Geosmina caters well to the medium-to-big adventure range but their newly launched collection precisely targets the short trips. Whether a flashpacking overnighter, or a big day in mixed weather, our early testing of the You-Dee and Mauka bag collection has filled a niche we’ve wanted to see from Geosmina. They’re for rides where you only need spares; a change of clothes for off-the-bike, tools, a charger and a couple of cables, and enough food to reach your destination. It’s for the weekend adventures where you’re eating at the pub and sleeping in a caravan park cabin while your ultralight tent, titanium mug, and Jetboil stay at home for the next fortnight of annual leave. Or maybe they're for a mixed weather fondo where you need space to stash some outer layers and vittles to survive the day.
YOU-DEE SADDLE PACK 5L
Quick features:
- 5 litre capacity
- Waterproof
- Reinforced bottom and sides
- Simplified strap design
- You-Dee Saddle Pack product page
We stuffed the You-Dee with your standard flashpacking spare clothing, toiletries, and small electronics. I like to pack spare garments in saddle bags because they’re relatively bulky for their light weight which reduces the natural sway when you’re riding. Generally, I try to place heavier items like tools and spares lower down and closer to the frame, like in a frame pack, to optimise the weight distribution.
The bike fitting process is a step forwards for Geosmina who are traditionally favour very long straps. The You-Dee's diminuitive size means it’s strapped on and ready to ride quickly and the straps are secure enough to keep the bag in place without much movement.
The You-Dee is a bag that’s filled a gap for me, and one that’s going to get some serious milage over the coming year. I rode the Kidman Trail last year with the 10 litre saddle bag and it was too big for the paltry amount of gear I took for that overnighter, yet the same bag was perfect for my 3-day trip to Kangaroo Island. The You-Dee is exactly what I needed for the Kidman Trail, and exactly what I want for my upcoming ride plans.
YOU-DEE FRAME BAG
Quick features:
- 2.5 litre capacity
- Waterproof
- Reinforced bottom and sides
- Simplified strap design
- You-Dee Frame Bag product page
The half frame bag was a brilliant invention because it let riders take luggage and water bottles inside the frame triangle, and the next evolution is the quarter frame bag like the You-Dee. The You-Dee carries 2.5l of snacks or spares while allowing easy access to your bottles.
Design-wise, it’s a common storage split: the right side pocket accounts for 90% of the internal space with a slender left side for flatter items like a phone or wallet.
Geosmina includes two sets of straps in different lengths to all-but guarantee the bag will attach to different tube shapes. The beefy carbon on my Time ADHX and slender titanium of my Bossi Grit SX require a mixture of strap lengths for the perfect fit, so Geosmina’s dilligence is appreciated. The You-Dee's outer has multiple strap loops to dial your bag placement too, making it easier to fit around top tube bags and other parts of the frame.
I’m going to shout out the zip pullers, something I’ve never done before. I love that I can easily yank the bags open in full finger gloves, or while keeping my eyes on the road ahead, without fumbling around for a tiny little zipper. I don’t want to fight with my frame bags, I want to get the KitKat Chunky into my face faster and without riding into a chasm.
MAKI HANDLEBAR BAG
Quick features:
- 2.5 litre capacity
- Front bungee for quick and secure attachment of items
- Double mesh side pockets
- Maki Handlebar bag product page
The Maki handlebar bag trims a litre from Geosmina’s other Small Handlebar Bag and packages it into the more familiar cylindrical design that’s common for drop bar riding.
Geosmina kept the Maki simple and functional. There’s a small internal sleeve for small valuables such as keys, cash, or ID cards, but it’s otherwise a single large carrying space for piling in discarded gilets and gloves, or carrying your nutrition. I like the mesh side pockets for stuffing in food wrappers.
Size-wise the Maki will fit between 44 cm bars without much hand interference, or at least, tolerable hand interference for that width. 46 cm and wider is the sweet spot where the bag can sit without irritating your hands on the flats.
THE REST OF THE RELEASE
Geosmina dropped a whole range of other products in addition to the products above but we haven’t had them long enough to test them.
Take a look at them here:
