Review: Velo Orange Burrito Supreme Handle Bar Bag

If you look closely you can see the Burrito Supreme on my bike here.

Note: The handle bar bag mentioned in this post has been paid for out-of-pocket by Guitar Ted. Velo Orange has no affiliation with Guitar Ted Productions, nor are they aware of this review. Hey! Maybe they will get tipped off to it later, but all I know is I am independently conducting these reviews and I will give you my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

I recently gave a first impressions of this bag HERE, in case you missed that. Please check that out as I won't go over some things I wrote about there in this Final Review. 

I used the Burrito Supreme on two different bikes. The last ride before this review was done on my Honeman Flyer custom steel single speed gravel bike. The bag fit fine with just a little interference from the front brake cable. It wasn't a big deal, but it was there. This is something that comes up a lot with front handle bar bags that dangle off the bar and have no solid connection to the bike other than straps. I noted that the Burrito Supreme did sit without contact to the head tube though, which is important if you want to preserve your bike's finish.

The ride I used the bag for on this bike was a 52 mile gravel ride with some pavement thrown in here and there. The bag was stable and never caused me any concerns, The only time I knew it was there was when I had to bunny-hop a few transitions from asphalt to concrete due to the different levels of the two surfaces and then the contents of the bag would get rattled. But other than that, this bag was not a problem at all. 

Between using the Burrito Supreme on the Raleigh and now my custom bike, I have some "Good" and some "Not-so Good" to share about this accessory bag. 

The Good:

The Burrito Supreme sits under the handlebars in a way that makes sense. The opening is where it should be. The straps to attach a front light or other smaller bags is facing forward. These details are important and the Road Runner made bag is done correctly. 

Speaking of the construction, it is impressive and the bag should hold up for years if treated with a due amount of care and respect. The zipper is sewn in very well and the seam-work looks to be done at a high level of craftsmanship. 

I had my doubts about the plastic buckles, but so far those doubts have been unfounded. If the buckles were prone to opening or allowing the straps to loosen I would have experienced that by this point. I have noted none of that sort of thing here at all. 

I did also like the size of this bag. It is big enough to stuff an extra layer in but not so big that it gets to be in the way. As a for instance, if the Burrito Supreme were longer, it might be an issue for a person with narrower drop bars. If it were mounted to a bike with a short head tube and the bag was larger, it wouldn't be a good fit for smaller bikes. I think Velo Orange spec'ed a perfect size here that should accommodate most rider's needs and fitment situations. 

The Not-so Good:

The beefy zipper is a little difficult to operate one-handed while riding. Especially when trying to close the bag. I opted to not try opening it while riding because of this. The other things that were a bit of a negative here was that the opening of the bag was a bit tight for my average-sized hands. The stiff zipper and the double stitched border were not helping here either. That construction gets a big thumbs up from me, but it does become a bit of a hassle to get your hand in the bag to grab stuff because of that.

Finally, because the bag was made with a dark colored fabric in the interior, it is harder to see what you've got in there. I would have preferred a brighter and lighter colored fabric which would have contrasted the items I had in the bag in a better way for me to to be able to see what I had in there. 

Then there is always the issue with any bag that uses the "marsupial pouch" approach to carrying accessories and nutrition. You'll have to fish around to find what you want which may not be right where you thought it should be. Things in the interior of the Burrito Supreme are apt to shift around while riding, so it is simply something that is inherent in this sort of design. 

Final Verdict:

The Velo Orange Burrito Supreme is a fine bag, well-made, and should serve its owner well for years. The bag is designed well and does its job quietly and without any need for concern from the rider. I think it holds a good amount of stuff. Not too much, and the bag is neither too small or too big, in my opinion, for its intended purpose. 

But I don't think it is a bag you can access things from easily while riding due to the very well made zipper and how it is attached to this bag material. That and not being able to see in the bag from the saddle of the bike makes this more of a bag to stash stuff you'll only need to get at while stopped. That's okay, but if you wanted a handlebar bag that you can access while riding, I don't think the Burrito Supreme is 'that bag'.  

I think this bag is perfect for bikepacking and storage of nutrition or clothing which you might want along for the ride but won't need for the entire ride. Things like wind jackets, vests, and maybe lighter rain wear would go in here. Arm warmers, and that sort of thing, which comes on and off during rides in the mountains or during "shoulder season". 

You could use it to store anything that fits in it, of course, but keep in mind it is hard to see in the bag and smaller items could get lost in a sea of swirling accessories easily in the large, open interior space. I still feel it is really a good bag, but it isn't a bag for everybody, and the Burrito Supreme is better suited for some purposes than it would be for others. 

If it is "right" for your purposes, I don't think you'll be disappointed in this high-quality bar bag choice.