Built for Adventure: The Essential Frame Bags for the MMR
From the beginning, we designed the Obed MMR to be our dream gravel adventure bike. That’s why it has clearance for 2.25” wide MTB tires, internal down tube storage, suspension-corrected geometry to fit the latest gravel suspension forks, and even routing for a dropper seatpost. There was only one more thing it needed to truly be ready for anything: Mounts and frame bags!
We added plenty of mounts to the MMR frame and fork legs, which allow riders to carry extra gear for big adventures. The main triangle has plenty of space to strap on big bikepacking frame bags, but we were also dreaming of offering something a bit sleeker.
The underside of the MMR’s top tube features a row of mounts that allow riders to secure a custom-fitted frame bag with bolts rather than straps. Of course, we had to make our own! The Essentials Frame Bag is our new MMR-specific frame bag, designed to bolt directly to the MMR frame. Along with the Essentials Top Tube Bag and Essentials Tool Roll Kit, we’ve created a sleek and simple bag setup for the biggest backcountry rides.
The Essentials Frame Bag
A frame bag that bounces around while riding or scratches up your beautiful paint can drive you crazy. If you’re an obsessive bike geek like us, interrupting the lovely MTB-inspired lines of your frame with a bunch of velcro straps isn’t ideal either. That’s why the Essentials Frame Bag has been designed to bolt directly to the underside of the MMR’s top tube with one optional strap on the seat tube for added stability. There’s no mounting solution that’s as secure or aesthetically pleasing.
Designing this bag required a season of testing deep in the Chattanooga wilderness. We put it through its paces by stuffing it full of cargo like extra clothes, tools, spares, Little Debbie snacks (did you know Little Debbie started in Chattanooga?), fishing gear, Smallmouth Bass we caught in the Obed River, and even some of the cool rocks and fossils we dug up in the ancient marine deposits hidden in the woods.
The final product is a discreet 2.35-liter frame bag—not too big, but not too small—constructed from heat-welded and environmentally friendly TPU-coated 600-denier polyester that is tough and water-resistant. The bag is shaped so you can still run two bottles in the frame, and it features two zippered closures, one on the side and one underneath, so you have multiple access points to get gear.
If you want to be a pack mule, the zipper and mounting design mean the bag can also be flipped and used as an extra-large top tube bag! For riders who don’t want to mount the bag with bolts, or who want to use this frame bag on other bikes, it also includes optional silicone-reinforced Velcro straps.
The Essentials Top Tube Bag
To match the Essentials Frame Bag, we also made an Essentials Top Tube Bag using the same TPU-coated 600-denier polyester. This compact 420 mL top tube bag is perfect for carrying small items like gels, gummies, keys, or… uh, more Little Debbie snacks during long rides. It keeps everything close at hand and easy to access with a simple zippered closure. Just like the Frame Bag, it’s a bolt-on bag, but it includes optional silicone-reinforced velcro straps.
We also designed it with two more clever features. Many bolt-on top tube bags only offer one mounting position, which doesn't work with every bike. With some bulkier cockpit setups, this can cause the bag to rub against the back of the stem.
By adding extra mounting holes, the Essentials Top Tube Bag can be bolted on farther back to avoid rubbing (or if that’s just your preference). The bag also fits neatly inside the MMR down tube storage bay alongside the Essentials Tool Roll (see below), so we also included a retractable tether strap that makes it easy to fish out of the down tube compartment.
Explore Essentials Top Tube Bag
The Essentials Tool Roll Kit
We added internal down tube storage to the MMR because it’s the ideal place to carry tools and spares, especially if you’re running a big seat bag for bikepacking. We put the access door on the underside of the down tube, so it’s easy to access with a full-size frame bag, and the door itself even doubles as a protective bash guard. The final cherry on the MMR sundae is the Essentials Tool Roll Kit.
The down tube storage bay has a removable lining to keep gear from rattling around, but adding a Tool Roll is the best way to keep everything secure and organized. It’s made from tough and flexible polyester and has plenty of pockets to keep tools organized. You can buy it on its own, or you can get it pre-loaded with tools.
For the pre-loaded option, we chose our favorite compact tools from Prestacycle:
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T-Ratchet Pro and Extension
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S2 Nickel Plated bits (2mm, 2.5mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, T20, T25, PH1)
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S2 Nickel Plated 50mm long 4mm bit
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Prestaflator Micro CO2 Bicycle Inflation Tool
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Prestalever GO
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Prestacycle 6mm Tubeless Plugging Kit
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Prestadapter – Presta adapter & Valve core remover
In our experience, Prestacycle makes the highest-quality and easiest-to-use tools for roadside repairs, and we’ve included the essential tools we believe serious riders need to survive.
Explore Essentials Tool Roll Kit
Build the Ultimate Bikepacking Bag Setup
So you want to build the ultimate bikepacking rig? The MMR is our ideal bikepacking bike, and with the Essentials Frame Bag, Top Tube Bag, and Tool Roll, you have a solid foundation for big adventures.
For multi-night epics, though, you’ll want to add at least a large seat bag. (We don’t have one at the moment, but it’s definitely on our minds!) Add a big bar bag too, and your MMR will be ready to haul a camping setup deep into the backcountry. If you choose the rigid fork option, then you can also add Wolf Tooth Morse Cargo Cages to haul even more gear.
With our Essentials Bags, you can ride farther and explore longer. Whatever your gravel riding ambitions are, the MMR is ready. It’s designed to tackle the roughest roads and singletrack trails, so you can ride deep into the unknown with unmatched confidence.