Blackburn Design Switch Wrap Multi-tool Carrier

Frame bags are on the verge going mainstream. But currently, they're in that fringe, garage-band stage where everyone out there who's a believer is just waiting for history to prove them right. Waiting for the moment when they can say "I used to run a frame bag back before it was cool." In the meantime, though, we have vanishingly few fashionable options for carrying much more than a spare tube on our bikes. There are a growing number of in-frame tool gadgets, but most are pretty limiting. There is a specific tool, constricted space and often inconvenient access. We need something in-between the humble Velcro tube strap and the freak-flag frame bag. We need the Blackburn Switch Wrap.

What sets the Switch Wrap apart is its tiny Velcro pouch. On the first Switch Wrap I owned, that pouch came out of the box loaded with a paired-down version of Blackburn's Big Switch modular tool set. And you can still get it that way if you go for the the Switch Wrap Tool Kit, but the Switch Wrap Bag skips that rather so-so tool and lets you put whatever you want in there. In my case, I put a couple small things in there I know I'll always want. A master link, a spare car key and $1 in quarters for the last payphone in all of California that happens to be at the top of Mt. Wilson. But most of the volume is taken up by flat-repair items like my plug kit, CO2 inflator and a twenty-dollar bill to bribe a riding buddy into giving me one of their CO2 cartridges if I pinch-flat too often... On second thought, maybe I should bring four fives.

Of course, there's room for two 20-gram cartridges in the Switch Wrap. Or, for the weak-thumbed, one cartridge and a couple tire levers. That's nothing new, but it's nice that the Switch Wrap gives you two little elastic sleeves for whatever setup you choose. That bit of over-tech has a couple benefits. For one, whatever you put in there is easier to pull out without disrupting your kit. There's less friction in that fabric than the butyl-rubber-on-stickered-metal you get when tying everything down with a single strap. But more importantly, it keeps everything together. You can remove the Switch Wrap from your bike and it won't fall apart. That means, if you need to place it somewhere inconvenient like behind a shock or beneath a bottle cage, just pull the tab and you've got what you need in your hand.

Or, you can switch thew hole package from frame to frame. Not as crucial these days when fewer people have multiple mountain bikes, but you never know. Maybe you're at a distant bike park and you want something to strap on your rental. Maybe you're going on an extended romp on the ol' townie and you want some security. Maybe there's a really cool third example that would complete the rule of threes. I just know I take my Switch Wrap off and on pretty regularly, and it's great at it. The strap feels burly enough to tow a boat. It will hold up to years of cinching and over-cinching. But the Switch Wrap is plenty well-designed for holding on. The little rubber traction bumpers keep it from ever rotating or sliding on your bike. That said, it works just as well strapped to a set of saddle rails if you're into that sort of thing.

Also aiding in convenience, the tube "compartment" itself opens up with a patch of Velcro. You don't need to stuff your tube in like some of the few other straps with tube enclosures. That said, it still is a little tight. If you err on the side of caution with a wider spare tube, it's a bit of a struggle to get 'er all strapped into that little black corset. But throughout the process, the tools, cartridges and whatever else you've got in there will stay connected.

Really, it feels like Blackburn took a systems approach when designing the Switch Wrap. Sure, it kinda upends the minimalist spirit of the gear strap. It's anything but minimal. With a full-sized tube and two 20-gram cartridges, I had to be careful where I put it. Anywhere near the top-tube, seat-tube junction, a fully-loaded Switch Wrap will give you a light tap on the knee occasionally. Frame-willing, though, I like running mine just below the bottle cage on the downtube. It can hang off the sides a bit and not bother anyone but the haters.

Speaking of which, the Switch Wrap may be a bit much for some. But that's their loss. I've gone on plenty all-day adventures with, conservatively, a full pound off my back and on my bike. And this is the best way to do it. I mean, what else are you gonna do? Get a frame bag?

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