Singletrack/MTB
Gravel/All-road
Dirt-road Touring
Fat-bike
Swift Industries Capstone Handlebar Bag Review
The new Capstone from Swift Industries is a compact top-opening bar bag with easy one-handed access and functional built-in pockets. Before today’s launch, Lucas tested one on a handful of bikes throughout several seasons. Find his long-term Swift Industries Capstone Handlebar Bag review here…
PUBLISHED Sep 5, 2024
Started in 2008, Seattle’s Swift Industries was one of the first custom bag makers to catch my eye in the early days of the latest bicycle travel wave we’re still riding today. Their colorful panniers and rando bags captivated the hearts and minds of many among us and were the kaleidoscopic essence of cool before tightly stuffed handlebar rolls and dangle mugs had their time as the it things. I met and spent several days riding alongside co-founders Martina Brimmer and Jason Goods at the inaugural edition of the Oregon Outback in 2014, and I’ve enjoyed watching their operation grow and evolve since then.
Fast forward to the present, and the woman-owned brand has made significant changes, reimagined its product line, and moved a large part of its production overseas. Other labels have come and gone in the meantime, some of which have helped advance the world of bike bags through innovations such as 3D welding, dropper compatibility, and modular cradles, to name a few. Amid the shifting trends, new players, and influx of ever-techier fabrics and methods, Swift has had real staying power, and they deserve recognition for their lasting contributions to how we carry stuff on our bikes today.
This brief walk down memory lane brings me to today’s release of the all-new Swift Industries Capstone, a handlebar bag that might seem unremarkable at a glance precisely because of the foundation laid by brands like Swift. Dig deeper, as I’ve done throughout nearly a year of riding with mine, and you’ll see that it’s an impressive little hauler that doesn’t skimp on user-friendly features where they matter most.
Swift Industries Capstone Overview
With a modest four-liter capacity, the Swift Industries Capstone is a smallish handlebar bag that attaches via two nine-inch Swift Straps (an in-house alternative to Voile straps) around the bars and a locking length of shock cord around the headtube. It has a top-opening design that faces the rider and opens to reveal a large internal compartment with a zippered mesh pocket under the hood and two mesh sleeves along the bag’s inner sides. To shield contents from the elements, the lid has a slight overhang, and the main compartment has an interior drawstring closure (similar to that of the Zeitgeist/Catalyst) that can be snugged tight or loosened up with one hand. The lid stays closed thanks to a drawstring that loops around the back of your bike’s stem—more on that feature below.
Measuring 10 inches wide by 4 inches deep by 6 inches tall (25.4 x 10 x 15.25 centimeters), the Capstone is built from recycled ECOPAK EPLX400, Nylon packcloth 400D, and Recycled Bag Cloth Ripstop 450D. It has a claimed weight of 11.75 ounces/333 grams (mine tips the scales at just 10.8 ounces/306 grams) and is only available in black at launch time. Other features include quarter-inch closed cell foam in the body panel to help protect your cargo against knocks, an integrated fiberglass batten to stabilize the edge that attaches to the handlebars, MOLLE webbing along the sides of the bag (allowing you to attach accessories such as a SPOT tracker or a pair of Swift’s Sidekicks or Rando Pockets), a daisy chain on the front panel, and side D-rings for attaching a shoulder strap.
Riding with the Capstone
I’ve had my Capstone for four seasons, and I’ve taken it on all kinds of spins in that time. It’s been with me on a whole lot of day rides, weekend getaways, and an unforgettable trip on the iconic White Rim Trail in Utah. Given its relatively small size, I’ve mostly used it to haul my Fuji X-T3 camera, batteries, a light layer, and some snacks. It’s perfectly proportioned for carrying such essentials, but being accustomed to running a larger front bag—typically a top-loader or a rando bag—integrating the Capstone into my setup has taken some rethinking and shifting of gear. Put succinctly, it’s better suited to day rides than fully loaded bikepacking, but that depends on your system’s carrying capacity and configuration.
Having bounced along rugged trails in the desert and the mountains, I can report that the Capstone’s three-point attachment system is super stable. I’ve yet to make up my mind on the Swift Straps, which feel a tad more brittle and don’t seem to have quite the same elasticity as tried-and-true Voiles, but they’ve held up well thus far (early versions had some issues and Swift recalled them; these seem okay). Especially compared to bags that require some amount of rolling or unbuckling to access, the Capstone’s super quick drawcord entry has been a joy to use. Getting to my camera one-handed while riding is effortless, as is safely stowing it back inside. I’ve used a lot of bar bags over the years, and this is one of the easiest to get into on the go (Outer Shell’s Drawcord Handlebar Bag is another that springs to mind, though it’s a tad smaller still).
