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CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE JULY 23rd
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Brae Cycling Poke 1.5L Stem Bag
85g £25 (£23 at time of writing)
The Brae Cycling Poke 1.5L Stem Bag is an open-topped cyclinder designed to carry a standard drinks bottle and, maybe, a couple of smaller items, on the steering-tube/head set/fork crown and head stem of your bike. This frees up a bottle cage or enables an additional bottle to be carried in a very convenient spot. You could fill it with other things, but Mrs. Steve would vigorously question the purchase of one and a half litres of jelly beans or midget gems (other sweets are available), so I have been unable to pursue that obviously intelligent experiment.
Pros: stable, utilises neglected luggage space, convenient, will fit almost all bikes.
Cons: nothing, unless you just do not want to add more to stuff to your cockpit.
Specification
Two Velcro straps and a longer quick-release buckled strap secure a 1.5 litre open-topped bag with a draw-cord closure. Made from X-Pac water-resistant material, it is not designed to keep your stuff fully protected from the weather – the top cannot be securely closed. Whilst that is worth remembering when your precious goods are threatened by a stormy evening at the end of a sunny days riding, it is not a drawback in my view because that is not what the Poke is for.
X-Pac – trademarked – produce rugged and durable materials for a number of high-profile outdoor brands. Originally working with sailcloth, they’ve taken things to a higher level of durability and sophistication. The fabric is multi-layered and keeps its shape well, hitting a sweet spot between being bomb-proof and light-weight. It is very waterproof, even if the Poke is not.
There’s an elasticated external pocket to add to capacity. The finishing touch is a hole in the base, with metal eyelet, to allow liquid to drain away.
Having said what the Poke is not for, here is what Brae say it is designed to do. The Poke aims to be versatile, pretty much universal (yes, I know universal is an absolute, but you really do know what I mean), lightweight, and organised.
The height of the Poke is adjustable, from 15.5cm to 22cm; diameter is 10cm.
The whole comes with a five-year manufacturer’s warranty.
Mounting
The mounting system is intended to secure the Poke to the head stem with two Velcro straps with a buckle and to whatever might be convenient courtesy of a longer strap with a quick-release buckle. Depending on frame size and dimensions of steering tube, I have secured this longer strap around everything from the quill-stem of a retro set-up all the way down to the fork crown. Length gives flexibility and a lot of adjustment, but I have made sure to secure the redundant length with a few wrap arounds and threading through the elasticated loop. All very easy.
I’ve also tried mounting the Poke in front of the handlebars. Easy, too, but after wondering why I’d bothered, it struck me that I’d probably rather have a bar bag. This led me to wonder whether this really would fit all steering arrangements. Suspension stems, such as this Kinekt are probably going to be too thick, so check things out first. In any case you may be wary of friction between the Poke and your paint job. However, some unusual configurations might be problematic;
are you skipper of a Hase Pino tandem, for example? Suspension stems are likely to be no-go, too. That would be true of most, although you could sort out longer Velcro straps if you wished.
Most of my machines have long stems with very little rise, except for the shorter, steeper one on my Surly LHT which serves as the commuter and utility tractor. The Poke fits on them all, no problem, and with no loss of stability. Porting between bikes is, consequently, likely to present few problems – unless you have doctored the long strap, and, even then, serious issues are unlikely. I did consider cutting the long strap short, and might still do it. However, I do not regard this as one-bike gear, so I’ll most likely refrain.
Care and durability 4.5/5
Care is easy. The Poke is made to get wet, even if it won’t protect things you’d rather remain dry. After a three hundred and sixty miles, it remains eminently presentable. Given its position on the bike, its less likely to get dirty than almost any other luggage – especially if you run with mudguards. Throwing dirt at it may not be the same as real trail dirt, but a quick wipe with a damp cloth soon got rid of it; add a little bike cleaner or some diluted washing up liquid and things quickly brush up.
On reflection, the main threat to hygiene seems to come from something like an escaped wine gum stuck to the bottom and left out in the rain. A sticky mess, but, again, easily sorted out. Best to remember to empty your Poke to let water drain out and the air get to the inside. That about all that is necessary.
