Hi all,

Having tried fast touring/bike packing with a cheapo Lomo saddlebag, I like the idea but dislike the wag… I have tried a Woho Stabiliser, but having seen the ease of a friends dry bag harness, this seems much easier to take out to use, and put back on once filled. I will use a frame bag for easy access bits, and a bar bag if I need max capacity.

I was looking for advice on the most stable?
The Restrap system he had seemed to sway enough to be annoying, and the bungee under the bag seems like the wrong spot to me…

Is the WildCat Tiger Drover still regarded as good?

The Mr Fusion Porcelain Rocket looks solid but costly (delivery & taxes make it 3 x cost ot the Wildcat).

The Tailfin range does look interesting but again costly to get an easily removable bag.

Any other options out there?
There doesn’t seem to be much chat on here recently about the Wildcat (forgive my weak searching if wrong)
Thanks in advance

I guess it depends on weight but I have never noticed my Restrap saddle bag when riding.

I was looking for advice on the most stable?

Tailfin and bag?

Tailfin AeroPack Review: A premium, rigid seatpack

Alpkit ExoRail?

It’s a faff to attach but rock solid and zero sway when riding. I use one with just a dry bag rather than a full on seat pack.

Revelate Terrapin.

(but there’s a skill to packing properly – and minimally – to avoid waggle)

Revelate spinelock works well, as does the alpkit exorail. Exorail can be a pain to fit and doesn’t fit all seatposts though. Mine is currently held onto saddle rails with hose clips as didn’t go on my dropper – ugly but it works fine to prevent wobbling.

(but there’s a skill to packing properly – and minimally – to avoid waggle)

I should have made it clearer: almost any bag will waggle if packed poorly. It’s important take note of where the support straps are and not to put heavier items furthest from the saddle.

Decathlon Riverside.
Reasonable price for bag & harness; the dry bag comes with a valve to aid compression.
Works really well for me and is very convenient. Bungee on top for a stuffed on jacket, some metal buckles and has a simple tail lamp clip that works. Chunky but has proven bomber and waterproof on a week Scottish long trip, it’s longest so far.

Bagman Standard Saddlebag Support

I’ve got a Restrap saddlebag and it doesn’t sway at all, have been really impressed by it. You just need to make sure it’s properly tightened and as ScotRoutes says, pack stuff in the right order.

I’ll second the Decathlon Riverside harness and bags

used both the seatpost harness/drybag combo along with the matching front harness for a recent KAW ride and both were superb with no hint of movement

as somebody pointed out already, part of the key to ‘no sway’ is packing the heaviest items closest to seatpost and then getting progressively lighter..

Is the WildCat Tiger Drover still regarded as good?

Best out there imo particularly if you’re after stability and pack the size of load that imo you should put in one of these bags – ie not the 12-14l of kit that some will put into a larger seatpack.

It’s rock solid once cinched down. I’ve been using one for 10 years and it’s had plenty of use. Brilliant product. Only possible negative is it’s not fast access but I use it for sleeping gear so it’s not opened up in the daytime. It’s also a bit awkward to pack the narrow taper area near the seatpost well but that’s the same with so many of these bags.

There doesn’t seem to be much chat on here recently about the Wildcat

The product design and how effective it is, is in inverse proportion to their marketing ability.

Alpkit exorail is excellent – solid, dropper compatible, simple and light.

as @ambientcoast says, a bit of a faff to install, so mine (and bag) stays on bike all the time – good for shopping, but can get in the way on steep descents when you need to hang right off the back, I’ve learned to work with it.

My wife needs more clearance on hers for a suspension post, bent it in a vice no problem.

I have the old front and rear Wildcat harnesses which have done loads of trips from Tour du Mont Blanc to road rides, when I needed new kit for my son I looked at all the others available and went for Wildcat again. It’s stable, the hardest part is trying to pack the front of the wedge enough that it keeps it’s shape.

Thanks all so far.

