Zefal Z Adventure Pouch Bag

Canister-style bags are an ideal solution to grabbing bits and pieces on the fly, and the Zefal Z Adventure Pouch is a great example, providing plenty of storage and a secure fit to stop movement on even the roughest of trails. It's very well priced compared with rivals, too.

For more luggage options, read our feature, 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike.

On my gravel bike and for longer, steady rides on my road bike, I've taken to using this style of bag to stash gels, snacks and the like. They are well positioned to grab stuff on the fly, and don't get in the way of lights, computers and other things you might have on your handlebar.

The Zefal has plenty of straps to give a secure fit to stop it flailing around when you are out of the saddle or riding over rough routes.

In Zefal's assembly tutorial video it shows how the pouch can be fixed to the bike with one strap around the handlebar, one around the headset spacers under your stem, the longer strap around the head tube, and a strap on the bottom that you can run under the crown of the fork.

The bonus is that all of the straps can be repositioned to suit your frame design, to allow for a decent fit – if you have a slammed stem, for instance, or a very short head tube.

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Once all strapped up, the Z Adventure Pouch doesn't move at all.

Zefal says opening and closing the bag is a single-handed operation, pulling the black/white string to open it, and the red to close. It works, but it isn't the easiest operation to carry out on the move. I'd often do the best I could with the string and then wedge my hand in there to open the top up more, or just fill it with stuff I didn't mind getting wet and leave it open. There is a drain hole in the bottom to let out any rainwater.

Zefal doesn't make any claims of waterproofing, but with the bag closed at the top it'll keep the worst out.

Storage-wise you are looking at just over a litre in volume, and it'll accept a water bottle securely should the need arise, plus there are two extra pockets on the outside for empty wrappers or stuff you want to grab quickly and often.

The overall quality is good – the Adventure Pouch looks well made – which makes the price of £23.99 equally good.

I own a Restrap Stem Bag and use it regularly; it's exceptionally well made, by hand, but at £34.99 it's over a tenner more than the Zefal. It also comes with three mounting straps, for the stem, handlebar and under the fork crown.

Apidura's Backcountry Food Pouch is available in two sizes, 800ml or 1.2L, with prices ranging from £37 to £45 (with extra pockets), so it's much more expensive.

Conclusion

Overall, I like the Zefal pouch. It fits well, has plenty of adjustment in terms of strap positioning, and is well made, for not a huge amount of cash.

Verdict

Plenty of adjustment to suit a range of bikes, and competitively priced too