Reviews

I tend to ride or use public transport whenever possible. Not only am I trying to do my bit to mitigate the effects of climate change, but I just don’t enjoy driving. As a result my daily ride is a 12 year old Kona Smoke that is used for commuting, daily errands and taking Velotastic orders to the post office. I’ve usually got a fair bit of kit that’s on my every day carry list – a hefty bike lock, a few tools, a few extra clothes, bike tools and inner tube to name but a few. I need a bag to carry all of these items in and that’s where the ILE Porteur rack bag comes into play.

Strength and simplicity

Inside Line Equipment started in 2012 in Berkley, California. All of their bags are designed with strength and simplicity in mind. A lot of thought has gone into their products and it shows. Their bags are all made in house from USA sourced materials where possible.

Whats in the bag ?

I’ve been using the ILE Porteur bag since 2020. It straps onto the front rack on my bike.It’s available in two sizes – regular and small. Both have a different footprint size so that you can mount them to a range of racks. The bag attaches to the rack using a couple of straps that go all the way underneath. The regular bag has a couple of extra pockets on the back which face the rider. I tend to put my keys and my mobile in one of these. They are big enough for a mini d-lock though.

Inside the top flap on both bags are a pair of tie down straps that can be used to increase the bag’s capacity. The inner main compartment has a RF welded TPU liner to keep everything dry.

The smaller bag has a 16 litre capacity when rolled down and water tight and 30 litres when using the straps. The regular bag can carry a whopping 42 litres when using the straps.

Any weather

I’ve been using the bag in all weathers and as long as you roll the bag shut it keeps the contents of the main compartment nice and dry. One of the great things is I can carry parcels to the top of the main compartment. This is great as it means I don’t have to unpack my bag to carry extra stuff. Despite of a couple of years of use and abuse, the bag still looks in great shape.

If I’m leaving my bike somewhere I can take the bag off and carry it around with me. Included with the regular bag is a shoulder strap and tote handle. The smaller bag comes with the shoulder strap only. I just take the bag off and clip the straps underneath together and I’m ready to go.

Whilst you do need a front rack to use this bag it’s a great investment if you do a lot of commuting. It also frees up space on my rear rack to carry more items.

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ILE Porteur Rack Bag

ILE Porteur Rack Bag – Small

I’ve been using the Road Runner Jammer bag for just over a year now and I thought I’d share my thoughts on how it’s been.

One of the benefits of being the owner of Velotastic is that I get the pick of the products that I sell to use when I’m out on my bike. It’s a great position to be in, but I have to be careful not to chose them all as it would cost me a fortune !

I’ve been using the Road Runner Burrito Supreme bag for a few years now. It’s a great bag, but I was after something a bit bigger for when I am guiding as I’m not a big fan of riding with rucksacks.

There’s three bags in Road Runners rolltop range – the Jammer, Middle Earth Jammer and Jumbo Jammer all with increasing amounts of capacity. I decided to go for the smallest in the range – the Jammer.

In the bag I can easily fit a survival bag, bothy bag, first aid kit, food, waterproof and extra clothes. On the external pockets I have some snacks, a whistle and a pocket to spare. This gets all this weight off my shoulders and onto my bike.

Fitting the bag

The bag attaches to the bike using three straps – two on the handlebars and one round the head tube. It’s very easy to swap between bikes. It can also be used as a saddle bag if you have suitable mounts but I’ve not tried that yet.

One of the things I did end up modifying on the bag are the bar straps. I’ve fitted Voile straps instead of the standard bar straps that come with the bag. I find these easier to fasten on and off the bike which is really handy in cold weather when you don’t want to take your gloves off.

I’ve not had any problems with the bag trapping any cables on either my gravel or mountain bike.

When the bag is fitted to the handlebars it tends to dip towards the headtube. With smaller frames this can be an issue as the bag may rub against the front tyre. This is something I’ve encountered when I’ve been using the bigger Jumbo Jammer bag. To remedy it you can wrap the compression straps around the handlebars or alternatively fit a decaleur such as the Restrap Bumper bar.

Capacity

The bag is top opening and has a nice wide aperture to get all your stuff in. I was initially concerned that as I run a GPS that sits in front of the bars on whether that was going to stop me getting into the bag, but it’s not been an issue so far.

With it having a roll top it’s easy to create a little more extra space if needed for extras like waterproofs. The roll top does a great job of keeping the bag water resistant . I’ve used the bag in all weathers and so far it’s kept the contents nice and dry.

In conclusion

Would I recommend the Jammer Bag ? Yes. I know it’s not cheap, but it’s handmade and built to last and ought to viewed as an investment. I find it far easier riding without a rucksack and the Jammer has more than ample capacity for longer day rides.

Road Runner Jammer Bag

Category: Reviews

Long Term Test – Inside Line Equipment Porteur Bag