Cafe Du Cycliste Tool Saddle Bag

The Cafe Du Cycliste Tool Saddle Bag is very good – secure, well made, waterproof and easy to use. At 0.5L it's just big enough for the basics, and while it's not the lightest or cheapest option it's surely one of the most stylish.

Want more lightweight luggage options? Check out our guide to the best bikepacking bags.

> Buy now: Cafe Du Cycliste Tool Saddle Bag for £44 from Cafe Du Cycliste

This is basically a tiny roll-top waterproof bag, and there's nothing wrong with that – the big alloy hook is quick and easy to use, and you can adjust the strap to snug it down tight. With that done in seconds, all your stuff (or at least what tiny proportion fits in here) is completely protected from rain and spray. That's good news for your multi-tool.

Meanwhile, the attachment strap is long enough on the buckle side to make fishing it up over your saddle rails easy, and the extra weight of the big metal buckle over a plastic one – though probably just a few grams – helps too. Packs with short or inflexible straps can be a right faff to get on the bike, so I like how easy this one is.

It's a broad strap with good, strong Velcro-style tape, and once it's done up it stays that way – a seemingly obvious detail, but a mis-step here can completely ruin an otherwise good design, as I discovered recently with the Topeak Elementa Strap.

The rugged-feeling fabric is heat-sealed at the seams, and holds its rectangular cross-section well. That's great if you have a neatly rolled tube and a slim multi-tool, though not so ideal for tangled (or particularly large) tubes and bulky objects. You've got a little bit of leeway on volume with the rolled closure, but the fabric doesn't stretch at all.

It's easy to clean, and resists stains – I got tubeless sealant on this without realising, and it wiped away completely even after days on there drying.

The half-litre volume comfortably takes a (neatly rolled) tube alongside a multi-tool, two levers, some bacon strips and a tyre-stabby thing without anything starting to bulge out. Add a CO2 cartridge (easily done) and that's pretty much exactly the stuff CdC says will go in. Honest marketing claims? What is the world coming to?

Value

At £44 this is far from the cheapest option, but given its quality and serious waterproofing it doesn't seem unreasonably priced. You can easily get some very good bags for less, though.

The Restrap Tool Pouch that Stu tested in April is £32.99, usefully water-resistant (if not actually waterproof) and lighter at 74g – this CdC bag is 115g.

The PNW Components Satellite Saddle Bag is also very effective, and also cheaper at £36.99 (a couple of quid more than when Mari tested it last year). It's less than half the weight at 54g too, but again isn't going to keep your stuff completely dry.

If you want to spend more you can turn to the ever-reliable Silca, whose 106g Mattone Grande Pack was £51 when we reviewed it last year. It's now £66, because this is 2023 and everything's going really well.

If for some reason you'd rather spend less, something like the 0.4L LifeLine Stash Saddle Bag will (probably) do the job nicely for £9.99. At 88g that option isn't even heavy – and as LifeLine is a Wiggle brand, it's very unlikely to be as much as £9.99 either.

Overall

This pack combines form with function extremely well – assuming the function you're looking for is excellent protection for and easy access to your spares. If you're after the lightest, raciest cargo-carrier then look elsewhere, but otherwise this stylish and effective bag is well worth considering.

Verdict

Waterproof, easy to use and very stylish – it's not light or cheap, but works extremely well