Saddle bags aren’t the sexiest item on the bike, are they? But here we both are, diving into a saddle bag review. Why? Well, I had one saddle bag for a bunch of years, one I really liked, because it had this locking mount that made getting it on and off the bike super easy. The one downside with it is that it was loud. Yeah. Believe it or not, any little space inside allowed the contents to bounce and jostle, and something about the fabric and the mount made it really loud. I didn’t think to do anything about this until I loaned a friend my bike, and she said, “Great bike, but you have to do something about that saddle bag.”
Then I got a note from a PR guy wondering if I wanted to test some Lizard Skins products. The lead was a pair of 3-season gloves that you’ll be reading about here once we get to one of the seasons those gloves purport to be good for. But then it was left to me; does Lizard Skins make anything else I’d like to sample?
Voila. New saddle bag. Membership does, occasionally, have some very small privileges.
So it’s worth pausing to recognize that I did not pay for this item. It was given to me specifically for purposes of review. I was not obligated to review it, just because I took it, but I am doing so because I genuinely like it and if you keep reading, you’ll find out why.
Whew. I’m glad you’re still committed to this thing. Let’s get to it.
First, here’s what I want from a saddle bag: 1) It should be easy to get in and out of. 2) It should fit the basic stuff. 3) It should look better than a pair of truck nuts. 4) It should be fairly durable. 5) Apparently, it should also be quiet.
And here’s what I can tell you about the Lizard Skins Cache:
- The single-entry point zipper is well done. The whole bag is somewhat long and streamlined in shape, which means the zipper is easily accessed beyond the tail of the saddle. I’ve had similar, seam-sealed zippers that are hard to open and close, but this one is smooth.
- I like to carry a tube, a tire lever, a CO2 cartridge and inflator head, and a simple multi-tool. In the days of tubelessness a Dynaplug or similar might find its way in there too. Good news; it all goes in, and there is a neat little webbed pocket in the top section of the bag and a padded one on the bottom that separates the tools from the tube and makes stuff easier to find. I like that.
- I don’t need my saddle bag to make a fashion statement. I just want it to blend. The Cache has a dark, heathered finish that helps it both blend and not look too dirty, even when it’s dirty.
- Durability is really a longer-term question, not one I can adequately assess in an early review like this, but it feels like stout stuff. The bottom of the bag, the area most exposed to wet, sandy spray has an extra coating. That seems smart.
The price goes up and down, not very much, with size, (medium is $27.99), and it comes in Jet Black (heathered) and no other colors, which suits me fine. It might just suit you too.