Listen up if you like all your accessories in one place (and ride a Bontrager saddle). Bontrager just launched a new Blendr saddle bag with a compatible fender. This new Blendr setup can stash your tools, keep your backside dry, and keep you flashy with a rear light attachment.
Yes — it’s a saddle bag, but it’s more than that. The new Blendr bag from Bontrager works seamlessly with the brand’s lights and all-new clip-on fender. The selling point is the ease of on/off for the other accessories. Electric Guitar Hard Case
The Blendr saddle bag is a fairly straightforward design internally. The slightly padded, water-resistant bag holds a place for tools, Co2, and other trailside maintenance needs. The bag comes in three different sizes: Small (.29L), Medium (.5L), and Large (1L). We received a medium-sized bag, which can easily fit most of what I take for a gravel ride.
My packing list usually includes a small multi-tool, tube, Co2 and head, tire levers, Dyna-Plag tool, and some cash if I’m lucky. The medium-sized bag is the catch-all for many riders, though I can see the utility in a small, uber-efficient road bag and an all-day exploration large bag.
The Blendr bag attaches using two-bolts 5m hex bolts and mounts securely to most (not all) Bontrager saddles. It’s worth noting that we tried to see if the mount would also attach to Specialized saddles with a similar horizontal-two-bolt design. The Specialized SWAT bolt pattern is wider than the Blendr mount, meaning you must have a Bontrager saddle for these accessories.
Furthermore, the new Blendr bag only works with Bontrager Aeolus, Verse, Boulevard, and Commuter saddles and is incompatible with Bontrager RSL-level saddles. Bontager also states the Blendr Bag is not for use on mountain bikes. This note is a bummer because the Fender mount would be convenient for off-road.
The bag has a secondary strap that attaches to the rails of the post to give the pack more stability. The strap is the same material used for the Blendr lights and is easy to install around larger seat posts, like one on the new Trek Madone SL 7.
Have you ever tried to get a fender on your bike with a saddle bag? It’s rough, even with the pocket-size ones. Bontrager Blendr Fender could make protecting your posterior easier without needing straps and zip ties.
The new Blendr Fender uses the Bontrager Blendr mount to attach and install easily. The fender is 8 inches long, and tappers from 4 to 2.5 inches at the tail. The coverage is on par with most stubby rear fenders and should keep riders dry for commutes and training.
The body of the fender is compact enough to store in a commuter bag or jersey pocket with little to no extra bulk. The fender also has a mount for a Blendr light, making it easy to be seen. We love the addition of the light mount, but depending on the angle of your saddle, the fender might block some of the visibility of the light. It would be nice to see some adjustability of the fender (and therefore the light) to maintain proper visibility for all. The adjustment on the bracket allows you to move the position of the bag, but the light and fender are fixed.
The Blendr Fender is sold separately for $15.00, so if you’re committed to the Blendr life, this could be your new bad-weather training buddy.
Bontrager’s newest bar tape is made from partially recycled materials and delivers a nice tactile feel with a grippy exterior. The tape is designed for all-around riding, not just commuting or the racer life.
The Eco-Tape boasts 3mm of shock-absorbing foam, right in the middle for most bar tapes nowadays. The tape composition is 45% recycled materials and 29% biobased foam. The top layer is tacky but doesn’t hinder the stretchy nature of the tape while wrapping bars.
The EcoTack Bar Tape comes in at $34.00, putting it on the more premium side of Bontrager bar tape. We’ve had very little time on the EcoTack Bar Tape yet, so we can’t genuinely speak to the performance or longevity of the material. It is nearly $10 more than the Bontrager gel tape, but we have a sneaking suspicion that this Tack Tape will replace the current (non-recycled) bar tape in the Bontrager lineup.
The EcoTack Bar Tape comes in five colors, including Classic Black, White, Power Surge (Green), Keswick (Olive), and Azure (Baby Blue).
For more information, check out TrekBikes.com
Jordan Villella is the Racing Tech Editor for BikeRumor.com, specializing in cross-country mountain, gravel, road, and cyclocross. He has written about bicycles and bike culture for over fifteen years with no signs of stopping.
Before BikeRumor, Jordan raced professionally and wrote for MTBR and the now-defunct Dirt Rag Magazine. He’s covered the World Championships, World Cups, and everything in between — where he loves to report what people are riding.
Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Jordan coaches cyclists of all abilities with Cycle-Smart ; you can find him racing bikes around North America and adventuring with his family.
For an inside look at his review rides follow him on Strava.
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
The bag, light and fender appear to be a clean setup, however, the fender appears to obscure the light quite a bit. Being that the light is most likely waterproof, I’d mount the light under the fender or on the seatpost.
that light pointing to the sky with the fender blocking it… horrible design in fender angle. Get a new mold man.
Maybe If you drive s go-kart. That light is below the sight line of a passenger vehicle.
Lol – fender completely obscures the light from an approaching drivers position
Apparently nobody else lives in the country where every vehicle is a lifted truck
I am surprised they did not enable the light to mount on the tail end of the fender, or close to it.
You must not have read the fine print where it says it’s illegal to mount that odd contraption on the back of a Madone. 😉
I don’t understand how it’s not compatible with RSL Aeolus, if it has the Blendr holes for mounting?
Why would an energy drink company be providing aerodynamic advice and design consulting to a bike brand? Because they’re darn good at it.
Slacken (or steepen) the headtube angle 1-3° on your Zero Stack-equipped bike with this 9point8 Slack-R ZS/EC angle adjust headset…
Kogel’s latest oversize pulleys add some bright, shiny teeth to SRAM’s Transmission mountain bike derailleurs.
Want a chance at racing this year’s UNBOUND gravel race? Before you can think about winning the race, you’ll have to win the lottery.
Gemini Rigel is the new World’s Lightest mountain bike chainring, a hi-tech 39g forged carbon ring with alloy reinforced teeth inside…
INEOS Grenadiers give us a sneak peek at the next gen shape of Kask’s Utopia aero road bike helmet, with aerodynamic ear covers…
Chris King’s road hubs and gravel wheels can now take Shimano MTB cassettes for mullet drivetrain builds.
Ratio rolls out another tiny, low-cost upgrade – an alloy cable spool to revive old SRAM road shifters & upgrade them to 12sp or 13-speed…
Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.
Musical Instrument Case Sign up to receive BikeRumor content direct to your inbox.