Arundel Handlebar Czar and Top Tube Tycoon Review

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By now, it’s pretty apparent that I’m a GE fan of a few brands. And when it comes to water bottle cages, Arundel is my GOLD STANDARD. I’ve had either Dave O’s or Mandibles on my bikes since the day they hit the market and I’ll never use anything else. Period, paragraph. On road or off, they’re the best I’ve found.

Now...full disclosure, it has been my life’s mission to make fun of my good buddy who swears by his top tube bag. And if you showed up to ride with me and you had a handlebar bag, well, let’s just say the bike snob in me bubbled up to the surface. But underneath that seething insecurity was a secret desire to carry more essentials on my longer rides without overloading my jersey pockets.

Sooooo, when a brand I respect and admire conjures up a product I’ve secretly been thinking about trying, it gets my attention. And the Top Tube Tycoon and Handlebar Czar are just cool enough to convince me to make the leap. And as luck would have it...my new Turner Ticlosis gravel bike has mounts to accommodate a top tube bag.

My old friends at Arundel were kind enough to send me one of each, and to be honest - I’m all in. I mean, look at them - the design is simple yet elegant, and the shape and material choice has a high-end luxury feel that’s worthy of matching up with any bike on the spectrum. And that orange felt on the inside REALLY puts it over the top.

The Handlebar Czar has 120 cubic inches of capacity, and comes with beefy velcro straps and a malleable shock cord for securing to your cables - it’s basically rubber on the outside and metal on the inside so it bends and holds to put the bag at a perfect angle to use the one-handed zipper and front netting - which is perfect for your first gel or bar of the day. I honestly haven’t stuffed it to capacity yet, so the video you’re seeing is me trying to illustrate how much it can haul. Wow.

The Top Tube Tycoon has 40 cubic inches of space, and uses the same orange lining and sonic welded seams for durability. It also gives you the option to mount with velcro or use the frame bolts like I did, and the one-handed zipper is smooth as glass. For most of my rides, the tycoon is perfect because it carries everything I would usually put in my seat bag PLUS a pair of gels and a bar. And, like a seat bag, you hardly notice it’s there.

So, if you’re a snob like me these are the best gateway drug I’ve found to adding classy, well-designed storage to your bike for long-haul days.