Ortlieb

First I want to point out that this is an early review but thought I' give my impressions so far. One, they are solid and very well made. I have their Sport Packers and they have been great but I wanted to have a larger option. The roll closure is certainly different and is taking a little getting used to but I think I'm going to like them. The size is nice. I was afraid they would be too big like a couple of hay bales back there but not so. One thing to note is that mine came with the QL2.2 attaching system, which is nice! The 2.1 is good but these are even better IMO. I'll do more with them and more heavily pack them in the future but for now I'm very happy with the purchase.

This bag is awesome! Flap definitely stays shut on rough gravel/dirt tracks. It opens and secures easily. It is wide, and there is slight brushing with the legs when standing, but I no longer notice it. I carry iPhone 15, billfold, and many snacks in it. When stopping for coffee or breakfast, it goes in with me. Uses an excellent quick attachment system. Lots of thought and planning, and typical German first class manufacturing are apparent.

I'd been using the old style Ortlieb mini handlebar bag. While it's satisfactory for most of my purposes, it had several drawbacks, chiefest of which was that by using the front of the handlebar, you have to find alternative locations for your front light. When you add up the bag, the bag mount, and the additional accoutements to mount the front light, it's actually substantial weight. On the tandem it doesn't matter, but on my single bike I really would prefer as light a setup as possible, while still making it possible to mount a radar tail light.

The only model I could find that fit all those requirements was the Ortlieb Saddlebag 4L. I ordered one and discovered to my dismay that the mount didn't fit the Ritchey WCS saddle! Fortunately, Pamela Bayley had sold/given me a smaller Ortlieb seatbag and that one came with a mount that worked. (I would later replace the screws that came with the newer bag with ones that work) Since all Ortlieb saddlebag mounts are cross compatible it was no issue to use them. My complaint about this design is that it's unnecessary --- I would much rather have had velcro wings which would have been less finicky.

The saddlebag slides onto the mount, and ties to the seatpost using a velcro strap. I was worried that I would feel the saddlebag with my thighs while riding, but to my surprise this turned out to be a non-issue. The drybag style flap clips off to the side and by tightening the straps it becomes narrow enough that thighs clear the saddlebag with no problems. One disturbing thing about the bag is that invariably there's sufficient air in the saddlebag to make it bulge a little, so sometimes it takes a couple of tries to get the air out. A valve would have been useful though that would have increased the weight. As a result of this air, sometimes that bag will rattle especially if it's not completely full.

When I go on a really lightweight ride, I replace this saddlebag with a mini bag that uses the same mount and has much less volume. It's little enough effort to switch that I do it as a matter of course. But for bay area riding the 4L bag is what you want: you can put in a windshell, arm and leg warmers, and snacks and tools for an extended ride while still having room for your radar. If you pack really light it might even suffice for an overnighter, though that's not in the cards for me as I would need to pack a CPAP machine and this bag just doesn't have sufficient volume for that.

For commuting, this bag will NOT fit any laptops. But bikepacking style saddlebags won't fit any laptop anyway. For carrying a laptop you still want the traverse style saddlebag.

The bag is a little expensive but it did everything I wanted it to do. Recommended.

It's a good product, but.. The attachment process to the handlbar is a bit fiddly, dealing with the strap when using it as a bar bag is exceedingly fiddly, and the extra straps to secure it are annoying and I can't see the need so I don't even use them.

The magnetic closure is very well designed, the bag has a good amount of storage space, it's lightweight, and not ugly. All in all, despite my comments above, I do recommend it, as it appears to be the best solution for a moderately sized, lightweight bar bag (I looked at a bunch of alternatives).