The Miss Grape Moon Bag is a high quality, weather-resistant two litre handlebar bag. It can fit almost all styles of bike, it's useful and reasonably easy to access, and it's extremely well made.
Miss Grape promotes the Moon Bag for urban, road and gravel but this could equally be used on virtually any style of bike. The narrow design means it fits between the drop-bar hoods easily, and still leaves space to grip the tops.
I even managed to fit this on a gravel bike with narrow, widely-flared bars where the titled brake hoods make other bags hard to fit.
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It's incredibly simple and quick to fit: simply wrap both cam lock straps around the bars, then secure the elasticated toggle around the head or steerer tube. It takes seconds, though if you have an out-front mount you might need to angle it upwards slightly.
The Moon Bag sits just below the handlebar, and is more secure than I envisaged from the first look. The elastic toggle holds it with enough tension to prevent it bouncing around too much, although this strap rubs the frame when turning – I strongly recommend protective tape where it makes contact to prevent it wearing paint away.
Key to the design of the Moon Bag is the plastic sleeve that supports its barrel shape, and makes dealing with the contents much easier (although it can be removed if you prefer them floppy – things will rattle annoyingly if not packed well).
The two litre capacity might not sound huge, but it's enough to store a waterproof, extra clothing and food. It's stable too, even on rough tracks.
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The position of the zip means that access on the go is quite easy, and the strong puller really helps. The zip isn't waterproof, but the fabric (including the zip-covering flap) is water resistant enough to keep all but the very worst weather out. I never had water get in during rain.
The mesh pockets on either end are a useful touch, as is the reflective strip (above) across the front and Velcro loops (below) for lashing on a pump or similar.
Value
Bikepacking bag prices can seem like they have their own rules at times, with some costing far more than others with very little difference in style or materials. While the Moon Bag is fairly priced for its quality and performance, the Mack Workshop Bar Bag is less than half the price at £30 and very good, if not as weatherproof.
On the other hand, the OrNot Bar Bag is £85, while the Outer Shell Adventure Drawcord Handlebar Bag is £72, so the Miss Grape is hardly topping the pile.
Overall
The Moon Bag is really well made, impressively weatherproof and ideal for gravel or long distance road rides. Yes, you can get cheaper ones, but this is worth its asking price, and easily rivals more expensive options too.
Verdict
High quality handlebar bag that is suitable for virtually all styles of bike
Make and model: Miss Grape Moon Handlebar Bag
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?
Miss Grape says:
Handlebar bag ideal for urban, road and gravel.
Modern lines and compatible with all bikes.
Made with weather-resistant material.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Miss Grape lists the following:
Technical specifications:
Available in dotted black colour.
Nylon 420 polyester 300 dotted fabric with water-repellent polyurethane resin coating 10,000 water columns.
Nylon plastic accessories.
Rigid PE LD interior;
The Moon bag is produced in Italy and certified according to Reach CE n. 1097/2006.
Dimensions
Width 23 cm
Diameter 11 cm
Volume 2 litres
Weight 155 grams
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Excellent, with good choice of materials.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Not fully waterproof, but highly weatherproof.
Rate the product for durability:
9/10
Cam-lock buckle means it can fitted/removed without any wear, which can be a problem with Velcro. Strong fabric, too.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
7/10
Weighed in at 188g – more than claimed (155g) but not really an issue.
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Very well.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Frees up precious top tube space, and doesn't block drop bar tops.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Will rattle if not packed carefully.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The price is higher than less exotic brands ask, but for a well crafted and high quality 'boutique' bag it's middling.
While the Moon Bag is fairly priced for its quality and performance, the Mack Workshop Bar Bag is less than half the price at £30 and very good, if not as weatherproof. On the other hand, the OrNot Bar Bag is £85, while the Outer Shell Adventure Drawcord Handlebar Bag is £72, so the Miss Grape is hardly topping the pile.
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
The construction and performance are really good, it suits all styles of bike, and it's very simple to secure and remove. There's little to complain about – the high (if justified) price and potential for the cord to wear at your frame are pretty much it. It's very good.
Age: 35 Height: 168 Weight: 62
I usually ride: My best bike is: Cannondale SystemSix
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: road racing, cyclo cross, sportives, mtb, Lots of gravel style riding
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