The Granite Portaledge XE Strap Mount is a lightweight, secure storage system that provides easy access to puncture repair tools and other essentials. Comprising an alloy bracket that mounts onto bottle cage bolts and a strap to secure spares in place, this is a simple and effective design, assuming you have the space within the frame.
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The Portaledge XE Strap mounts to your frame's bottle cage bosses and requires at least 7cm of clear space within the frame. Depending on what you choose to carry, stash sizes should remain around fist-size or larger.
The bracket has various bolt slots available, allowing you to find the right placement on your bike. There are long and short bolts supplied with the mount so that you can attach a bottle cage to the mount if desired. Once the mount is in place, the strap can be fed through and wrapped around your stash. There is also a foam pad glued to the underside of the mount to prevent damage to the frame, which is a small but nice touch.
Once installed, there was enough space for a tube, plus two C02 canisters, a C02 injector and a tyre lever. The mount alone weighs just 36g, factor in another 11g for the strap and 8g for all the bolts, and the total weight is still quite low at 55g.
The Granite strap holds your stuff in place, which is aided by a silicone grip on the back. Granite does produce a C02 cartridge holder with a slot for the strap to provide extra security if you are worried about losing a cartridge while riding.
While the strap is not as thick or features extra security features such as the Huck strap with its integrated elastic system, the Portaledge is a neat system that doesn't need to touch the frame at all, leading to potential frame rub. I found the strap provided enough security, and I didn't lose anything while riding. Although on wetter and muddier rides, some of the spares did get splattered with mud, so enclosing things in a ziplock bag might be a solution to keep things clean should this become an issue.
Value & verdict
The alloy bracket is available in black or orange with a coordinating strap. Compared to similar storage solutions, it is priced competitively. The Huck Strap (formally named Louri) is the same price for just the strap. The Piggy On storage bracket is £27.50, and Wolf Tooth has an adaptable, modular system, but the 4-slot base alone is £26, without any straps.
The Granite Portaledge XE Strap Mount provides a simple and effective way to make use of the usually wasted, empty space under the bottle cage area while still allowing full access to the bottle cage itself. At £20 and including the strap, it is well priced and a useful accessory if you have the space available.
2 comments
Saddle bags are not always a viable option with dropper posts and interference with tyres being an issue on some bikes. Plus they are heavier and take longer to access.
"...on wetter and muddier rides, some of the spares did get splattered with mud, so enclosing things in a ziplock bag might be a solution to keep things clean should this become an issue" or you could just buy a saddle pack for the same money