76 Projects Piggy On Bike Storage

The Piggy, from 76 Projects, is an on-bike storage system for stuff you don't want in your pockets, backpack, saddle bag or frame bags. The concept and execution is pretty sound – just be aware of a few caveats.

• Pros: Carries your stuff in a typically unused space so you don't have to
• Cons: Pricey, may rattle, may not fit all bikes

The Piggy follows the time-honoured trick beloved of pump and CO2 inflator manufacturers of getting the bits out of your jersey pocket by providing an under-bottle-cage mount. I'm not going to get into the aesthetics or historical shenanigans of pockets vs elsewhere for storing stuff on a ride – cycling's a broad church and for some rides you don't want tools or tubes taking up valuable jersey pocket space that could be otherwise occupied by slices of Soreen or whatnot.

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So having decided you do want to keep your stuff elsewhere, what to do? If you've decided a seatbag's out of the question or already full, the Piggy offers an alternative: below your bottle cages in that typically empty triangle of air above the bottom bracket.

In order to be absolutely certain it will fit before you splash the cash, 76 Projects provides a 1:1 scale template on its website. Just print onto A4, fold it up and hold against your frame to see where the Piggy would sit. The mounting points are shown on the template, so you can be sure your bolt holes are going to work.

76 Projects claims the Piggy is 'dropper post friendly' – for dropper cables that exit the down tube below the bidon, then re-enter the seat tube.

The Piggy is made from glass-reinforced nylon and feels very sturdy. The Velcro strap that holds your stuff in place is likewise industrial-strength. Most purchasers will want to buy the system comprising the Piggy frame and Piggy Pouch (separate review coming), which is perfectly sized for the Piggy and easily swaps, if you own multiple bikes with Piggys on each. Buying the Piggy with the Piggy Pouch means you pay £12 for for the Pouch instead of £15. In the Piggy package you get a hefty silicone band to secure a tube and tools if you want to go without the optional Pouch.

We've reviewed similar solutions before: Shaun gave the Topeak Ninja Pouch three stars, but the main difference is that you are using the Topeak cage to which its tool pouch fixes. With the Piggy, you screw your own cage to the Piggy, then the Piggy to your water bottle bosses.

This means you have a near-infinite number of positions possible, as the slots in the Piggy allow you to slide the whole assembly up and down to get the right clearance from the opposing bottle, a suspension shock or linkage, a dropper post cable or anything else in the way down there.

A word of warning, clearly spelt out in the instructions: care must be taken that the bolts fixing your bottle cage to the Piggy don't protrude far enough to damage your frame once the Piggy is in place. You get washers to put under your bolts to space them out. Mine were fine, but if you're rocking super-long bottle cage bolts you might need newer, shorter ones.

In the body of the Piggy are two recesses to securely hold the halves of a 9 to 11-speed quick chain link, meaning you'll never be without.

The thick Velcro band is easily adjustable to hold varying thicknesses of package, with excess folded back on itself on the inside so it doesn't flap.

> Cycling luggage: how to carry stuff on your bike

Out on Perthshire's finest roads for the first time there was a significant rattle over the rough bits, which I initially thought was another component fitted at the same time. Investigation uncovered that the unsupported lower end of the Piggy's bolt slot was rattling against the frame with a full pouch in place. This was easily fixed with a small section of inner tube held down by insulation tape, but there really should be a rubber bumper in at that point, to kill any flexing. Possibly this was pronounced on my frame as the bottle cage bosses are pretty much flush, but something to be aware of.

Over a month of rides, dry or wet, short or long, the Piggy (and Pouch) didn't budge and did the job exactly as promised. Certainly the act of removing and replacing the Pouch was quicker and easier than, say, swapping a saddle bag or loose contents between bikes. Swapping in or out a bunch of tube and tools secured by the supplied silicone band was likewise hassle-free.

I've liked not having tubes, tool and levers in my jersey pockets, and with winter coming, when your bike is likely to be festooned with lights, mudguards, heated towel rails and whatnot, using the Piggy is hardly going to kill a minimalist, traditional vibe.

All in all, the Piggy's a very well-thought-through system for carrying stuff across a variety of bikes. No, £27.50 is not cheap, but the quality and design deliver a premium experience. Plus it's made in the UK – more thumbs up there.

Verdict

A good way to carry and swap stuff between bikes, in a secure, fast fashion