Bontrager Elite Micro Seat Pack saddle bag review

Bontrager is the component and accessory branch of Trek and it produces a huge range of products covering everything from aero carbon wheels to socks. It’s often great kit, too, and very competitively priced, so if you aren’t fussed by the draw of a super chic brand - or ride a Trek - then Bontrager’s kit is a worthy consideration. 

Bontrager’s luggage options are broad, too, whether you’re looking for the best saddle bags for mountain biking, somewhere to put your phone when riding about town or storage for gels on your TT bike. The Elite seatpack is aimed at everything from mountain biking and road riding and Bontrager offers no less than five different sizes to cover every rider’s storage needs. 

We tested the smallest, and cheapest, version of the Elite saddle pack which has been our trail riding storage companion for the last few months. 

Design and aesthetics 

Constructed from durable Hypalon and Nylon with a PU coating, the smallest Elite saddle pack sits neatly under the saddle using a simple velcro hook and loop strap around the saddle rails. The strap is sewn into the top of the saddle pack, from here it loops over each saddle rail, through a plastic loop and secures using a good length of velcro. The strap has a little webbed tab to make it easy to grab and undo the velcro.

The zip is a water-resistance design that allows the bag to open like a clamshell giving decent access to the items inside while still attached to the bike. The zipper finishes in a little zip garage and has a string pull with a rubber gripper so there is no rattling when riding.

On the inside, there is a single pouch lined with a high-vis green material. The only detail internally is a slimline credit card/money/key pocket on the roof of the compartment.

Performance 

Being the smallest pouch in the Elite range means that you aren’t going to be able to fit loads of things in there. While your MTB tube will still need to be strapped to your frame, the Elite is perfect for stashing a few ride essentials to lighten your pockets. If you have ever taken a multi-tool or CO2 canister to the thigh in a crash, you will know the appeal of storing these items on the bike. If you are also using it on the road bike, it’s big enough to fit a 25c tube with a tool and lever in there too. It’s only water-resistant, rather than waterproof, so your possessions will still get wet but at least they won’t be dirty and you can always pop things in a little sandwich bag if you want to keep everything dry.

As the Elite Micro is only able to hold a few items it means that the weight is low and although it only has a velcro strap, it attaches very securely. You can give the strap a good pull to make sure it’s nestled against the seat rails. While some other saddle bags can require a little fiddling to get them in place, the smallest Elite is super simple and takes seconds to attach or remove. The simplicity of the velcro strap and slightly grippy Hypalon material means it could also be mounted to thin frame tubes as well if that’s more your style. 

The simple black design and minimal branding mean that it is pretty unnoticeable too which was one of the biggest appeals of this version over some of the larger models which Bontrager offers.

Verdict

If you are looking for something to store all manner of tools, tubes and snacks you’re going to be better served by a larger saddle bag. However, if you just want to move some knobbly items from your pockets and keep them on the bike then the 0.28L Bontrager Elite Micro saddle pack is going to be a great little saddle bag for keeping your bits and pieces together and organized. At $19.99 / £14.99 it’s really well priced as well.

Tech Specs: Bontrager Elite Micro Seatpack

• Price: $19.99 / £14.99 
• Size: 0.28 liters 
• Colors: Black
• Attachment: Velcro
• Weight: 53g