For seven years I’ve been using a Performance house brand Transit Pro DX handlebar bag, and it’s served me very well. It’s rugged, sturdy, and copes with all weathers. Why, then, did I go and buy a Louis Garneau Box HB-09 handlebar bag? It wasn’t an easy decision. The Transit Pro is working fine. And I pinch my pennies pretty tightly, so I thought long and hard before paying the nearly USD45 the bag costs. But I’ve been impressed with the companion Louis Garneau RR-16 rack trunk, which I’ve been using since May, and that helped sway me. The other reasons for deciding to give the LG bar bag a chance were it’s bright red color and its large size, larger than the Transit Pro. I carry a lot in my bar bag, and in the colder months, it’s good to have a bit of extra carrying capacity to haul the warmies that I don’t need while riding but do want when I stop. The Transit Pro isn’t quite big enough to carry insulated gloves, a neck gasket, and a fleece vest.

I’ve just gotten my LG HB-09 in the mail, and it will take a few trial runs before I make up my mind whether it will become my primary handlebar bag, so I’ll leave you with a few photos that you won’t get in the catalogs or on the Internet. My main reservation about buying the bar bag through mail order (there are no LBSs here) was that I could find no photos of the bracket. A bar bag fails or succeeds depending on the bracket. A flimsy one makes the bag useless, however well made the bag itself happens to be. I was pleased, then, to find that the LG bracket is hefty and well engineered. The hardware is plastic, but it’s a beefy build, and should serve well. Spacers and two sizes of handlebar clamps are provided so you can get the tightest, strongest fit possible. And there’s a cable to wrap through the bracket and around the stem and handlebar, just in case. The bag’s shaped plate slides over the handlebar bracket and locks in place with a large tab. Take a look for yourself, beginning with the bits and pieces:

 

 
And here’s the bracket mounted on the plate:

 

 
I haven’t mounted the bracket onto my bike yet, but I shouldn’t have any difficulty getting a good fit. The bracket passes muster, but what about the bag itself? I haven’t decided whether I like the undivided compartment with only one pocket inside the top flap—one of Transit Pro’s strengths is the variety of pockets inside and outside the bag. But that’s something I’ll be evaluating very soon. So keep your eye peeled for a full evaluation and more detailed pictures.

 

 
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