Way back in the day, sometime in 2008, we got our hands on a porteur rack and set out to design a beautiful and functional front bag to enhance the uses of the front platform racks that were on the market. The Swift Industries Polaris Porteur Bag has been a raving success over the years and has elevated the front-carry experience.
Last year we revisited the Ozette Rando Bag design, and jumped on opportunities to make our randonneur bag lighter and more diversely functional than anything we’ve seen on the market. We had a blast researching and designing, and when it was all said and done it dawned on us that the same design upgrades we were making on the Ozette would seamlessly take the Polaris Porteur Bag to the next level.
So, now that we have you at the edge of your seat, let’s have a look that the changes coming down the pipeline:
Dimensions
We’ve reduced the depth of the bag for a more exact fit on the Soma, Velo Orange, and Pass and Stow Porteur racks and to allow the bag to be used with a fence. A two-inch depth reduction will positively affect handling by concentrating the weight of your cargo closer to your steer tube. Shortening the bag’s height makes it easier to see inside the bag and easier to access, without compromising the weatherproofing merits of a roll-top design.
Original dimensions: 14.5″w x 12″d x 22″h
Updated dimensions: 14.5″w x 10″d x 19″h
Updated Coro-Plast reinforced box dimensions:
Dimensions: 14.5″w x 10″d x 8.5″h
Capacity: 20 liters
Updated Features
U-Lock Holster: The external U-lock holster is clutch for locking quickly on the go! We moved the holster from the side panel to the center of the back–closest to the rider–to center the weight for smoother handling.
Flap Zip Pocket: You’ll now have a small zip pocket on the flap of the bag for your small stuff. The 9″x10″ pocket is large enough to carry a wallet, phone, keys, and some tools.
We’ve swapped the zip pocket for the map case. If you’re interested in dashboard navigation, check out our Ozette Randonneur Bag for a similar capacity front-bag.
Interior Organizing: The left and right panels of the bag now feature three pen-slot pockets, and an elastic keeper system to hold a tablet or book in place when you’re bustling ’bout town.
New Textiles
By exchanging the vinyl lining with highly durable lightweight nylon the bag now weighs-in at 2.6 lbs. That’s 2 lbs lighter than the original design! Hell yeah.
Timeline
We’ll have this new and improved design for sale on our website on March 1st, 2016! All Polaris Porteur Bags purchased between now and February 29th will be constructed in the original design.
