A Wedgie I Think You‘ll Like

Let me tell you about the time 12 bucks trumped 350. The 12 buck purchase was something that I never really put much thought into; my saddle bag. Does it hold my stuff and look alright? Good enough. The $350 was the cost of my first pair of Assos bibs. Bicycling had just named them as their choice for best bibs, I was ready to upgrade, and it was around my birthday. Seemed like the right time to go well north of the $200 border that all of my previous bib shorts had stayed below. After about 6 months of wearing the bibs twice per week, I noticed a fraying of the fabric on the inner thighs. I was quite disappointed but assumed that this was normal wear. It wasn‘t until I noticed similar wear on another pair of bibs that I looked a little closer. Yep, the culprit was the Velcro strap that secured the saddle bag to my seat post. Nearly new bibs now looked like a cat had used them as a scratching post thanks to a 12 dollar bag.

So now I have added a third requirement for my saddle bags; no Velcro straps on the seatpost. The Detours Wedgie meets all three. It looks great, holds everything I usually carry, and eliminates the Velcro strap in favor of a “button-and-strap system” with thin elastic straps wrapping around the post.

At the time of this review, I had been riding with the medium Wedgie for about a month. The setback seatpost I used had presented some problems getting traditional saddle bags to fit properly. The long-and-lean proportions of the Wedgie, however, fit perfectly. The Velcro for attaching the bag to the seat rails is strong and holds the bag securely. There is no need to fret over the bag becoming displaced on a ride, whether that ride takes you over roads or over trails. Because this Velcro holds the bag so securely, there is no need for the seatpost attachment to do anything but stabilize the bag. Therefore, the elastic bands used by Detours, while looking somewhat feeble, are more than up to the task.

This size Wedgie holds my essentials perfectly. The photo shows what I normally carry in my saddle bag. If you are wondering why I have four tire levers, you must have missed my Prestalever review. I could probably get away with two Prestalevers and a standard lever, but why chance it when I have room to spare? I am also a recent convert to carrying a small pump rather than relying on CO2. If you have wheels that don‘t require as much effort to change tires, you could fit two CO2 canisters and a head instead of my extra two tire levers.

Additional nice features of the Wedgie are the rear light strap, reflective piping on the sides and back for increased visibility, and a secured key fob. The external dimensions for the medium bag are listed as 7.0”x3.5”x2.5” with 40 cubic inches of interior cargo volume, and the large is 8.0”x4.0”x3.0” with a volume of 60 cubic inches. The medium bag is $20, and the large is $22. Both can be ordered directly from Detours.

Though I now favor the “cheaper” Assos Mille bibs, they still run nearly $300 after shipping or taxes. That is definitely too big of an investment to let a saddle bag rub a hole in the legs. Luckily, I have found a bag that I know won‘t, yet still looks good and has plenty of space. This is one Wedgie that I don‘t mind being back there.

– Alex (Steak sauce)