Shopping for a handlebar bag was a bit tiring.  All of the available choices looked eerily like lunch pails.  Their rectangular shape, mesh outer pockets, and clear window on top for holding a map really didn’t seem like the kind of thing we would want to pop off and cruise around a city with.  Then we found the Leading Dog

This bag seems like the perfect solution to fit our needs.  It is waterproof, large, and less expensive than the competition.  Best of all it looks casual.  No-one would suspect it has spent the past few hundred miles riding you handlebars.

Knog Leading Dog Handlebar Bag

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Details

Price: $45

Size: 260 x 290 x 100 mm

Material: Canvas, with              Waterproof Cover

Update 8/26/10:

After three months of daily riding the rubber universal hub which attaches the bag to Jess’s handlebars broke.  For the week into Seattle the bag was strapped onto her rear rack using bungee cords.  At the REI Seattle we installed a wire basket on the Surly.  This solution will also allow us to carry fruit and extra layers up front within easy reach

Update 9/8/10:

Devon’s bag is bursting at the seams and the attachment mechanism is rusting out. In Newport, OR we had the chance to add a basket to Devon’s bike at Bike Newport. We are now both sporting our handlebar bags in baskets. Our friends with lunch box looking bags haven’t had any problems yet.   

Overall Assessment

Style does not equal functionality. We would not purchase the Knog Leading Dog again. The craftsmanship is poor and not very durable. The waterproof covers are also not as waterproof as one would hope. Though the concept of having a trendy or stylish handlebar bag is appealing when you are riding everyday with a bag you need something that will last.