John’s been testing out the all-new Outer Shell Mega Bar Bag since his trip to the Bay Area this spring. This innovative bag features a hidden, bent aluminum sheet for support, and it is surprisingly resilient. Let’s check it out…
While I was hanging out at the Sklar and Outer Shell HQ, Kyle and Jim were working on a prototype of the Mega Bar Bag. Resting on their assembly table was a bent aluminum armature. You’ll never see this part of the bag, as it’s encapsulated by the Cordura outer and Ecopak inner material, but what it does is give the bag rigidity. Once you strap the bag to your bike, it’s almost like you have a rack supporting the bag.
The Mega Bar Bag is either a handlebar bag or saddle bag and works on drop bar bikes and flat bar mountain bikes.
Jim had the Mega Bar Bag direct-mounted to a rack on his Hunter Cycles in the Outer Shell open house photos…
The Mega Bar Bag on my Meriwether Ponderosa
Mega Bar Bag Quick Hits
- $280 – $310
- Sewn in San Francisco
- Seven color options!
- Four main pockets and one large compartment:
- Top zippered lid pocket (easy access while riding), two side stretch pockets (fits water bottles), and a front sleeve pocket
- Three mounting options (handlebars, saddle, or rack)
- Anti-sag strap suspends the front of the bag from falling into the wheel
- 3D aluminum frame sewn in
- Rubber-backed velcro straps and injection-molded handlebar spacer blocks included
- Extra long extendable straps (with/ velcro strap keeper)
- Tire clearance cut out (with/ tire rub skid plate)
- D-Ring attachments for the shoulder strap
- Fabric – main body (1000D Cordura OR ECOPAK EPLX600), liner (ECOPAK EPLX200)
- Weight – 1 lb 15 oz
- Dimensions – 8” long, 10” wide, 8.5” tall (w/ 6” expandable drawcord section), 10.6L – 18.5L
Mega Bar Bag Size
With an 8.5″ height, you’ll want to measure between your handlebar and the top of your tire to make sure you have the required 1.5″ inches of clearance. Personally, I’d err more on the side of 2″ of clearance if you plan on carrying something like a camera in the bag.
Mega Bar Bag Installation
Jim from Outer Shell walks you through installing the Mega Bar Bag in this video. Outer Shell also has photos and procedures on its website for the various applications.
There are also some DIY hacks you can do to modify the bag to suit your needs, like adding rack struts, dynamo lights, or a “diving board” rack mount. These are helpful if you have a bike with a shorter head tube and want to ensure you maintain proper bag and tire clearance.
Application
The possibilities of using the Mega Bar Bag are seemingly endless, but I’ve been primarily using it as a rack bag on my Bombadil and Ponderosa. The latter has been great while I’ve been on the road for a few weeks in California. When I’m riding the Pondie out to a shop or on errands, I’ll strap the bag on, toss a U-Lock in the side pocket, and all of my camera gear in the bag itself.
With long straps on the front flap things like a skateboard, sleeping pad, or other long items can be securely strapped under the flap and the internal structure keeps it from flopping around.
It’s incredibly stable – more than I thought it’d be – and goes on easily with a few cinched-down straps.
There’s a strap that can be run over your bars and under your stem for extra strength if you’re carrying anything heavy, but I’ve found it only necessary to use when toting my camera gear and a U-Lock.
Having a full-time rack on a bike like this isn’t currently my intention, so the Mega Bar Bag has been ideal.
Critiques
As you might imagine, the Mega Bar Bag needs to be installed, closely following Outer Shell’s procedure to ensure clearance from your front tire. The straps are very secure, but you’ve got to make sure you have 1.5″ of clearance. The Outer Shell foam spacers help maintain distance from your head tube, too. If the bag does drop down onto your front tire, there’s an incorporated skid plate to keep it from damaging the bag.
While you can open the bag while riding, it’s not recommended, so be mindful.
So far, my only critique is that I wish the handlebar attachment straps were a little longer. One more inch of material would feel more secure and make installation easier.
Other than that, this bag impressed me. In typical Outer Shell nature, it solves for a unique problem and offers some new details I’ve yet to see in the bag maker community. There are so many bag companies now, all making similar bags, so that’s always a refreshing experience.
Pros
- Versatile, perfect for bikes that don’t have rack mounts
- Inner aluminum armature is innovative and durable
- Stable, even on bumpy roads
- Great for touring on gravel roads
- Fits between drop bars as it’s 10″ wide
- Long straps on the front flap mean you can carry wide or bulky items like sleeping pads, too
Cons
- I wouldn’t tour or bikepack with it on singletrack, personally
- Following the Outer Shell installation procedure is of the utmost importance to ensure safe use
- Pricey, but there are a lot of time-intensive details on this made in San Francisco product
Roll on over to Outer Shell to see more on the Mega Bar Bag.
