Top tube bag: how to choose

Food and your phone right behind the stem: bolt-on or strap mounting, padded or waterproof, and which size fits your bike.

A top tube bag sits on the top tube right behind the stem, so you can eat and reach your phone without stopping. Choose a bolt-on bag if your frame has two mounts on the top tube, and a strap-on bag if it does not. Our top tube bags do both: bolts and straps are supplied.

Below you can see how the two bags differ and what to check on your own bike. To see them side by side, go to all top tube bags.

This guide is written by Maikel, founder of The Pack and a rider himself. Last updated on 11 November 2026.

Our top tube bags compared

Snack Bag top tube bag, from €34.99: a padded main pouch with mesh pockets inside and a small hole to route a charger cable through. In two sizes, Small and Medium, in weather-resistant fabric. It mounts with the supplied straps or with the two supplied bolts.
AWG Top Tube Bag, from €44.99: waterproof material with taped seams and a magnetic, waterproof flap. It can be bolted on or strapped to the frame, and both are supplied. Two silicone spacers under the bag give a tight, scratch-free fit.

Bolt-on or strap?

Many gravel bikes and newer road bikes have two threaded mounts on the top tube. A bolted bag sits tight, cannot rotate and leaves no straps around the tube.

If your frame has no mounts, our own Packstraps do the job. They are made of TPU, so they mount without scratching your frame. They fit any round or shaped top tube and come off in seconds, which is useful if you only want the bag on long rides.

You do not have to decide before you order: both bags come with bolts and straps. Look at your top tube for two small bolts or plugs about 6 cm apart, a little behind the stem.

What goes in a top tube bag?

The things you want during the ride, not after it: bars and gels, a phone, a small power bank. The hole for a charger cable in the Snack Bag top tube bag is made for exactly that, on days when the bike computer runs low.

Tools and a spare tube are better off in a saddle bag, where you only need them when something breaks. For a jacket or more food, add a handlebar bag.

Does it fit, and do my knees clear it?

Check two things on your bike:

Length. Measure the free length of top tube behind the stem. On small frames, choose the Small size.
Knees. When you stand up and pedal, your knees pass close to the top tube. A narrow bag avoids contact; if you still touch it, move it as far forward as it goes.

The product pages show the exact sizes of each bag.

Which one for which rider?

Long road rides and sportives: the Snack Bag top tube bag, for food within reach.
Gravel and bikepacking in any weather: the AWG Top Tube Bag, with the rest of the AWG collection if you carry more.
Small frames: the Snack Bag top tube bag in Small.