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SEVEN DAY CYCLIST
CYCLING, BUT NOT USUALLY RACING
LATEST UPDATE: SEPTEMBER 17th
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Oxford T8 Handlebar Bag and QR Bracket
Bag 700g £34.99 QR Bracket 130g £8.99
The Oxford T-Series T8 Handlebar Bag is a large, rigid bar bag offering a spacious main compartment, a transparent top sleeve, and other features which will help you organise your gear. It requires the Oxford QR bracket, which also ports some of their other bar luggage. Quick Release brackets are an obvious choice for commuting and utility riding, but have a place elsewhere, too.
Pros: price, functionality, size.
Cons: bracket a bit fiddly to fit, technically water-resistant rather than waterproof.
Spec
The T8 Handlebar Bag is a rigid design manufactured from ripstop TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) and 600D Polyester. The first offers properties that mix the durability of plastics with the flexibility of rubber; the latter is robust and waterproof. Having said that, due to zips etc, it may be best to describe the bag as water-resistant – although in practice it may be waterproof in the functional cycling sense where one is unlikely to submerge it. There’s a baffle inside the zip that enhances weatherproofing, too. Indeed, Oxford describe the bag as “weatherproof”.
Eight litres capacity is fairly generous for a rigid bar bag. Dimensions are 18cm high by 17cm wide by 26cm deep. As you expect, if you have narrow bars this will take up a good deal of space and the height causes problems for mounting a front light, but there are solutions for night-riders. Equally, given a long steerer tube and a suitable adaptor, the backet could be mounted below the bars.
A robust plastic mount clips over the QR bracket to secure the bag to the bar. This holds the bag clear of cables and other fixtures on the bar – bells, phone/GPS mounts – although how clear will depend on a whole lot of variables.
The QR bracket should cope with handlebar diameters between 25.4mm and 31.8mm. there are three sets of shims to cope with this, and it is easy enough to do a bit of DIY in addition, if necessary. There is a weight limit of 5kg. Press the large red button to release bar bag or basket. The bracket is held in place by hinged arms that fold around the bars and are secured by Allen-head bolt and nut recessed into the bracket. There is also a plastic fail-safe strip that loops under the them to prevent the bag falling off – although that is pretty unlikely. It is not as aesthetically pleasing as the wiry fail-safes used on some bar bags, but seems effective. The T8 bag will fit wo models of bracket, he BK 175 and BK176: one is an e.bike model.
Back to the handlebar bag; an internal mesh zip pocket in the lid will help organisation. There’s a zipped pocket on the front, too, for slim items. It is partly covered by reflective strips and logo.
Externally, there is a zipped bag-top transparent sleeve for those who want a map or road book to be visible. There are also two side pockets – “pannier pockets”. Initially, I assumed this was because they were on the sides. However, open them up and there are mini panniers, with zip closures, that fold down and can be secured to the rack with hook and loop tabs. Just to give an idea of capacity, these took a 500-sheet pack of A4 paper – one ream – each, with some space for one or two items.
The bag comes with a shoulder strap.
Mounting the bracket and bag 3/5
This is all pretty intuitive. I’ve mounted it on the flat bars of my son’s Pinnacle go-anywhere machine and the Jones bars of my Surly Long-Haul Trucker. However, in the latte case, my favourite location had been on a steering stem adaptor. With different combinations of shims, it has fitted nicely on both. Whilst it may be technically best to use the whole set of four identical shims, I have mixed-and-matched where the mount needed to sit where the bar profile narrowed or widened.
Having said that mounting the bracket is intuitive, it is a bit fiddly. The hinged bracket is secured by a hex head bolt and nut. The latter fits flush in the lower arm of the bracket, however it is not integral to it and tends to drop out. Avoid fitting over gravel or drains! I found it best to put the bolt in, hook the safety strap over it, close the hinge, and support the nut by holding it in place with the end of a thick Allen Key until the bolt begins to bite.
