How are you spending the new year? I still don’t feel like a completely fresh year has started.
Once the GPZ 550 got running, there’s suddenly less to rush and do. With lots of work piling up, I’m filled with sadness that I can’t spare much time for my own projects.
While reflecting a bit on the common complaint that “work reports aren’t interesting,” I’m planning to keep writing on the blog this year too. I think readers probably want “useful tips” more than work reports.
I’m not sure if it’ll be helpful, but this seat bag turned out to be really good, so I use it almost every day.
It checked all the boxes: “easy attachment/detachment, size, price, and design”
If you ask me if it’s super cool… well, I’d say it’s at a tolerable level, maybe a bit more.
Compared to the tank bags and seat bags from the old days, I think it’s at a pretty decent level. Until now, I was using the discontinued “Street Bikers canvas tank bag” as my go-to.
The design is really nice, but “it barely holds anything” . I could force things in, but if I overstuff the bag, it gets heavy, so I have to secure it with carabiners and such to prevent losing things. Plus, since it uses magnetic fasteners, the tank ends up covered in scratches, which is a bit sad. About the “Street Bikers canvas tank bag” story
At minimum, you want to easily throw in souvenirs or bring gifts along, right? A bag that’s easy to attach and detach, with decent design and price makes things pretty convenient for us consumers with high expectations.
Among all this, the one I purchased last year, HenlyBegins (Henley Begins) Seat Bag DH-710 is quite the overachiever. It can hold over 1kg of coffee beans, and you can bring home clothes too. A mirrorless camera and two lenses fit comfortably.
If you secure it properly to the seat, it even works as a seat stopper so you can rest your rear during hard acceleration.
The easy attachment and detachment is really nice. Like with phone chargers, when you’re not using it, you want to easily remove it and keep things simple. Whether you care about that or not depends on the owner, but “if you do care, your bike will look even sharper,” you want to ride your bike as smartly and coolly as possible, right?
Here’s how it looks mounted on the Zephyr 550 and GPZ 550
With its clean, simple design, it doesn’t look out of place on this type of bike. The 7-liter capacity is just right—not too small, not too big. It’s perfect for casual day trips, and it’s also plenty for when you want to go out for some photography.
Easy attachment and detachment is extremely important
If attachment and detachment is a hassle, “removing the bag when you arrive” and “putting the bag on before you leave” both become things you dread. Like everything else, how smoothly and simply you can perform actions is the key to comfort. Maybe that’s the secret.
Remove the seat and thread the belt through. That’s it. That’s all there is to it. *Just note that there’s a left and right side. Since I’m lazy, I keep the belts already installed on each bike.
Back in the day, we used to secure bags with touring nets and touring covers. We really are living in a great time now.
Then you just snap it in at four points and tighten to secure. Easy, right? It’s an amazing bag.
When not in use, you’re supposedly able to connect the left and right sides, but neither the Zephyr nor the GPZ reach that far. When not using it, you either remove the seat and take off the belt, or just stuff it under the seat.
It has just the right capacity and space—necessary but not excessive
On the outside, there are rubber straps, so when you want to throw something in carelessly, they’re really handy.
Inside, it’s very simple like this. A rain cover is included, which I keep inside. I’ve lined it with a paper bag for storage. There’s a mesh space on the ceiling, so it might be convenient for storing papers and such.
There’s also a small exterior pocket that’s quite useful. In my case, I usually keep mobile batteries and cables there so I can grab them quickly.
For someone like me who likes to ride casually, do some photography, buy souvenirs, and head home, this bag is just right. After trying various bags, I realized I don’t like wearing bags on my body.
Waist bag or crossbody bag → it shifts around and the extra strap is noisy while riding Backpack → basically uncomfortable. Can’t enjoy the ride. Small messenger bag → it shifts around and the extra strap is noisy while riding
Having the bag mounted away from your body so you can focus on riding is definitely the biggest advantage. The size is also nice—it doesn’t look out of place even when carrying it around. Like everything else, “big is big, small is small,” just having a bag on the back means you can bring home and carry more things, and it really adds to the enjoyment of riding your bike.
Products like this are definitely going to go up in price, so if you’re thinking about buying one, just go ahead and click that button.
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