Rule #31 was conceived out of necessity, aesthetics and plain good taste. Seeing an oversized saddle bag hanging limply by velcro under a Flite, Arione or Regal just isn’t right. Frame pumps, while they undoubtedly do the finest job of inflating a tube, add nothing but bulk and clutter to the lines of a frame (and aren’t compatible with the majority of curvy, plastic frames prominent today). While a folded tubular held under the seat with a Christophe toe-strap may have been de riguer and kinda cool back in the day, running tubs nowadays is not only uncommon, but an exercise in futility should one ride on any road less smooth and glass-free than a baby’s bum. So you see, Rule #31 was a no-brainer.
But even this most important of Rules has its drawbacks; stuffing the three pockets of your jersey can leave you looking like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, albeit with the hunch on the lower back, and more akin to a series of tumours across the hips and lower spine. Not a pretty sight. My usual pocket-stuffing routine would entail a tube and tyre levers bundled together with a rubber band, stuffed in the middle pocket, with a mini pump accompanying it. The phone would go in the right hip pocket, along with a camera (if there were to be some photo ops along the route, or blatant bike porn shots) and gels and bars in the left. Any extraneous clothing shed en route (arm warmers, cap, gloves) would then be forced in wherever they would fit. If a jacket was required, then all hell would break loose.
But recently I happened by chance upon an item that has made my life, and my riding experience all the easier and clutter-free. Lezyne products were having a season launch of their new, cool gear, and everyone attending received a free gift; in my case, I was handed the Caddy Sack, a simple PVC pouch. Inside was a metal patch kit with glueless patches, and a pair of mini tyre levers. I took it with a degree of dismissal, thinking it would just end up in the pile of superfluous bike crap scattered around my house. But I decided I’d see how much I could load it up, and was surprised to find that it holds a veritable shitload of gear. There’s room aplenty for a tube, levers, patch kit, multi tool, card wallet and phone. But if I want to, I can easily ft in another tube, a bar or two and a couple of gels. And it fits with ease into the middle pocket of all my jerseys, especially the sweet V jersey which is always the go-to garment of choice. This leaves the two outside pockets with more room than ever for whatever the ride requires from the aforementioned list-of-crap-one-may-carry.
Sitting alongside the 31 Sack is always the best mini pump I’ve ever used, the Lezyne Pressure Drive M (for medium). Why is it the best? Just look at it! It’s sexy, yeah, but for such a small unit it packs plenty of air into each stroke, and I can get a geniune 100PSI into my tubes during any roadside repair. But the best feature is the flexible screw-in hose, which eliminates the chance of breaking off the screw-on end of Presta valves, as has happened to the best of us when vigourously hacking away with a fixed-head pump. C’mon, admit it, you’ve done it. No more chance of that with this little beauty. Quite simply, it rules (31 especially).
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I just like that what started as an innocent Reverence post has erupted into a catharsis for Rule-Breakers. We all sit hit here checking over our shoulders with our helmet mirrors as we type, hoping the Rule Police don't show up. Next thing you know, we're frolicking in a field together, clearing our souls of our transgressions.
I'm off for a jaunt in the hills, pockets are light, no saddle bags, small bottle. Bring on the V.
@Collin
The shortening days make us regretful and we feel the need to repent.
For those of us in the Northern Hemisphere, at any rate. I can't explain why some of our antipodean friends are sharing in the collective unburdening of souls. @Mr. Haven seems to have a healthy outlook, however.
I'll weigh in on the discussion as I have actual field experience in carrying loads in both panniers and on my back. Now this is an extreme example of load carrying but maybe since I've actually done it, I can actually speak about it. I was a messenger for about 3 years and half of that time I had panniers and half I had your typical messenger bag.
With panniers, I hated the uncontrollable swaying of the bike due to shifting load, the extra pounding of the potholes and the sluggish way the bike shifted while in a standing climb.
With the messenger bag, most of the issues above were remedied but the weight of the bag hurt my shoulder (I'm thinking that my right shoulder bothers me to this day because of this), made it difficult to breath, and hurt my ass because the weight was carried on my body the load shift at that height is more unpredictable and can be more disastrous.
Despite these two major differences in handling and physical abuse I can't say that either method seemed any better as far as performance goes. With panniers, the bike was heavy and cumbersome and sluggish, but you adjust your climbing and it all works out, your body feels light, svelte and you ride and climb with a magnificent stroke because you aren't bearing any extra weight on your body. With a messenger bag you climb somewhat normally, and your bike feels light and quick but you feel heavy, it does affect your climbing as the weight is high on your body.
Stuffed pockets have the benefit of following the Rules as they are currently written but the drawbacks that they can snag on your saddle when sitting on the top tube on a descent, leave you more likely to lose something or crash as you try to juggle your pocket contents, accentuate your gut by pulling your jersey tight over it, over time, pop the seams or tear holes in the fabric of your beloved kit where the pockets attach.
Saddle bags have the benefit of counteracting all the drawbacks above with the added drawback of not following the Rules as they are currently written. Saddle bags must be cinched down as tightly as humanly possible to prevent any kind of sway.
I guess if I read that over it looks like a saddle bag might actually be a better idea, but I still carry my tool kit and mini pump in my back pocket for now.
Just to be clear, I have extensively field tested weight-distribution on my bicycles and on my body - currently I'm testing an extreme amount of the latter!
And in the spirit of full disclosure, while I am arguing strenuously for the humble saddle bag, I will generally opt for the jersey pockets for blatantly aesthetic reasons - aesthetic for the bike, that is, not me - that would be a lost cause...
@Marcus
Jeez, Louise. Coming from the country that has recently made bestiality a requirement for sporting excellence, that question is almost a compliment. (Residents of the Northern Hemisphere who fail to follow that can, if they wish, enlighten themselves by Googling 'Joel Monaghan' + 'dog' + 'sex act'.)
@frank
To be clear, I do not wear my lumisash during the day (i.e. when I could be recognized).
@Collin
+1
@Marcus
Jeez, Louise. Coming from the country that has recently made bestiality a requirement for sporting excellence, that question is almost a compliment. (Residents of the Northern Hemisphere who fail to follow that can, if they wish, enlighten themselves by Googling 'Joel Monaghan' + 'dog' + 'sex act'.)
@frank
To be clear, I do not wear my lumisash during the day (i.e. when I could be recognized).
@Collin
+1
Over 100 posts on, as Collin said, an innocent Reverence article on a sack! I think we need to go back to the very first line of the article, and revisit the issue at hand. It's not about weight distribution etc;
"Rule 31 was conceived out of necessity, aesthetics and plain good taste."
I rest my case.
At last, the voice of reason!
As a relative new-comer to the site, I am glad to see the above post. Rule 31 is not so hard to understand and pretty straight forward. And as always, we need to refer to Rule 1 and if in doubt, Rule 5. Now everyone, HTFU and Good Roads! I shoudl be home from Iraq tomorrow and look forward to riding with my back pockets stuffed full of gear and without any pussy bag on my bike!!!