As gravel riding and self supported endurance races are gaining in popularity, so are the needs for bike packing necessities. North St. Bags of Portland, OR is meeting the demand with its North St. Micro Pannier (from $99.99) to outfit your dusty excursion riding needs.
A big plus for me is the color options. You’re not stuck with just black as a color for the bags. North St. Bags offer so many color choices to suit your mood – I snagged the limited edition Blaze Orange for extra visibility on the road (CAN YOU SEE ME NOW?) and so that I can locate the smaller bags (fuel pouch and tool roll) when tucked inside the pannier bag or hip pack. The majority of the North St. Bags product line are also available with custom colors and printed patterns, which is fun. They’re made to order and available in about a week.
I tested out the products through the summer and into the fall, which gave me a chance to try the bags out in various weather.
What I Liked
Heavy-duty Material
The North St. Bags Micro Pannier is made with heavy-duty material with waterproof roll top for extra protection from the weather. The clips on each side of the bag to accommodate a shoulder strap, providing a convenient method of carrying the bag after its snapped off the bike. I’ve stored my bathroom necessities, towel and flip flops in one of the bags, and when it came time to visit the ladies room for a nice shower, all I needed to do was stash my change of clothes in the bag and head off to un-funkify myself.
Lightweight
The bags are smaller and more lightweight than other pannier bags, which is both a pro and a con. Because the bags are smaller, I was able to ride through single track without much of a snag on a bush. The bag has a bungee cord to hold the bottom of the pannier securely on the bike, which allowed me to ride down the bumpy single track without worrying about the bag popping off my bike.
Mounting System
The hook and bungie cord mounting system were fairly simple to attach to the pannier rack, and the bungie cord helped the bags stay attached to the pannier rack when riding a variety of terrain. For example, if I needed to lift my wheels over a small tree branch in the middle of the trail or ride down a curb, the bags didn’t fall off the bike.
Made in the USA
North St. panniers are handmade in Portland, OR and their products can be custom made in addition to their stock panniers and bags.
North St. is just an Amazing Brand
Curtis Williams, North St.’s founder and owner, is the sole designer of all the bags. Since he’s also an avid cyclist, it’s safe to assume he knows that cyclists need high-quality bike bags that are functional and durable. He also prides himself on offering his entire workforce—four stitchers, one cutter, one fulfillment and hardware assembler (who also does all North St.’s customer service and retail support), and one sales and marketing coordinator—a livable wage.
Keep in mind this all takes place in Portland, OR, not exactly known for being a cheap place to live. This team of eight Portlanders average around thirty bags and fifteen upgrades (pockets, straps, etc) per day that they sell direct and through specialty outdoor gear and bicycle shops. And the month of October just happens to be their tenth birthday month!
Lifetime Guarantee
All North St. bags are built tough for long wearability and come with a lifetime guarantee. Click the link for a run down of all the durable fabrics North St. employs in its bags.
What I didn’t Like
Size. As mentioned above, the pro of the pannier bag is that it is small enough to allow a ride down single track. But the small bag is a con as well – you’ll need to be very choosy about what you back in these bags.
Shoulder strap not included. Unlike other pannier bags, shoulder straps do not come with the bag, but can be purchased ($14.99).
Final Thoughts
When your bike packing excursion presents the opportunity to pedal off the road and into single track, the North St. Micro Pannier bags are the hero of bike packing bags. And that’s why I like this system so much – if I can ride dirt or venture into the woods on my bike, then I’m a happy girl.
The product offering of all North St. Bags bags are weatherproof and made with tough Cordura nylon and reinforced variant X-Pac™ sailcloth which helps the bags retain its strength.
