Carradice Pennine Top Tube Bag

The Carradice Pennine Top Tube Bag is a cavernous, robust piece of kit, suitable for adventurers wanting to stow a decent amount of gear under their noses. Its unbraced sides can cause knee rub, though, and if you're an all-weather rider you'll need to protect the contents – it's not waterproof.

Check out our guide to the best bikepacking bags for more options.

The 1000 Denier, 'military grade' Cordura material is exceptionally tough – it has been completely unaffected by bramble encounters. Dirt washes off easily too.

The underside is made from an upcycled inner tube. The same has been used to create a protective collar for the steerer strap, as well as backing for the top tube strap.

The Pennine attaches to the frame at two points, and the Velcro is the strongest I've ever come across – don't let it touch your clothing! The inner tubes offer a decent amount of grip, helping to keep the bag stable without being too aggressive towards paintwork.

The attachment at the front is certainly suited to bikes with some spacers under the stem. There's a happy medium here – at the other extreme, if the stem sits above the top of the bag, fully zipping up the bag becomes a little awkward. For me, a two-way zip would be a nice modification to the Pennine, and it would eliminate this potential niggle.

Closure is with a single, exceptionally chunky zipper – great for gloved hands. Old inner tubes come into play again, forming loops at either end to aid unzipping/zipping-up. I rarely made use of the loops – the zipper is smooth running and no problem with one hand, which is great for access on the go. It's worth noting there's no cable port.

At 1.5L capacity is generous, and the bag opens up well – seeing what's in there and getting hold of it is no problem. The sides aren't reinforced, so you can really pack it out, and there are compartments at either side to help keep items apart.

At 22cm long and 12cm high it's certainly not trying to be discreet or minimalistic like, for example, Zefal's Aero Frame Bag.

For me, the 6cm width coupled with the lack of stiff sidewalls was a negative, as the bag bulged out enough to create thigh rub. While seated it was minimal, but out of the saddle it was bad. After two days on the road in lumpy Wales, my three-quarter tights were showing signs of wear – you can see it here.

The Cordura is seriously robust, and consequently more aggressive towards Lycra than other bags I've used. Carradice says the bag can be fitted up against the seat post, too, but that was no fix for me – rubbing simply became a permanent problem.

Light drizzle and intermittent showers don't get through, but heavy or persistent rain soon penetrates the fabric and contents become very wet. This might be a sticking point for adventurers who ride on in the rain.

Carradice has catered for varying tastes – the bag is available in Camo, Black and Neon. All versions feature a bold reflective strip on each side.

Value

Bags with comparable capacity include Restrap's Race Top Tube Bag and Tailfin's Top Tube Bag which we've reviewed in its 1.1L medium form. They are both more than double the £32 Pennine, with the Restrap being £64.99 and the Tailfin at £65.

Overall

While there are no real compromises on quality here, there are some practical drawbacks – the lack of waterproofing being one, and the width of the soft sides for another. If knee rub rarely bothers you and rainy rides are strictly off your agenda, though, it's definitely worth considering.

Verdict

Quality construction and very easy access, but for fair weather riding only – and thigh rub might be an issue