Wildcat Gear review

Custom Frame bag (Leopard)
Handlebar harness (Mountain Lion)

Until I met Ian & Taylor on a Singletrack Winter Bivi all of my bike packing had been done with cheap generic bags strapped to my bike and rucksacks. I had used beam racks, eBay cheapo frame bags and dry bags strapped to the handlebars with (spot them a mile off) Gelert Rainbow straps.

I had always fancied some of the Revelate gear but lead times, import duty and the pure faff of buying from the States put me off.

Anyway as we sipped Whisky at -2c (not -10 as some claim) the Welsh Ride Thing was mentioned and as soon as I set my mind on that I knew that some proper gear would be needed (although a trailer can be used). Ian's wife Beth had made him (and Taylor) a rather nifty framebag and as more Whisky was consumed we talked about a name for a fledgling company. Despite my marketing background and far superior suggestions it seems Wildcat was chosen.

I ordered my Framebag straight away, I made a cardboard template of the inside of my Scandal frame marked up with cable guides, bottle mounts, etc. Sent it to Wales and one week later a perfectly fitting frame bag arrived.

I'm no seamstress but the bag is so well made and so well thought out. The inside is yellow so you can see your stuff inside. None of the seams are left, they all have a nice bit sewn over them. It's made out of some super lightweight material. The zips are waterproof and it has a little hood thing to park it in.

I've now done several trips with my frame bag, it's had a tough life, it's been covered in mud, submerged in water (with me and the bike), carried bike packing gear and used for the odd emergency shop (beer). It just works really well and is well made by some very nice people who know bikes and carrying stuff on them. If you want a custom frame bag I can't see how you can beat it.

As I was so impressed with my frame bag as soon as I heard that a handlebar harness mount type thing was being prototyped I got my order in. As before it arrived quickly and although it took me a few minutes to work it out (excellent pictorial instructions helped) the faff of fitting it was worthwhile. The Mountain Lion is a work of genius! It holds a dry bag onto your bars away from the head tube with enough room for cables. Once fitted you can clip your dry bag in and out in seconds and when you're piling down some rocky descent that's enough to eject a £40 travel tap from a bottle cage your Mountain Lion held drybag doesn't move an inch. There is a surprisingly useful bit of elastic on the top for gloves and once again it's super well made and nice and light.

I've been really impressed by both of my Wildcat purchases, well made, really well thought out and made in sunny Wales, can't wait to get my hands on the next bit of kit they come up with?
www.wildcatgear.co.uk