended handsomely on the back of the seatpost.

To open it, you just slide it downwards from its pivot point. While on the bike, the box didn't move in the slightest, even over some very rough roads.

It does seem that Stebles is forgetting one key ingredient that's needed to fix a flat, though: air. The box has no room for a CO2 canister or mini pump, so you'll have to find space for this in another pack or jersey pocket. I'm no expert on 3D printing and maybe the design wouldn't have worked if an extra compartment was added, but surely it would be better to have everything in one place to save space?

I also think the best application for this, because of the time-saving advantage offered by simply sliding the box open, would be triathlons or long time trials when you get a flat mid-race and need to do a rapid repair. The time saving isn't as significant if you have to fumble elsewhere on the bike to locate your inflation tool.

Another big problem I had was when it came to removing the cable ties so I could attached it to a different bike: it's very difficult to cut them off without nearly slicing into your seat tube. This, plus the fact that if you move it between bikes regularly you'll need new cable ties every time, makes the system a bit of an annoyance. I'd like to see bigger slots cut in for Velcro straps instead.

I spoke to Stebles and gave some feedback, and it's aware of my tips for improvement. I'm told a dedicated version for triathlon and time trialling may be on the cards to fit an aero seatpost. But even so, the box should also have space for a CO2 canister inside so you don't have to house that or a mini pump elsewhere on the bike – it defeats the object of the space-saving and aero design.

Overall the Aero Box is an interesting concept, but it's not refined enough for my full recommendation just yet. I hope there's a mark two soon.

Verdict

Novel idea, but needs to fit a CO2 canister and attach to an aero post to find its true target market