Gravel News

Innovative star of Kickstarter: the Route Werks handlebar bag

Seldom do products on Kickstarter reach their funding goal as quickly as the Route Werks handlebar bag. No wonder, the innovative bag offers innovative features and is a clever, new approach to a classic design.

It took Route Werks just 6 hours to reach the target of $ 40,000 for their new handlebar bag. This is relatively rare and it seems that the two years it took to develop the innovative handlebar bag have paid off. We were equally impressed by their concept and took a closer look to give you all the details.

The Route Werks handlebar bag is an innovative redesign of a classic handlebar bag. It has a carrying capacity of up 3.2 litres (up to 4 kg) and is currently available for pre-order in green or black on Kickstarter from $ 127 (approx. 108 €).

The Route Werks handlebar bag is a two-part system consisting of a bracket that gets firmly bolted to the handlebar and the bag attaches to it via a quick-release mechanism. The bag is made of water-resistant Cordura fabric with a hard plastic lid featuring an interchangeable mount for all popular bike computers, GPS devices, a GoPro or your mobile phone. You can fold the lid forward, making it easy to see and access the bag’s contents. On the left and right you’ll also find mounting points for accessories such as a light or a bell. You can include the appropriate mounting hardware in your order at an additional cost. The Route Werks handlebar bag also has two small side pockets on the outside and various elastic bands for attaching accessories.

Super easy access to the handlebar bag while still having your GPS device in sight? The Route Werks handlebar bag makes it possible.
A special highlight is the interchangeable mount for all popular bike computers, GPS devices, a GoPro or your mobile phone integrated into the plastic cover.
The lid folds forward and can be accessed with one hand while riding.

With a volume of 3.2 liters, the Route Werks handlebar bag offers a decent volume that is easily accessible thanks to the box shape and large lid. There are a number of compartments on the inside walls so that you don’t lose any of your smaller items. One more feature is the minimalist shoulder strap that you can use to carry the bag when you’re not on the bike.

The system is certified to withstand a load of up to 4 kg, so we would expect the mounting hardware to be appropriately robust and it could make the bag perfect for compact cameras. According to Route Werks the bag and the mount together weigh 684 g, which, in view of all of its features, is entirely acceptable in our opinion.

With the integrated carrying strap, the Route Werks handlebar bag is just as easy to carry when you’re not on the bike.

As usual on Kickstarter, there are various packages available at discounted pre-order prices. The most affordable package was priced at $ 119 and has already sold out with prices currently starting at $ 127 for the basic set including the bag and mount. Once these limited packages are gone, the prices will go up again as usual and the recommended retail price for the basic set is $ 179. So, it’s worth pre-ordering.

Our thoughts

The Route Werks handlebar bag seems very well thought-out, bringing the classic handlebar bag back up to date. It should cut a fine figure on everything from road and gravel bikes to commuters and thanks to a multitude of features, it looks to be ready for all occasions. Taking this into account, the price is also quite reasonable. In any case, we’ve already placed our order and we’ll tell you how it fares in the real world once we’ve put it to the test. If you’re already convinced, you can pre-order the Route Werks handlebar bag on Kickstarter here. You can expect delivery in January 2021.

For more information, visit routewerks.us


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Words: Andreas Maschke Photos: Route Werks