Top Tube Bag From Craft Cadence Tested & Reviewed

In recent years, we have seen cycling change in many ways. Not only do we have new disciplines, such as gravel, but we also have lots of new equipment hitting the shelves, such as bikepacking gear and many new accessories for cycling.

One piece of equipment that many riders now use is a top tube bag. They have seemed to replace saddle bags for many, and it’s a much better place to keep your goods instead of the rear pockets.

We have been lucky enough to try many top tube bags, and one we recently tried was the Craft Cadence Top Tube Bag. Not only are we getting rave reviews from fellow cyclists, but they have some excellent design features that we wanted to try. We will be discussing:

• Who Are Craft Cadence?
• What Is The Craft Cadence Top Tube Bag?
• Our Review

Who Are Craft Cadence?

Craft Cadence is a brand from London. As cyclists themselves, they were using many other gear brands until they noticed very little way being improved over time.

They started researching and spent time finding ways to make products better to suit a city cyclist’s needs. Then Craft Cadence was born, and they have been thriving ever since.

What Is The Craft Cadence Top Tube Bag?

A Top Tube Bag is designed to sit on the bike’s top tube just before the fork steerer tube. This position is ideal because it’s easy to access goods such as food or your mobile phone.

It has always been a very popular product for cyclists, such as triathletes, time trialists, and bikepackers. It is now an excellent cycling accessory for any cyclist and is used across all disciplines.

The Craft Cadence Top Tube Bag is lots of research and many miles on the bike, making sure that it doesn’t fall into the normal issues we see in many top tube bags, such as swaying, knocking on the knees, and being difficult to open and close.

Our Review

So let’s break down the Craft Cadence Top Tube Bag. In our review, we’re going to tell you everything you need to know, from design to price and much more.

Design

The first thing to mention is the design. I really like what they have done because there are many challenges when it comes to top tube bags. It looks great, and the design is simple.

It opens on the top with a small lift over feature combined with velcro and magnets. It’s easy to get into and close, exactly what you need when you are cycling and want to get to your stuff quickly.

It even comes with a small pocket to store a key or any cash, which I found very useful, and it also stops coins or keys from rattling around and making noise while you’re riding.

Attachment

The attachment of the top tube bags comes in two different forms. When you select to buy one, you either get to choose straps or the bolt on version. I have been lucky enough to try both, but I used the strapped version for my bike.

Not only does it fit nice and tightly, and there’s no sway, but I like the fact the straps were of a soft material, meaning it wasn’t going to cause any damage to my bike’s frame.

Many companies go wrong here, and bags that don’t fit right can be incredibly annoying, but I’m very satisfied with the Craft Cadence version as it works well.

Size

Next, we move on to size, which is one of the biggest selling points for Craft cadence. It’s not too big that it will hit my knees, but it also has plenty of space for anything you might need, such as tools and spares or a GoPro and mobile phone.

Useability

I have used a lot of top tube bags in the past decade; some have been fantastic, and others just awful. Much of it comes down to how easy it is to use when riding and how functional it is.

Opening and closing it is very seamless, and knowing it uses velcro and magnets, unlike competitors, which use zips, it is much more user friendly.

Another feature that I personally really like is the small opening at the front. This means I can run cables from a powerbank to a cycling computer easily without having to have the bag open. With previous bags, I have had to cut these in, unfortunately.

It doesn’t stop there, though. If you look on the top, there’s a small fabric strap, meaning you can mount a Garmin on top or, with the right attachment, even your phone.

Waterproofing

Having waterproof bags is very important; surprisingly, many on the market are not. The Craft Cadence bag is very waterproof, but this is further improved by how it stretches over the top and opens and closes.

I love riding in the rain, and this bag does the job well. I have tried bags with zips, and on really bad days, water gets inside, and you’re left with a small puddle in the bottom of the bag, which can be annoying.

Price

Coming in at $50, it’s not the cheapest top tube bag on the market, but you are getting value for money. The price is up there with the bigger brands, but we think it’s a fair price to pay for what you’re getting.

Overall

Overall, the Craft Cadence Top Tube Bag is excellent. It looks the part, and it just works fantastically.

It may not be the cheapest top tube bag, but you get what you pay for, and it’s an excellent product that will be so handy while riding or if you’re on adventures.

Robbie Ferri

Robbie Ferri has spent years working in a bike shop, has worked with industry leading brands on product creation, has been a semi pro athlete, and is a fully qualified strength and conditioning coach. He has broken World Records, bikepacked all over the World and raced ultra distance at a top-level.