The Bags by Bird Upper Hand is a half-frame bag with BXB’s reliable flip-top opening and comes in four sizes to fit a variety of frames. Learn all about BXB’s first half-frame bag here…
The new Upper Hand takes design cues from Bags By Bird’s Better Half flap-opening frame bag, a wedge-shaped bag with a functional one-handed flap opening. Instead of a wedge, the Upper Hand uses a compact half frame bag shape that’s better suited for bikes with sloping top tubes, including some modern gravel bikes and mountain bikes.

If you’re wondering why Jay Ritchey, owner/bag maker at Bags by Bird (BXB), doesn’t use zippers, he sums it up well in this Instagram post: “Before life as a seamster, I documented long-distance bikepacking races like the Silk Road Mountain Race and the Great Divide Trail, and I frequently saw zippers fail on frame bags in the middle of nowhere. That memory remained as I later took to designing my own bags and wanted to offer a frame bag opening that wouldn’t fail mid-tour, something reliable, classic, and functional.”
While flap openings are nothing new, BXB has refined the concept with a plastic stiffener in the flap, excessively reinforced cord entry holes, and the stretch cord closure fastens around a metal hook which can be adjusted and repaired easily. The Upper Hand has a large drive-side pocket, a smaller non-drive-side pocket, a cable/hydration port, and internal padding where the bag comes in contact with the frame. It uses a lace-up attachment along the top tube and rear end and adjustable velcro straps on the headtube and downtube.
Current the Upper Hand is made to order and offered in four sizes with capacities ranging from 2.5 to 3.7 liters. BXB has printable PDF templates so you can ensure you’re ordering the correct size, and you get to pick from a big list of fabrics and colors. The current lead time is around four weeks.
The Bags by Bird Upper Hand costs $120 USD and is available now from BagsxBird.com.
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