Product Review:Tallac Behold

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Back around Interbike time I wandered to the back of the convention center where King Cage, and a few other outcasts can always be found. All of my bikes have King cages on them and I like to buy a few new ones every year right from the source. As I was milling around waiting to make my purchase I was chatted up by Allen from Tallac Design. He showed me this project he was working on with King called the Behold and I decided to buy one and give it a shot.

This product is the result of an industrial designer spending a bunch of time bike commuting, and it shows. The design is both aesthetic and functional. Allen has come up with this product, plus a few others, in an effort to optimize the unused space on the bike and increase storage. I mounted it on my commuter and have been using it for about 6 months now.

I mounted mine on the seat tube because I didn’t have a bottle cage there to begin with. But it should be noted that it can also be mounted underneath any bottle cage and all necessary hardware is included.  The bag itself carries all the essential tools and accessories that I would need for a successful commute…

Talking with Allen, the one thing that stood out was how genuinely excited and proud he was of his products. He sews every bag personally and all of his material is sourced 100% from the good old U. S. of A. That is pretty rare for a small parts producer in the bicycle industry these days. I dig it.

When cruising the Tallac web site, another statement caught my attention. At a time when logos are plastered everywhere and neon yellow is making a comeback, this is a refreshing perspective:

“Logos cost money that I would have to charge you for…we believe in the power of recommendations. If you like our product then you will tell a friend. Also bikes are so beautiful why would I want to ruin your bike with my crummy logo”

Well I guess here is my recommendation. This is a solid product that has stood up to the rigors of my commute and many a night to and from the pub. You really can’t go wrong when you combine the quality and reputation of King Cage with the enthusiasm and attention to detail of Tallac. Thanks to this little product I have recently stopped using a seat bag on all of my 700c bikes. I find that I just grab this little pouch off my commuter, throw it in my jersey pocket and head out the door.

I find this product to be a stylish and creative way to carry my tools around. Is it something that everybody needs? No, but $35 seems like a good deal for a high quality, hand made in the USA product. I give it 2 thumbs up.

You can get one through the Tallac web site or through the King Cage site, along with a couple other cool things like the top cap water bottle holster that I can’t seem to live without these days. Allen and Ron are about as grassroots cycling as they come, give the Tallac a look and let us know what you think.

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