Wondering What To Pack In Your Bicycle Saddlebags

Here is an example bicycle saddlebags

Well, let me first start by explaining that there are bicycle saddlebags and then there are bicycle saddle bags.  Kind of sounds like I am repeating myself.  What I mean to say is there are the under the saddle or bicycle seat saddlebags that are great for carrying small essentials.  They are like your emergency kit.  Then there are the large sized saddle bags.  These actually can go on the front and most frequently on a framed rack on the back of the bike.  The confusion here is in the use of the term saddle.  Saddle can mean the bicycle seat.  It probably came from a horses saddle.  Thus the saddle bags referring to either one came from the bags that cowboys and ranchers would use when going long distances on a horse.  So the term saddle bag originally meant a large sized bag used to carry stuff for overnight and longer trips.   However, over time street cyclists and even mountain bikers just started caller their smaller emergency kit or bag that goes under their seat a saddlebag also.  It is also unclear on the spacing is it saddle bags or saddlebag?  I find that most often when people are referring to the under the seat bag it is written as bicycle saddlebag.  Then the ones you carry for a long distance bike touring trip is a saddle bag.

Now on with the video.

How To Pack Your Bicycle Saddlebags

How To Pack A Bicycle Saddlebags

Just to recap and make sure everyone is on the same page.  Obviously Steve Madden of Bicycling Magazine here was talking about how to pack the bicycle saddlebag that goes under the seat.  This would be used for short rides or day trips but nothing longer then one day.  He covers the essentials for an emergency kit since typically the under the saddle bicycle saddlebags are very small and only for a few key essentials.  if you missed anything here is what he says you should carry.

1. Bike tire
2. Tire Irons
3. Multi Tool
4. Bike pump or compressed air
5. Energy drink or gel
6. 20 dollars
7. cell phone

This is a pretty good list.  I noticed he left off any kind of bike locking device which is a great idea.  This way you can go into a store and get a snack or whatever you need and know your bike is secure.  He probably left it out as it does not typically fit in the bicycle saddlebags but then neither does the bike pump so who knows.  However, this is a pretty good description and detailed list of essentials to pack in a bicycle saddlebags

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