Speedsleev Ballistic Nylon Seatsleev Large

The Speedsleev Ballistic Nylon Seatsleev is described as 'a minimalist compression saddle pack that holds your daily ride essentials'. It's essentially a folding Velcro wallet with designated stash points, aimed primarily at road or trail riders who want to travel light and can't stand clutter. TT bikes and other race rigs are the obvious candidates, but it's also useful for touring, when you don't fancy foraging in a pannier for tools or spares.

I'm something of a 'rat packer', cramming stuff in anyhow (possibly rebelling against my late father's military career), but have found myself warming to the Seatsleev's rugged simplicity.

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Talking of military, it's made from 'Ballistic Nylon', which was the forerunner to Kevlar, and originally devised to protect service people from shrapnel injuries. History lesson over, this suggests it's an excellent material to make bike and other outdoor luggage from. Reputedly harder to dye than other blends, ours was black with bold, white graphics but there are orange, green and white options should you prefer.

Capacity

Speedsleev's website only lists one size, with a weight of 50g; ours was labelled Large and weighs 80g on the road.cc Scales of Truth. It's certainly available for sale in large and small sizes online.

Ripping open the Velcro reveals elasticated 'pockets' designed to swallow a tube, two tyre levers, a multi-tool, CO2 inflator and a spare 16g cartridge. In practice, tubes would need to be either vacuum sealed, packet fresh, or really tightly bound with an elastic band to fit in.

With some lateral thought, things aren't as prescriptive as they sound. I need to carry a 15mm wrench with me on my fixed-gear builds, and I've successfully snuck a flat 'giveaway' model (the sort that used to come with new bikes) behind a contemporary 13-function multi-tool. Bijoux designs, such as the nine-function Topeak Mini 9, can also share their pouch with a small glueless patch kit.

On longer rides, I might want to add a couple of cable ties, and these were packed in beside two slender composite tyre levers, so there's definitely a bit of leeway for personalisation.

Performance

Having rolled everything together, simply wrap the big Velcro straps around the rails, sealing everything shut. There's no risk of ejection, or infuriating percussion over washboard tarmac or unmade roads, and it's easy to remove when locking up in the street or for longer cafe stops.

Hidden beneath the saddle, it's sleek and unobtrusive – provided you've secured the Velcro properly. The kit 'inside' is reasonably well sheltered from the elements, with the fabric seeming water-resistant in the everyday, caught-in-a-sharp-shower sense. For the most part, it's on par with Cordura nylon packs.

According to Speedsleev it should come with a raincover, but ours didn't; some online sales sites sell it with, others without... If it doesn't, you can buy one for £5, though I've found other models with elasticated hems in my spares bin that made decent substitutes.

> How to carry stuff on your bike

If you are caught out without a cover, the resulting silty racoon stripe is easily dismissed with a damp cloth, but the fabric does take a while to dry out, even at room temperature. Remember to whip out electroplated multi-tools before you pop your bike away or the bits will be sporting that unsightly orange taint. I've also machine washed ours at 30 degrees and it's emerged from the drum looking packet fresh.

Conclusion

There are two schools of thought here. One says £15 buys a perfectly serviceable wedge pack with similar capacity, materials and a tab to hang your blinkie rear light from. The other is that spending twice that gets you an extremely sleek option that fits in a flash and should last well.

Verdict

Minimalist but practical alternative to traditional wedge packs