The security strap has five pre-drilled holes (three one-side, two the other), which should enable you to, find an appropriate combination.
The bag slips over the mount and is released by a firm press on the big red button.
Of course, buy a second bracket for another bike, and the bag is, like many others, portable between the two.
I should point out that the bag is shown sloping away from the bike in the photos. This is not down to sagginess in the bracket, but is a personal preference for the zi to be more easily accessible.
Capacity 3.75/5
As with most rigid bar bags, you cannot just stuff things in. I’ve used it mainly for commuting (clean trousers, shirt, socks, underpants, sandwich box, keys, wallet, phone, and light-weight waterproof jacket) and for day and leisure rides (snacks, light-weight waterproof, snacks, wallet, phone, keys, and space for a tad of shopping on the way home). Standard stuff, really. Equally, you could add basic tool kit, multi-tool, mini-pump, and still have it neatly stowed.
Although, I am not a great fan of mesh inner pockets, the position of the internal pocket – on the underside of the lid – makes it unlikely to snag on other contents.
Waterproofing 4/5
Made from waterproof materials, the weak point of any bag is the closure. On the Oxford T8 the zip is backed up by a baffle. Left in persistent rain for five hours, these defences have held firm. Likewise, when caught on the road in one of those short, sharp storms the UK is renowned for in summer.
The transparent sleeve on top of the bag did let some moisture in during persistent rain. However, a more significant issue was condensation. However, that is common to transparent plastic sleeves and should be seen in that light.
In most realistic cycling situations, the bag is, in my experience, effectively waterproof.
Stability 4.25/5
Most of my riding is a mix of surfaces, from asphalt to gravel, with occasional bits of rougher work. The bracket has not moved a millimetre and the tenure of the bag has never been remotely threatened. Of course, there’s been some vibration and the bag has shaken a bit, but that is what one would expect. Most of the stuff carried has been capable of looking after itself, with the Friday night beer bottles stored in the panniers.
I was particularly pleased with the bracket’s solidity, given the minor pfaff of fitting it. Well-worth that extra bit of time taken. Stability of bag and bracket were certainly as good as that old friend of mine, the Carradice Super C Bar Bag and its Rixen-Kaul backet. Likewise, an Ortleib rigid bar bag is more expensive, but is zipless and fully waterproof, unless submerged, and significantly more expensive.
Value 4.25/5
Over the years I have developed the belief that Oxford Products offer a high degree of effectiveness at a very reasonable price. The T8 Bar Bag has done nothing to undermine this. Apart from the very minor issue around mounting the bracket, I can see no reason why this one will not become my commuting go-to. There’s a lot to like.
The BTR Water-Resistant Bar Bag remains cheaper, but has less capacity. Moreover, mounted on hook and loop straps, it has it clutters the bars more than the T8.
Michael recently reviewed the Cyclogoy See Me Pink Handlebat Bag, with its funky colours and compact persona. In many ways it is a different animal to the less flamboyant, but larger T8. The T8 is larger and cheaper.
What about that old Carradice Super C of mine. It is smaller in capacity – and dimensions, obviously – making it a good choice if you have limited space out front. Well, the current model is much pricier, but adds external mesh pockets, a removable transparent sleeve/map-case, under bag light bracket, etc.
Summary
The Oxford T8 Bar Bag and associated bracket, is a highly effective bar bag for all kinds of general cycling. The bracket mitigates some of the problems of competition for bar space, whilst offering a secure home for a fully functional bar bag. Whilst I have used it for commuting and leisure riding, there is no reason why I should not go on tour. Eight litres of jelly beans? Well, maybe not, but certainly all those things one needs to hand when hitting the road. Nice price, too.
Verdict 4/5: A bag with lots to like for all general cycling.
Steve Dyster
https://www.oxfordproducts.com/bicycle/brands/oxford/bags/t8_qr_handlebar_bag_10_8l/
PUBLISHED AUGUST 2024