Protected from dirt, it is also well-protected from vegetation and other menaces. If you end up with serious contact with any obstruction, the Poke will be the least of your concerns. The only real danger is overloading; taller bottle, fine; broader bottle, not.
Performance 4.75/5
First up, the Poke uses space that you are unlikely to require for hands or gadgets. That can be really useful if you are hauling the kitchen sink. Its location is also really convenient, and, for people like me, very helpful. Once known as “the camel”, I had an unhealthy habit of not drinking enough when out cycling or hiking. This was and is a bad habit. Having had my wrist slapped, I have tried harder to keep hydrated. When the bottle is literally under your nose you cannot forget it, unlike when it is lower down on the frame. That may be a personal think, but I doubt I am alone. The concept of the stem mounted bottle is, for me, a worthy one.
Added to that it is, of course, easily to get the bottle out and to put it back (just don’t pull the draw-cord tight). This lack of deformation is a characteristic of X-Pac fabric and is important when attempting to slot the bottle into the Poke when on the move. Apart from a standard water bottle – I’ve gone up to a litre, but have preferred to stick to 750ml for the sake of stability – as well as a flask for hot drinks. Whilst the latter has added some weight, the Poke has remained stable. I did pull the draw-cord tight, as the flask was a tad slimmer than a standard water bottle.
On that front, I do not think there is a specific weight limit for the Poke; if you reach it, I think you will know it.
What else can go in it? Well, I have added a couple of bananas in the elasticated mesh pocket, and a slice of flapjack or other snack bars. In the main compartment, other than a bottle, inhabitants have included a light-weight shower-proof jacket, and, at different times, a big bag of toffees, a small potted plant, a can of drink, and a mini baguette stuffed with salami and tomatoes with the base wrapped in foil. Despite all this versatility, I can’t see a better use than for a water bottle. Your tool kit is better in a top tube bag or a small seat-pack. It would only rattle about and endanger the fabric in any case. No, the water bottle is the thing for me. The contents of the external pocket are a definite bonus,
Although the weather is not kept out, the drain hole is a definite benefit when the rain comes. Although the bag can be washed and will dry naturally, that can take time. In fairness, pull the draw-cord tight and rain will be kept at bay for a good while. Heavy showers might make ingress as does continual rain or immersion, but unless you have water-sensitive items in there, you do not have too much to worry about.
A happy, I suspect unintended, benefit of the X-Pac is that the layers seems to help reduce warming of water on hot days. I don’t mean it will keep it cold, just help it get less warm compared to those mounted in the cages on the frame.
Value 3.75/5
The Decathlon Riverside Fabric Handlebar Bag comes in at £6.99. Made from polyester, it does not have an external pocket. Podsacs offer Stem Bottle Bag with a capacity of one 750ml bottle, made form 500D vinyl tarpaulin, for £7.99. More sophisticated is Alpkit Deluge Stem Pack, at £24.99. May a better bet if you want to keep items out of the rain or pack loose items, such as your toolkit, or jelly beans.
In terms of the value/price comparison other models worth mentioning include ReStrap’s Stem Bag 1.1 Litre, the Camelbak Mule, and the Temple Cycles Snack Bag.
Whilst the Brae Cycling Poke is toward the top end of the price range, it is rugged, well made, and has a handy external pocket. Seems to me like pretty good value to those heading off on long, rides, multi-day tours, and certainly out into the wilds.
Summary
With lots of rivals, the Brae Cycling Poke, is well-made and rugged addition to your luggage. Like the others, it utilises a vacant location, but is also likely to fit most handlebar set-ups. Few bags like this protect items fully from the weather; those that do are less convenient to use, in my opinion. I’ve come to feel that I can trust the Poke for all my cycling ventures.
Verdict 4.25/5 Very likeable stem bag that will be your companion for many a mile.
Steve Dyster
https://www.braecycling.com/products/poke-1-5l-stem-bag
PUBLISHED JULY 2025
