Revelate Designs Pika
I tried strapping a small dry bag under Silvio, something doable - but something you would have to do carefully each time to ensure it doesn't jostle loose. In the end I bought a Revelate Designs Pika bag, a slightly smaller version of the Viscacha above. Only a handful of craftsman (not big companies) make high quality bags like these which are designed for ultralight touring. They are typically used by adventure tourers who don't want to use panniers or racks, so they save weight and use a combination of frame bags, handlebags, and a large saddle bag like this.They are also much more aerodynamic than panniers as your frontal area is not increased.
The Pika bag is a very large saddle bag ranging from 6-12L, and not cheap at about US$120 but every review I found has raved about it's quality. Looking at the quality, it appears similar to Ortlieb, using tougher material than my Radical Design bags made for Brompton. I read somewhere that they use material that is used to make sails (as in sail boats). As I am planning a self-supported Brompton bike tour with the dear wife later this year, this Pika bag would serve dual roles - as a saddle bag for my Brompton tour, and for rides with my Silvio.
Above is the Pika seat bag in it's smallest rolled up configuration. Inside is a pair of dress shoes and a T-shirt, fit loosely instead of being compressed down. Useful for some of my commutes! Notice the clearance to the rear wheel - my estimates worked out nicely, and I decided on this bag instead of the larger Viscacha so that I would have more clearance to play with.
The bag fit without any modifications necessary. I think this is a good feature of the Silvio/Vendetta headsets. The two headrest tubes are slightly wider and larger than saddle rails, making it easy to adapt my equipment in the picture above. I could not get the Revelate Designs strap extension in time, so the seatpost strap here fit around just one of the headrest tubes. It appears to be perfectly secure, especially since the tapered nose of the Pika bag snugs in between the headrest tubes so as to dissuade any lateral movement. I may do my own velcro extension in the future.
Above shows the bag when full. If I didn't have my bottle cage there, it would be cinched at a slightly higher angle. Of course, my rear light won't do in this configuration - it's just for testing! Small loops are on top of the bag (just behind where the bottle is) to which you can bungee another small pack, a jacket or light sleeping bag. I wouldn't have believed such a long bag could be firm and steady if I hadn't seen so many positive reviews by people doing far harder stuff than I will ever be able to do! While a heavy load may affect handling this far back, I doubt the likes of clothes would weigh too much and affect things adversely. The position is similar as compared to a DF, and again those ultralight tour guys are doing tougher stuff!
At approximately US$120 this is one expensive saddle bag! But the more I researched and thought about it, the more I thought this was worth it. The quality means longevity. The design works on both Silvio and any DF you own. It saves on weight and cost of racks. With this bag alone, I could do an ultralight or credit-card tour. If I added
my strap-on panniers I would have more space than necessary. Having done some rides with my panniers and bags, I think the size of this Pika bag is perfect for me.
