Spurcycle Multi-Pouch: Quick Review

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Spurcycle Multi-Pouch: Quick Review- by Guitar Ted

When I’m getting ready for a ride, there is that time span between having my riding gear on and actually leaving for the ride where I am scrambling to find stuff. It seems that there are always one or two small details that hang me up. That multi-tool, that tire lever, the place to stow a bit of cash. These details and more can take up time and energy, (admittedly- first world problems), and cause frustration. one of the more difficult nuts to crack sometimes is where to stow things like cash and a cell phone where you won’t sweat all over those types of things. In the past I’ve used the “dirt bag” solution in the form of a sandwich baggie. That can work well, but they are not super durable, may be too small, and end up as trash sooner than later, which is not ideal. However; there was no denying the functional simplicity of the humble, zip top sandwich baggie. Enter a (possibly) better solution in the Spurcycle Multi-Pouch.

Spurcycle
The Spurcycle Multi-Pouch is hand made in the USA by Fog City in San Francisco, California.

The Spurcycle Multi-Pouch aims to help you organize your smaller details of your kit or to just be a high-tech wallet, if that is what you need. It is simply a zippered pouch, when it comes down to it, but what it is made from, how it can function, and its details separate it from the ubiquitous sandwich baggie solutions. Here are the features as listed on the Spurcycle site for the Multi-Pouch:

Material: Dyneema Composite Fabric (aka Cuben Fiber)
Size: 11.5cm x 19cm
Weight: 14g

Spurcycle
The Multi-Pouch is constructed with four snap closures at the corners.

The material, “Cuben Fiber”, as it is commonly referred to by the bikepacking folks, is very flexible and, obviously, light weight. That is not the whole story here though. Additionally the Multi-Pouch has a YKK Uretek waterproof zipper and polymer snap closures fitted at the corners. This not only allows you to have easy access with a sure closure, unlike a “zip” top sandwich baggie, which may or may not close easily, but a sure way to keep things dry. The Dyneema fabrics are also weather-proof.

The snap closures allow you to fold the Multi-pouch in half width-wise or longitudinally which gives you the option of how you want to stow the Multi-Pouch. Folding it in half is the obvious thing to do if you are using the Multi-Pouch as a wallet. The longitudinal fold allows you to stow the Multi-pouch in a way that it may be easier to retrieve it from a larger bag, like a top tube bag, or a pannier. Of course, what you put in the Multi-Pouch may determine how you snap it closed as well.

I ended up using the Multi-Pouch at first as a wallet. Now for a bit of background- I haven’t carried a proper wallet since 1984. So, you can be assured that I have no love for such things. Typically I just have used a metal credit card case and carried my cash loose in my front pocket. Well, all that went in to the Multi-Pouch with ease and hardly added any bulk, thanks to the Dyneema fabrics and their flexibility. My thought here was that by carrying the Multi-Pouch in my front pocket, it would replicate a pretty harsh environment for it over the course of a week’s worth of commuting, bike shop wrenching, and just life in general.

Spurcycle
The Multi-Pouch as a daily wallet.

As can be seen by the image above, the Dyneema fabric is transparent on one side of the Multi-Pouch allowing you to identify the contents without having to dump them out. This could be handy if you had a few of these and were using them on a tour and wanted to find the right bag without having to delve into each one to identify what pouch was the correct one. I didn’t use the Multi-Pouch this way, but I did use it as a way to hold my cell phone to keep it dry from my perspiration. One nice feature about the Multi-Pouch is that it has a longitudinally placed zipper opening which makes getting things into it and out of it easier. So it was the case with my iPhone 6 Plus. In my humble estimation, some of those bigger, phablet type phones probably will not fit. Be aware if you use one of those Android based monstrosities.

At The Finish: Let’s get one thing out of the way up front: Die-hard “dirt baggers” will never agree that this is a good idea. (The MSRP is $29.99) That’s fine, but for many of us, the Multi-Pouch can be a boon to organizing your cycling bits in a single, lightweight, durable pouch. The Multi-Pouch isn’t going to appeal to everyone, but for gravel riders looking for a bit of kit that organizes things, is stowable without adding extra weight, and is weather-proof, the Multi-Pouch could be very useful. The obvious uses would be for money, ID, and then maybe for an average sized cell phone. I can think of several other uses- a first aid pouch, a place for small repair bits like quick links, bits of chain, or derailleur cables. Obviously, the sky is the limit for those with a creative bent.

The Multi-Pouch has held up well during the Quick Review and I didn’t see any signs that would give me pause regarding durability. I plan on continued use of this pouch, so if anything does crop up, I be sure to update this review.

Note: Spurcycles sent over the Multi-Pouch for review/testing at no charge to Riding Gravel. We were not paid nor bribed for this review and we strive to give our honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Discuss and share your questions or thoughts about gravel bikes, gear, events and anything else on the Riding Gravel Forum.

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Author: Guitar Ted

Guitar Ted hails from Iowa. Home of over 70,000 miles of gravel and back roads. An inaugural member of the Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame and Co-creator of Trans Iowa in late 2004- Guitar Ted has been at the forefront of the growth of gravel events and riding since then. Creator of Gravel Grinder News in 2008, he produced the premier calendar of gravel and back road events. GT joined forces with Riding Gravel in late 2014.

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2 thoughts on “Spurcycle Multi-Pouch: Quick Review

  1. I realize that I’m starting to diverge from the simplicity and waterproof-ness of the Multi-Pouch, but I’ve really come to love my Camelbak Tool Organizer. Think of it as a floppy tri-fold wallet, each of the three segments being a thin zipper pouch. I’ve come around to carrying a bunch of small stuff all the time since routine 30 – 45 mile rides can take me away from most conveniences. I’ve got the tube/tire repair stuff, chain lube and spare links, zip ties, band aids, a fiber spoke, a small knife, a couple wrenches that aren’t on my multi-tool–a bunch of the things I don’t usually need, but am super glad to have when I do. Even with all this stuff, this organizer is smaller and lighter than some guys’ back-pocket wallets, so it’s an easy fit in the jersey pocket or wherever. It’s a light canvas on the outside faces, and a mesh material on the inside so you can see exactly what you’re looking for when you unfold it for something. Maybe what I’m saying is you could stick with the sandwich bags for your phone and cash and be a lot more organized than the Multi-Pouch for the same money.

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