Paradoxically, the straightforward opening that makes the Capstone great is also the design choice that gives me the most pause in terms of long-term durability. Ricocheting down rough and rooty singletrack on my hardtail here in the Rockies, I couldn’t help but picture the thin piece of drawcord giving out and sending my camera flying toward an untimely demise. Thankfully, this hasn’t happened yet, but it feels like a lot of trust to put into a dainty length of cord. I’d like to replace mine with something a little burlier for good measure, which would be a 30-second job, but I haven’t gotten to it. Elsewhere around the bag, there’s an expected amount of fraying on some edges but no significant construction issues worth noting.
In all, the Capstone a clever, well-made bag that should withstand just about any flavor of bikepacking. One note: my sample was made in a different facility than the ones Swift will sell to the public, but I’ve found that bags usually remain quite consistent based on pattern and direction, as long as fabrics don’t change. I’d be surprised if the quality of the production bags isn’t the same or ever better, but I haven’t seen one in person to judge.
Made in Indonesia
Two years ago, Swift announced its plans to move its readymade bag production to Indonesia’s second-largest city, Surabaya, where the Capstone is made. I don’t want to belabor the point except to call it out for readers who may have missed the announcement that the brand moved its manufacturing overseas—a polarizing move for folks who’ve long associated the Swift name with “made in Seattle.”
As someone who grew up in the United States but spent a good portion of my 20s and 30s living on other continents, I don’t have any nationalistic notion of US-made goods being superior to those produced elsewhere. Still, I do like supporting short supply chains and buying things made close to where I live when possible. That’s to say, if I could pay a little more for a version of the Capstone made here, I’d do that, though I don’t foresee that being an option under Swift’s current business model and the economic realities that led them to adopt it. Further, I won’t pretend to have any first-hand knowledge of the working conditions in their Indonesian facility, but I’ll say that I appreciated being able to see the space and meet the people making my bags when I swung by Swift HQ in Seattle some years back.
In short, most of the production bags—and bikes—discerning riders use and love are made in Asia these days, which I don’t believe should have any bearing on their actual or perceived quality (in many cases, quite the opposite is true). Still, it’s good be aware of the trade-offs associated with outsourcing production and let how you feel about them be your guide. I don’t believe Swift has done anything wrong by moving most manufacturing to Indonesia, but I won’t deny that the brand has lost some of its cottage industry luster in the process, even if that ultimately means being able to keep bags more affordable for the end consumer, which matters more than anything to many buyers.
Price and Availability
The waitlist for the first batch of Capstones is live now on Swift’s website. They’ll be available for purchase online and at selected dealers on Tuesday, September 10th. As mentioned, it’s only offered in black for the time being, and it’s priced at $125 (shameless plug: Bikepacking Collective members can save 20% on everything from Swift!). That price is somewhat steep when viewed solely from the perspective of dollars per liter of storage, but the Capstone is more fully featured than other larger bags that cost more. I think it justifies its price when considering ease of use, but you’ll find better value elsewhere—even in Swift’s range—if carrying capacity is your primary lens for judging bags.
- Model/Size Tested: Swift Industries Capstone Handlebar Bag
- Actual Weight: 306 grams (10.8 ounces)
- Place of Manufacture: Indonesia
- Price: $125
- Manufacturer’s Details: Swift Industries
Pros
- Incredibly easy to open and close
- Smart built-in storage
- Expandable capacity via MOLLE and daisy chain
- Super stable on the bike
Cons
- Compact size will be limiting for some
- High cost relative to capacity
- Drawcord closure is a potential point of failure
- Only available in black (for now)
Wrap Up
Swift’s compact Capstone Handlebar Bag is a gem that offers remarkably quick and easy access on the move, and its internal storage pockets make organization a breeze. Mine has lived on my handlebars through several seasons, weathering countless day rides and bikepacking trips around the desert and the mountains with only minimal signs of wear. It’s an exceptionally well-thought-out bag for riders who don’t need to carry much on their handlebars. Although its four-liter size limits loaded bikepacking possibilities, the Capstone is easily one of my go-to recommendations for carrying a camera or day-ride essentials on the bike, especially if you anticipate reaching for them often.
Head over to BuiltBySwift.com to sign up to be notified when the bags are available next week.
Further Reading
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