Packless riding is something I’ve been trying to master now for the last two years – the thought of having to ride with a pack has never particularly pleased me. I don’t like the way bags sit on my shoulders or slide around as I ride. As packless riding gathers popularity, and ‘Enduro style’ takes over, there’s more and more on the market which is designed to help us master riding without the proverbial monkey on our backs.
The Louri strap is Cyclorise’s own brand answer to carrying essentials for every ride. It’s designed to fit a selection of gear in the elasticated straps before being secured to the frame or saddle of your bike (there are two different sizes available depending on where you’re planning on using them). The elastic easily holds a tube, tyre levers and CO2 cartridges… and I’ve also managed to cram an extra CO2 canister in for longer rides.
It’s not just a regular strap with velcro sewn on either. Whatever the strap is made of, it’s hard wearing and certainly isn’t the sort of material that rips. The two elastic straps act as a system to help line everything up and add extra security to whatever is inside. The elastic parts also have rubber tubing over them to help them grip to wherever they’re put and the main strap has a coating of silicone-like material to make sure there’s no movement once it’s pressed agains the frame.
I’ve tested the Louri strap on some pretty rough stuff, including Antur Stiniog, and it’s been very reliable. The only time I’ve had it move from where I’ve put it is when I’ve not tightened it enough – that’s my fault, not the strap’s. I’ve mounted my innertube and other goodies both on the under-side of the downtube and near the bottom bracket on the inside of the frame (as pictured above). The current set-up seems to be my favourite as it’s all well out the way and seems to keep most of the muck off my innertube should I need it.
Louri’s British manufacturers make the strap in a whole bunch of colours so theres’ plenty to choose from for those of us who take care to match our accessories to our bikes. As a bit of a bike tart, the bright orange suited my bike perfectly and I’m more than happy with the aesthetics.
My only piece of advice would be to make sure you’ve secured the strap properly. After first testing Louri’s design, I nearly lost a tube and some CO2 on a trail as it had managed to wiggle free after a bit of a chunky section. A quick tighten and re-fastening and I’ve had absolutely no problems.
For £14.99, a frame strap for your bike seems like a good deal to me, especially if you’re like me and can’t stand a pack.