Awesome Strap.

So Michigan Matt, aka No-Buddy, is swimming in a sea of Awesome Straps, and decided I was worthy of trying one - the "Back 40." I just got it mounted on the Niner, and here are my initial thoughts:

• Wow factor. At first I was thinking "Jeez, this thing is just a velcro strap. Couldn't I just get that at a fabrics store? Well, it's more than that - it's well thought out, and will hold your stuff in place while putting it on or taking it off the bike. Watch the video on their site.
• Was definitely big enough for my 29er tube, a 40 oz CO2 cartridge, and a multi-tool with tire levers.
• I found set up with ALL of the above to be kind of clunky. While everything did fit in the allotted space, it made the whole package too wide - thighs would have bumped while pedaling. Ultimately, I decided to pull out the multi-tool, and everything was much more neat.
• Ease of access: I think it's a great way to keep a flat repair kit locked, loaded, and ready to go, and is easy enough to load and unload. However, I think the decision to remove the multi-tool is the way to go for two reasons: a neater package, but more importantly, my multi-tool will remain in the jersey pocket for easy access. I feel like one will need the tool more often than tube/tire levers/CO2, so it seems silly to pack it all up in the strap where you have to unpack the whole thing to get to the tool.

So, thanks to Matt and Backcountry Research. I'll give it a try and if I like it, I'll probably buy a 2nd for the singlespeed! It's DEFINITELY a step up from the seat post mount for the GI 40 oz CO2 Cartridge.