I worked out the packing heaviest by seatpost reduces wag for the Lomo, but it’s not the best design and was hard to cinch down tight if not full…

I forgot to day this is for use on road/gravel so not much need to get off the back of the saddle. I do like climbing out of saddle which seems the best way to get a poorly packed bag wagging.

I really was looking at holster style so I can leave the harness on the bike when taking the dry bag off, seems less faff than removing the whole lot each time, and if the dry bag is damaged it is easier to replace.

I guess the Exorail is close, and Alpkit gear has been good to me so far, and the Revelate looks good as so little left on the bike when you take it off.

Decathlon looks ok but ams till drawn to the Wildcat…

Carradice seat pack seems very stable due to the steel supporting loop that bolts to the saddle

Bikepacking Seatpack

 it’s not the best design and was hard to cinch down tight if not full…

The saddle-rail straps have a habit of “cutting” the bag in half whenh pulled tight. One possible solution it to insert some sort of stiffener.

+1 for the wildcat.
The secret is in the way the straps attach to the saddle – very subtle, but important.
Their front harness is similarly well designed – takes a while to suss out the strap placement, but then it’s a doodle, and the results are great. No headtube rub, unless you have a really short stem.

I’m not recommending this but spotted it on an ebay alert today. I prefer the alpkit exorail

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/154551628087?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=D6kbPkZbTLm&sssrc=2349624&ssuid=XQz0tf3FQJC&var=&widget_ver=artemis&media=WHATS_APP

Same as the Woho bag stabiliser already mentioned (in the OP).

It sort-of works as a bottle holder, though needs careful placement if you have a wide arse. It obviously restricts hanging off the saddle too.

Another question for Wildcat Tiger Drover owners – the website says “a minimum of 17.5 cm of seat tube” recommended. I am thereabouts – will I die, or will the holster and bag fit fine?

the website says “a minimum of 17.5 cm of seat tube” recommended. I am thereabouts – will I die, or will the holster and bag fit fine?

Minimum seatpost length is down to stop the bag rubbing on your rear tyre – had a Apidura that cleared the tyre no problem when cinched-up but would slacken-off over time, slip-down and start rubbing – wearing a hole in the fabric.

Some kind of strap that you can use to cinch it up to the saddle rails will help. you may be able to rig one yourself.

I’m very impressed with a Revelate Spinelock – pretty expensive option, though.

Being rather short of leg and long back I need to choose the options for short exposed seatposts. Have had great success with Revelate Pika, and also the small Revelate Terrapin. Also have an 11l Ortlieb that I’m looking forward to trying on a 4 day May trip on The Kintyre Way.

My gravel bike has a Revelate Shrew on it for all regular rides, again works a treat.

Those Revelate bags look ideal but £££ !! And it seems that the Pika is discontinued, so it would be the Spinelock I’d need. 185 quid 🙁

Spinelock really does work well though.

That said, if I was buying a new seatpack now, I’d be taking a hard look at the Ortlieb Seatpack QR. Looks like that’ll have similar levels of stability without having to attach a bracket (Spinelock bracket does not offend me, mind).

Opened this without realising I started it.
I never came back to update!

I bought a Wildcat Drover with a 10l drybag.

It held all of my kit inc lightweight shoes (that’s another thread).

Seems well put together, when all cinched down, no noticeable movement.
It was used for a hotel tour in Flanders, and just grabbing the drybag out was much more convenient than friends who had to remove their whole bag. Dry enough for my kit in Belgian rain with no leaks.

Next time I’d add a bar bag for easy access and to spread the load.

I would agree its not a bag to dip into through the day, it’s still not too fast to reload, and could be a pain to tighten, hope the straps soften and become easier to move with use.

Used on a 60cm Kinesis Pro 6 cx bike so no issues on tyre clearance.

Aidy
Free Member
Spinelock really does work well though.

That said, if I was buying a new seatpack now, I’d be taking a hard look at the Ortlieb Seatpack QR. Looks like that’ll have similar levels of stability without having to attach a bracket (Spinelock bracket does not offend me, mind).

Posted 2 hours ago
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not sure about the Spinelock, but the Ortlieb QR one is not to be used on carbon seatposts, according to the instructions..