Barfly Bags – Banana Hammock

By Michael McColgan

I’m a big fan of the Jones Loop bar, there’s one on my Krampus and my Pugsley.  And whenever I’m fortunate enough to abuse, I mean test, a new fatty I end up putting on that bike too, since I’d rather focus on the bike and not be distracted by “normal” handlebars.  But as much as I like the feel of the bar, I was always wishing there was a way to use the space inside the loop.

The Banana Hammock from Barfly Bags is one of the new bags, designed to fill that particular void.  When ordering, you have your choice of colors and a four or five Velcro straps for attachment to the bar.  The couple times I checked out the Barfly web page the black five strap seemed to be in stock, but if you wanted a different color it would take about a week.  I’m a basic black guy, and I waited til right before I actually needed this to order it so I didn’t really give myself a choice.

The bag is made with a waterproof zipper and VX 21 material.  A quick interweb search showed that this seems to be the material of choice for bag makers for its waterproofness, tear resistance and light weight.  So I knew I was getting a bag made w/ the good stuff, and when it showed up… I was happy with the quality of the stitching, but honestly I just wanted to fill it with snacks and see if it fit and worked as well as I had hoped.

The bag fits snugly into the space of the Jones bar, and it doesn’t matter if you have the 660 or the 710 bar since the internal measurements are the same.  Once loaded it does what every bag is supposed to do, carry your stuff so you can enjoy the ride.  And it can carry a surprising amount of stuff, although with some things attention to packing is recommended.  A couple CO2’s alone in the bag is quite loud against the bars when you hit the bumpy stuff.

One potential concern was if it would interfere with why I got a Jones bar to begin with.  Besides the sweep of the bar, I like the loop for the extra hand positions it offers.  I tend to use it to stretch out a little on long gravel roads and it occurred to me that the bag might get in the way. It turns out it was a non-issue for me, and the Velcro straps are long enough that you can have the bag sit into the bar a little if you so desire.  Imaginary problem solved.

But seriously….loaded up,  this is my go to snack bag.  I’ve got no problem throwing enough snacks in there to get me through a good day of riding.  I’ve stuffed my wallet, phone(Iphone 6 w/case), gels, chews, and a couple bars in there with ease.  The convenience factor of it being right in front of you is really nice also.  And while it may not be the best place to store an adult beverage, a banana hammock will hold two twelve ounce cans of barley pop.  If you’re running a Jones loop bar and looking for some more storage options, give the Banana hammock a look.

For more information andout Barfly Bags visit – www.barflybags.com