Cannondale Speedster 2 – Perfect Saddle Bag for the Minimalist – A Review

2016-11-28 Ken

Also with size comparison between M and S

I normally only ride in the city and I don’t carry much with me so I have no need for a large saddle bag.
I just need something that’ll fit a multi-tool and an air tank for emergencies.
Looks over size, I preferred something that was good looking and compact.

At first I was looking into the SCICON aeronaut.

SCICON（シーコン）　エアロナウト　サドルバッグ
価格：3041円（税込、送料別) (2016/11/28時点)

Looks good and is very compact, just what I was looking for.

I really loved how good the ass looks with this case… but it came with some flaws.

taking off the rubber cover every time you wanted to access the bag was cumbersome
it didn’t fit anything because it’s so small

In the end, I couldn’t use it anymore because the adapter that attaches to the saddle broke on the second day.

The replacement that I got was the Cannondale Speedster2 S (small) size.

Cannondale Speedster – S size

The looks of the aeronaut is hard to beat, but the Speedster2 S size also has a simple minimalist design and isn’t that bad.

【即納】【在庫あり】キャノンデール CANNONDALE スピードスター2　シートバッグミディアム BLK サドルバック
価格：3213円（税込、送料別) (2016/11/28時点)

Attaching to the saddle is done by using velcro straps so no need to worry about things breaking.
The mat black color matches the color of my Helmz H10 too so that’s good.
Good design, good size, everything good, but something came up and I needed a bigger saddle bag.
What came up?
I needed to store my Quad Lock iPhone case in the saddle bag.

What is a Quad Lock?

Quad Lock is a smart phone bike mount that I use to attach my iPhone to my bike.
See here and here for reviews.

I had kept the Quad Lock case on my iPhone for a while but took it off because I was using wide angle lenses with the iPhone often.
I wanted to have the case in the saddle bag so I could use it when I needed it.
But it doesn’t fit in the Speedster2 S size!

Luckily, the Speedster2 comes in a M size.

Cannondale Speedster2 M size

I couldn’t figure out the exact measurements so I wasn’t sure that it would fit the Quad Lock but I went with it any way!
They had it on Rakuten and Amazon but I wanted it as soon as possible so I got it from Amazon.

This is what arrived.

Here it is!

: Comparison between M and S

: looks like brothers

: M size has pockets on both sides

It looks big compared to the S size.

This is how it looks attached to the Helmz H10.

Comparison with the S size.

Compared with the S size, the M size looks big, but when looked at alone, it’s still is compact and looks pretty good.

The Quad Lock fit very nicely!

I still have room after fitting a multi tool and an air tank.
Not enough room for a water bottle though.

Here are some pictures I took of the Cannondale Speedster2 S (small) size and M (medium) size with a ruler.

Summary

I am very happy that I can now reach for the Quad Lock when I need it.
I recommend the Cannondale Speedster2, even if you’re not a Cannondale user!

If you’re looking for a simple, compact and good looking saddle bag, the S size is for you.
If you’re looking for the same, but want to fit a Quad Lock case, then the M size is perfect for you!

2 Responses to “Cannondale Speedster 2 – Perfect Saddle Bag for the Minimalist – A Review”

Laurens P
7 years ago
Reply

Great job on this review. Really helpful. It absolutely beats me that companies themselves don’t provide better pictures or at least very good dimensions of the product to get a good idea what actually fits into the bag. They’d simply sell more as people are more certain of what they are buying and limits the amounts of unnecessary shipping due to all of the returns.
- Ken
  7 years ago
  Reply
  
  Hi and thanks for the comment, really means a lot!
  And I totally agree that companies could do a better job of showing us more about their products so we can make the right choice.
  Looking forward to seeing you around again, cheers!