Ortlieb MudRacer Saddle Bag
Price: £19 (bigger and smaller sizes available)
From: Lyon Equipment
Tested: 12 months
Ortlieb are a company who I regard with some reverence. Their Back-Roller Classic panniers have transformed my view of what it is possible to do without a car, so I have tried their other products with some anticipation. Unfortunately, none of my other Ortlieb experiences have quite hit the perfection I so desire.
The MudRacer saddlebag lives up to its waterproof promise and is very capacious, even accommodating my wallet, mobile phone and rear light when required. It’s certainly waterproof too, resisting rain and jetwashes alike. I also had no problem in fitting it to the bike and taking it on and off.
I have two minor niggles though; The first is stuff-ability. Behind its waterproof rubber sheath, the zip fastening is positioned so there is space in the lid and this makes it difficult to stuff everything in snugly enough so that it doesn’t rattle, even with my trusty chain-wiping sock (There’s another version with a zipped compartment in the lid which goes some way to solve that, though an elastic strap in the base in addition would improve both designs). The second is that while it works very well to investigate the contents on a nice surface at home, everything does have a habit of spilling out when in situ on a trail due to the tendency of the bag to loll open.
Overall: a good and immensely waterproof, product that needs a couple of tweaks.
Emily Sharp
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