off-road.cc

On-bike storage has become more popular of late, and 76 Projects' Little Piggy offers a neat way of mounting the essentials. When used with an optional dry bag that accompanies it, it’s a clean and fairly simple way to carry some kit securely.

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My first impressions were that the kit was a little over-engineered, with a very specific way to attach the pack and tools to the bike. It relies on a plastic mounting platform that you then thread two straps through - one for the bike and one that holds tools, tubes and all the paraphernalia required.

The mount is rock solid and has small silicone padded mounts that hold the plastic away from the frame - this provides some malleable material that when compressed with the strap becomes very stable. You can also mount the bracket directly to a bottle cage mount holes, but then this reduces your water carrying which is often at a premium on full-suspension frames. The bracket has storage for quick links and is built from glass-reinforced nylon. A recycled material would be a really nice touch if that's possible without compromising strength.

Once mounted correctly - be sure to follow the instructions - I was impressed with the solid attachment, and then loaded up with the dry bag and tools, it stayed put over four days of rocky big mountain days with no need for adjustment or re-tensioning. 

The straps are heavy duty with decent areas of velcro and you can either double the excess strap back or trim if you have a set place that you use it on the bike. There is also a silicone band that you can loop round all your kit to hold them together and this inside the dry bag with the main strap holds it all quietly and firmly.

It's been reliable and stable for the whole test period, and although at first, I felt like it was slightly overcomplicated set up with the bracket, what this gives is minimal frame rub and a better base to firmly tension against. The secondary benefit is that there is less chance of rubbing paint and the stable base it provides to load it up.

The Dry Bag is an additional product and is exactly what it is - a small bag that rolls up and secures at the top, and then can be mounted onto the bracket, keeping all your tools dry and clean. This is a really sensible addition for our British climate, plus it’ll keep your tools in top condition.

I carried a tube, tool, sealant canister and levers happily, and tried it with a pump - which was mainly a test on the size of the load, but it was hard to mount without interfering with riding the bike. If you can mount it in an area where it won’t hit you, then it'd hold it. 

I was happy with the performance of the bracket and bag, I do feel that it's slightly overcomplicated, and the shape could be slimmer, which although may reduce the rigidity, there could be a cleaner way of shaping the bracket. It might sound like I’m picking holes, as the performance is excellent,  but when there are more graceful and simpler solutions available, I think that the saving graces of the silicone pads and dry bag upgraded make this a worthy piece of carrying kit.

It’s not at a price that breaks the bank (if you opt to buy the Little Piggy and Dry Bag together you save £2.50; separately they are £35), It's lightweight (50g dry bag is extra) and with very decent performance and nice clean understated looks, it’s a worthy choice if you are looking to carry the essentials on a short ride, or increase what you can carry and access easily. 

• www.76projects.com

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