Due to his broad and in-depth knowledge of outdoor equipment, Steve was recently given two Geosmina bike bags to evaluate by the online retailers Equipment Outdoors. Two of Geosmina’s small bags were provided to test: The Large Top Tube Bag and the Small Handlebar Bag, with the stipulation that the review should be completely impartial and based on real-world use.
On receipt from Equipment Outdoors, it was immediately apparent that Geosmina’s bags were well-made and of a fabric which struck a good balance between durability and weight. All closures were watertight and easy to use; the bags retained their structure without having to be filled. Whilst the Small Handlebar Bag is a design produced by most manufacturers in this sector, it’s not one which works well for me (whilst touring) for the simple reason that my handlebars don’t have any spare space to attach this type of bar bag. I also don’t favour this design, as the roll top closure means that additional fabric is required and significant internal space is lost when rolled down – you will not have the quoted 3.5l of space. This type of bag excels when using a bike, perhaps for shorter, less encumbered rides, when only a few additional items need to be carried. It can also be used attached to a rear or front rack as a small pannier bag. If this is a bag type which you do use and like, then the Geosmina Small Handlebar Bag should certainly be on your list to consider; it is a high quality item and competitively priced. For me personally, I would choose Geosmina’s Maki Handlebar Bag as it has a zip closure, is lighter in weight, more straightforward to attach and remove, and will fit on my touring bike even with the handlebars full of other gear – I’ll be ordering one of these from Equipment Outdoors.
Geosmina’s Large Top Tube Bag was excellent (on an initial five day cycle touring and camping trip) and on a par with the highest quality competition on the market. Compared to other brands I’ve used I found the size, materials, closure and attachment to be first class – I was particularly impressed with the Hypalon attachment straps (supplied in two different lengths) which are a huge improvement on some of the too-long, poor holding and quickly degenerating soft fabric, hook and loop straps used by some other manufacturers. The design is relatively generic, though the ability to choose to use the supplied internal divider or not, a choice of supplied zip pulls in different colours and two hooded outlets for charging cables were all very welcome. The one minor alteration I would suggest is to slightly incline the front of the bag so as to better match and fit the angle on bicycle head tubes. When not using the internal divider (which does add structure) the bag did deform slightly when tightly attached to the head tube, though this was not a practical problem. Overall, Geosmina’s Large Top Tube Bag is a really good product which I will continue to use and am very happy to recommend.
I was given these bags by Equipment Outdoors and dealt with Miles who was very positive, supportive, helpful and friendly. I’d have no hesitation recommending them to anyone seeking these types of products.
