Ditch that saddle bag ASAP! Because carrying more weight on your body obviously makes a lot more sense than carrying it on the bike. A little more weight on the legs, a little more squash on the taint, what’s not to like?
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Public Service Announcement, do not ride with tools keys and ESPECIALLY a minipump in your back pocket.
Unless you want to risk breaking your spine if you land on them in a crash.
There was a pro-rider in the 70s, whose name just slipped me. He would always move the bottle from his bottle cage to his jersey pockets, when they hit a climb. When someone asked him about it, he just said that on a climb the bike has to be as light as possible to go fast, obviously. 'Cause Physics 
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I use a continental saddle bag that came with a tyre (Continental Tube Bag with Tube And Tyre Levers | Saddle Bags | Wiggle ). Surprisingly, you can also stuff a Topeak multi-tool and a repair kit in. If you want it to look more discreet, you can sharpie over the continental logo and it’s barely noticeable under a black saddle. I carry a pump in my middle pocket with my phone, credit card and cash, leaving me with my left and right pockets for gels and bars and two bottle cages.
I don’t really care if people think I look like a “Fred” for having a saddle bag - TdF winners have been spotted on training rides with saddle bags.
Look at all the pictures of pro’s using a turbo and they all have saddle bags attached to their bikes, even riding indoors. If you want to look pro, a saddle bag is the way to go
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The trick is to ride faster than the rain!
FDX do bib shorts with a small pocket on each thigh which are perfect for keeping gels
Here’s my flat kit. Tube, co2, lever, and some pieces of a GP4000 sidewall (in case I need to insert it between the tire and tube) are rubber banded together and go in the left jersey pocket. The inflator goes in the right pocket with my gels. Center pocket for phone, cards, cash, key, etc
Honestly I couldn’t fit much more useful stuff into my saddle bag when I used one, and I have not used one in years, even for longer rides. It won’t fit more than 1 tube comfortably anyway so what’s the point
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OK, I resurrect this old thread because it became an obsession of mine to perfect my ‘on the bike tool storage’-game and I thought it fitted here better than in a new thread. I hope this maybe can give some people ideas for winter / Covid projects 
. Feedback / more ideas are also welcome.
Disclaimer upfront: In the era of handlebar bags, I’m probably about 5 to 10 years late with my weight weenie / minimalistic approach. Whilst I weighted the stuff, my main goal was to find the sleekest and most practical solution for me. I dislike the look of big saddle bags. I have no desire to carry pointy metal objects close to my spine in my back pockets. And I ride in the heat, the bottle cages are reserved for bottles with liquids.
Here is the final result. Everything is snug, no rattling. The saddle bag fits nicely under the seat with the pump on top of it (there’s a elastic strap to hold it in place). In the back, it’s wedged in by a Garmin Varia mount that I 3d-printed and screwed to the SWAT mount of my Specialized Power Arc Saddle.
Here’s what’s inside:
- Zefal saddle bag (27g)
- Topeak Pocket Rocket (minus outer body taken off, some electrical tape added - 57g)
- Silca gear wipe (15g)
- Master link chain Pliers / tire lever plus spare chain link (38g)
- Plastic tire lever (10g)
- Chain tool incl. handle (32g)
- 5mm hex key (12g)
- Flimsy bike lock / gift bow (58g)
- 5 bits (24g)
- Swiss Tool 5mm hex key to bit holder magnetic adapter (9g)
- Plastic valve core remover (less than 1g)
- Presta valve adapter (4g)
- Lezyne tubless repair kit + some patches (38g)
To fit it all inside, I needed some creative approaches. All the bits, the patches, and the valve core remover are stored inside the Lezyne tubeless repair kit.
The total weight of the pack is 324g
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I just recently ditched the bag too, always had tools and stuff in there. In years of cycling I never needed anything I was carrying under the saddle - the probability that I will now need them but wont habe it with me… is certainly high - we all know that 
Did you ever need the extra stuff? Did you really ever break down?
I’ve gone through two tubes, two cannisters and a patch in one puncture - a piece of embedded glass. With the tyre off, it was completely embedded, only when tube inflated and weight on it was it sticking out enough to cause a puncture. When I ran my finger around the inside, I could feel nothing. I had to really inspect it and flex it!
I’ve also used my mini tool to tighten my seat post, and have shared it a few times on club spins. I’ve also had to give out tubes and cannisters.
The wannabe audaxer in me probably has me carry too much, but I’d rather be looking at it in a saddle bag, than looking for it (or calling in for a lift home) than looking “pro”. Plenty of pro’s use saddle bags anyway!
I’m sure I posted earlier in the thread - I’ve still the scar from the wound caused by a (closed) key fob in my pack pocket when I crashed.
I was a big fan of the swat saddle mounts when I used a power saddle, but I’ve switched to a pro stealth now. It does have mounting spots but they don’t have much in the way of accessories compared to specialized. I’ve wanted to do some kind of bracket for my Varia, extended out behind the tool roll I’m using so I can get it off the seatpost. Did you find a premade 3D model for your swat/Varia mount or did you create a design from scratch?
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The one I’m currently riding is actually one I found on Thingiverse, but I might adjust it in the future:
Awesome, someone already did one for the pro stealth. On the way!
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I use a Muc Off weatherproof case for all the mechanical essentials and put that in my center jersey pocket. Phone goes in the right side pocket and nutrition in the left. Leaves a very clean Pro looking asthetic on the bike.
I’m curious…
Do pros not use saddle bags when doing solo training rides?
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Almost all of the pros I’ve ever seen on training rides use a saddle bag. A lot even use a gasp handlebar bag, frame bag, or top tube bag.
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The only thing I carried in my saddle bag was a spare tube (back up to the one in my jersey pocket), a p’ture repair kit (which always went hard before it was used) and a multi tool which always seemed to rust. When I went tubeless I ditched the 2nd tube and put a smaller tubeless repair kit and multitool in my pocket and ditched the saddlebag. For some reason with the tubeless repair kit and multi tool in the pocket I don’t forget them when I transfer to a different bike; I have forgotten to transfer the contents of a saddle bag 
i have a small pouch with multitool/plugs/co2 head & cannister, just goes into my pocket. All my bikes are tubeless, much easier than switching around saddle bags and dont have to have 3 diff saddle bags. Especially useful since i ride all 3 bikes every week
stopped carrying a tube about 2 yrs ago, unless its a super long gravel ride where getting rescued by the family may be difficult
also have a mini pump i carry if its a longer ride
do use a top tube bag for extra food for really long rides (5hrs +)
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I was at the Lion’s Den crit, and at the start of the Men’s pro race one of the riders still had his saddle bag on his bike after he lined up and had to find someone to hand it off to right before the start. It was a well-used, largish bag that he had on his race bike at the start line.
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