I received both 2019’s and 2020’s Burley Upper Market Bag ($90) and Burley Lower Market Bag ($100) to compare and test with the Burley Travoy Cargo Trailer. As my normal grocery hauls involve a large convertible pannier/backpack to haul all my food. Usually, this is easy and simple to do, but sometimes it’s a lot on my back.
I also may have had incidents in the past where I was hauling food for a party, (more than my normal grocery haul), and let’s suffice it to say that when trying to get on my bike, I may have lost an egg or two…and fallen down on the sidewalk. I’m going to leave that scenario to your imagination.
Size
Per Burley’s website for the current model, the Upper Market Bag holds 22 liters, and the Lower Market Bag holds 40 liters. I could not find the specs for last year’s bags, but they appear to be of comparable size. Indeed, these bags were plentiful, and I had no problems carrying my groceries and then some.
Pockets
Between the two Burley Market bags, you should find enough pockets for your basic needs. Last year’s Burley Upper Market bag has little compartments for phones, cash, sunglasses, etc. which was a nice feature. This year’s model does away with that and has just one big compartment and an extra pocket on the outside.
They also added an outside pocket on the lower bag. I prefer last year’s models divided compartments; having a zip-up pocket provides me a sense of security that I won’t be losing any important goods (cash, credit cards, keys) while I’m biking.
Fabric
The Burley Market Bags–both the Burley Upper and Lower–are mesh (both this and last year’s bags have both a mesh and a solid fabric covering). The upper bag has a buckle-snap cover, and the lower does not. Both this and last year’s bags have a cinch strap to cinch the tops tighter.
Because these are made of a mesh material, they are not waterproof. This year’s mesh is a tighter weave than last year’s, however, both bags are very well made and sturdy. The had a great carrying capacity and I didn’t feel like they would easily tear under the weight of my items – and I carried some really heavy items.
Easy on and Off
First and foremost, the pin and hole attachment pieces on the bags were great. It provided a quick on and off. The cart has multiple “pins”or “knobs” and the bags, as well as the straps, have plastic triangles that have a hole. You simply slide the hole over the pin and voila! Your bag or straps are attached. No buckles, zippers or other odd attachments.
Easy to Store in Small Spaces
This year’s Upper and Lower Market Bag also states it can fold down and has velcro closures to do so. Perhaps I wasn’t folding correctly, but I had some difficulty getting the velcro parts to attach. To me, this didn’t matter much as I store the upper inside the lower and hang them in my closet. Some may have more patience and be better at getting it to fold together so it’s another way Burley can be more compact for those with smaller living spaces.
Improvements?
Mesh Style is not Water-proof or Water-resistant
There were some improvements I thought could be made to the Burley Upper and Lower Market Bags. First and foremost, as someone who uses their bike for transit, I was not a fan of the bags’ mesh style. I go to stores in the rain, and I like to keep my items dry. Burley does have their Transit bags, which are water-resistant and zip-up, which might be more suited for my life, but I’d love to see a market bag line that is 100% waterproof.
Add a Buckle Cover to the Upper Market Bag
While the Upper Market bags (this and last year) have a buckle cover, the lower did not. Sometimes I worried that items might pop out of the top of my lower market bag when going over bumps in the city. Luckily, this didn’t happen, but I would still love to see a cover for the lower bag.
Add Velcro Handlebar Attachment to Upper Market Bag
I think folks that like to use cargo trailers, like me, generally have a bike-filled life and use trailers for all types of activities. A way the Burley Upper Market bag could be made more versatile for people like me is by adding Velcro handlebar attachments. When I was hauling some items in the trailer and found that they were too tall to allow for the upper market bag to be used on the trailer, I still had other objects to carry. It would be nice to have the option to attach the upper market bag to the front of your bike with handlebar straps. I think this would be an excellent addition to make it even more versatile.
Safety Features
Both this and last year’s bags have a loop for bike lights. A great feature to make sure people see your trailer in the dark. Last year’s bags have reflective strips sewn on the bag as well. However, I did not notice any reflective features on this year’s Market Bags.
Overall Takeaway
Overall, I love the combination of the Burley Travoy, the Upper Market Bag and the Lower Market Bag. They are easy to assemble, compact, and versatile. For someone who doesn’t own a car, this is a fantastic investment to help contribute a less stressful car-free life. The Market Bags can carry so much and are very durable which is exactly what someone without a car needs. I will certainly keep using my Market Bags and see what other goods can be more easily hauled with me. If you are deciding to start a more car-free life, the Burley Travoy Cargo Trailer and Market Bags are a key investment.
