The Manzanita Cradle is the new handlebar bag by Old Man Mountain

Who it’s for, and who should skip it

Consider it if you want a rigid, removable handlebar system with a dedicated waterproof bag, you like keeping a light or GPS mounted on the cradle, and you’ve looked at the Salsa Anything Cradle before.

Skip it if you count every gram, you prefer a simple roll that straps straight to the bars.

Why handlebar luggage matters

A good front bag carries the things you reach for most: layers, snacks, a rain shell, the tent you want to pitch quickly. Put those up front and your saddle bag or rear panniers can hold the bulky, rarely used gear. The trade-off is that anything on the bars affects steering, clearance and cockpit space, so how it’s mounted matters as much as how much it holds.

What the Manzanita Cradle is

The Manzanita Cradle was designed with Salsa Cycles as a full redesign of the long-running Anything Cradle. The Manzanita has a few details specifically made for bikepacking. It’s a handlebar-mounted cradle that carries a matching dry bag.

The cradle is built from rigid aluminum arms and brackets with a reinforced nylon cradle section. The brackets fit 35 mm and 31.8 mm bars using the included shims, and you change the cradle’s angle by rotating where it clamps on the bar.

Fit and adjustment

Adjust it your way. Rotating the mounting position lets you tilt the cradle to suit your bar shape and cockpit. Things to check on your own bike before buying:

• Clearance between the loaded bag and your front tyre, especially on a suspension fork or with a small frame.
• Space around the head tube, brake hoses and shift cables.
• Whether your bar diameter is 31.8 mm or 35 mm, since both are covered by shims.

Bag options: 9L Top Load vs 11L Side Load

Old Man Mountain made two dedicated dry bags, and the choice is mostly about your handlebars:

	9L Top Load	11L Side Load
Best suited for	Drop bars	Flat bars
Opening	Top	Side
Complete system weight	618 g	638 g

Both are fully welded and waterproof, made from TPU fabric, with purge valves, Hypalon reinforcements and stretch front pockets. Webbing loops hook onto the cradle’s corners so the bag stays put while you pack or unpack. The main straps loop behind the front pocket, so they don’t block it.

Accessory mounts

There are six M5 mounting points: two pairs on the arms spaced 64 mm apart and one on the body spaced 70 mm apart, intended for lights, GPS units and similar. If your bars are already crowded, mounting a light or computer to the cradle could free up bar space. Whether it works for you depends on the accessories’ own mounting patterns.

Weight

The weight comes in at 618 g (top load) or 638 g (side load) for bag, cradle and straps. A little heavier than a small handlebar bag that is tied with straps directly to the handlebar. However, you get a rigid, wobble-free aluminum bracket with integrated accessory mounts and quick-release accessibility, offering vastly superior stability and cable clearance on rough terrain.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Rigid, adjustable support for the bag
• Bag-to-cradle loops make packing easier
• Waterproof welded dry bags in two shapes
• Six accessory mounts
• Fits 31.8 mm and 35 mm bars

Cons

• Heavier than a simple bar bag tied down with straps
• More hardware to install and tune (on first install only)

How it compares

Versus a handlebar roll: a roll is lighter and cheaper and works with almost any bag, but it’s harder to take on and off and offers no accessory mounts. The Manzanita trades weight and cost for stability and convenience.

Versus other cradles: We are so excited about this new solution that Old Man Mountain offers, that we have not really made a comparison with other similar products. But if you are not convinced, please feel free to compare before buying the Old Man Mountain Manzanita Cradle.