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review

76 Projects Piggy Zip Case

8
£25.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Really well-thought-out design and surprisingly roomy for such a small saddle bag
Hardwearing fabric
Swallows plenty of kit
No light loop
Weight: 
62g

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The Piggy Zip Case from 76 Projects is a well-made saddle bag that is surprisingly roomy considering its diminutive size. It keeps your kit secure and the elements out for what is not a bad price. The only little extra I'd like to see is a loop to attach a rear light.

The main thing I like about the Piggy Zip Case is its shape – it's exactly the same as a fresh 'out of the box' 700C inner tube, it just fits so snug.

> Buy this online here

While sounding trivial, it means that the Piggy stays in exactly the right profile for the zip to flow freely when you undo or close it, even when it is packed full with other kit.

It has a capacity of 0.45 litres, and I could comfortably get a tube, patch kit, multi-tool, two tyre levers, a CO2 canister and the head for it without overstretching it and putting pressure on the zip.

76 Projects Piggy Zip Case - rear.jpg

Inside is an elasticated pocket that you can tuck a debit card or cash into so it doesn't float around inside the pack.

The Piggy Zip Case will work with The Piggy storage mount, or you can attach it to your saddle rails on its own using a strap, as I have here. (The strap puts the price up by £3 – without it, the case is £22.)

The strap used for attaching it to the saddle rails is wide yet thin, which means it holds the bag securely without any swing, and because of its lack of bulk means it won't rub on your inner thigh if you have large legs – something I have had an issue with, with other packs.

76 Projects Piggy Zip Case - side.jpg

To keep the spray out, the Piggy Zip Case uses a 300d polyester waterproof fabric with a PU coating. It certainly keeps the elements at bay and while I was concerned about the fact that the zip was only water resistant, I didn't have any issues with ingress on very wet rides of a couple of hours or so.

On the whole I really like the Piggy Zip Case. It is very well made with no rough edges or stitching, and looks and feels a much higher quality than its £25 price tag would have you think.

The only thing it does lack is a loop for fitting a rear light. Most of us fit our lights on the seatpost, and while most will be fine attaching one lower down because the the Piggy isn't that large, if you don't run much seatpost you may struggle. Most saddle packs offer this solution, so it is a shame not to see it here.

> Buyer’s Guide: 17 of the best rear lights for cycling

Price-wise it competes well against the slightly larger PRO Discover Saddle Bag at £40 while still offering similar levels of waterproofing.

It's bigger and better secured than the Arundel Pico Seatbag, too, which comes in at £24, but you can spend less – Giant's 0.6L waterproof saddle bag is £16.99, and Topeak has a few options that are less than £20.

> Beginner’s guide to carrying stuff on your bike

Overall, as simple as the saddle bag is, 76 Projects has really focused on the details that make the difference. It's a great shape and just works really well while coming in at a decent price.

Verdict

Really well-thought-out design and surprisingly roomy for such a small saddle bag

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road.cc test report

Make and model: 76 Projects Piggy Zip Case

Size tested: 115x75x60mm

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?

76 Projects says, "The Piggy Zip Case is sized to perfectly fit The Piggy and Little Piggy on bike storage. It can also be strapped directly to your bike frame or saddle rails.

"Easy to remove for washing, security, and switching between other PIGGY equipped bikes."

It's a cleverly thought out design and carries a lot more than I was originally expecting.

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

From 76 Projects:

Room to accommodate all your ride essentials.

Large water-resistant zip for easy access.

Zip pull for use with gloves.

300d Polyester waterproof fabric with PU coating.

Super tough & grippy Hypalon base and top strap.

Inner pocket for small items.

Weight 50g

Capacity 0.45L

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
9/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

You can get cheaper – Giant's 0.6L waterproof saddle bag is £16.99, for example – but considering the quality, I think you're getting your money's worth, and it's competitively priced against some of the opposition.

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

It carries more kit than I expected and keeps the elements out.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It's very good and sits well on the bike.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

No loop to attach a rear light.

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 overall score

An all-round quality piece of kit. The shape means it makes the most of its packing space and it does a great job of keeping the elements out.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

As part of the tech team here at F-At Digital, senior product reviewer Stu spends the majority of his time writing in-depth reviews for road.cc, off-road.cc and ebiketips using the knowledge gained from testing over 1,500 pieces of kit (plus 100's of bikes) since starting out as a freelancer back in 2009. After first throwing his leg over a race bike back in 2000, Stu's ridden more than 170,000 miles on road, time-trial, track, and gravel bikes, and while he's put his racing days behind him, he still likes to smash the pedals rather than take things easy. With a background in design and engineering, he has an obsession with how things are developed and manufactured, has a borderline fetish for handbuilt metal frames and finds a rim braked road bike very aesthetically pleasing!

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1 comments

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Simon E | 4 years ago
0 likes

Looks almost identical to the Blackburn Grid MTB that resides on my winter/commuter bike.

However, 76 Projects is a small UK company and the website states "All of our products are designed in, and 90% of our components are made in the UK". Good on 'em. https://www.76projects.com/ is certainly worth a look.

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