For us bikepackers, space is always at a premium. It took me a few years and about 35,000km of cycling the world to ditch my (larger volume) pannier setup in favour of more compact luggage. As a result, I no longer have a few large bags, but many little ones. And just when we think there isn't an inch of space left for even a Snickers bar, in comes the Micro Piggy by 76 Projects.
Mounting and Placement
The Micro Piggy is a storage solution that includes both bolt-on and stick-on options. It is meant for securing smaller objects to the frame, such as tools, an inner tube, or—as I discovered—snacks! Ideally it is mounted using the under top tube bosses, which are available on select modern frames. My older and very trusted 2013 Thorn Nomad Mk2, unfortunately, does not have this setup. Lucky for me, 76 Projects has a unique sticky mount option, allowing me to place the Micro Piggy anywhere it fits on my frame.
For positioning, I opted for the top of my top tube, since my v-brake cable routing prevented me from placing it underneath. The stick-on mounting itself is quite straight forward: Use the alcohol wipe provided to ensure a clean surface; place the adhesive strip on the back of the mount, and press it onto the frame. For those of us who use frame bags for bikepacking, finding a good spot for the Micro Piggy may prove to be tricky. This is what had me initially disappointed. There simply wasn't enough space in between my frame bag velcro straps for the Micro Piggy.
Happily, I was able to test out this little piggy during my bikepacking “off-season”. As a seasonal forestry worker, it seems that I am either 100% at work or 100% at play. I now typically leave on multi-month bikepacking trips, and work hard in between adventures. So, at this time, most of my rides are day trips. The Micro Piggy proved to be a nice addition for local gravel rides around my home town of Dawson Creek, where a frame bag wasn't really that necessary.
Durability
The Micro Piggy is lightweight and the design appears to be quite solid. The mount is 3D printed with a velcro strap that feels anything but flimsy. I used it to carry a spare inner tube and snacks—something that we hungry cyclists never seem to have enough space for. All objects tested stayed firmly in place, especially with the added heavy elastic band. As for the sticky mount itself—I had no reason to think that it would be going anywhere. On the 76 Projects website, they say that it sticks “like sh*t to a blanket.” But as a long-term bikepacker, I can never fully speak to the durability of a product until I have ridden with it for a long time. For now, I am impressed with just how secure it feels, something I was initially hesitant about.
Final Thoughts
Would I take the Micro Piggy bikepacking? Yes, I would—if I could integrate it with my Rogue Panda custom frame bag. I am fairly set on using a frame bag for bikepacking, and unfortunately that leaves me wondering where I'd put the Micro Piggy. However, if you have the real estate, I would recommend adding the Micro Piggy to your setup as additional storage. Longevity is an important factor to take into consideration when buying gear for a long bikepacking trip, and the Micro Piggy feels like it would survive months of riding on rough tracks.
Get it here.
| ✓ Pros |
|---|
| Lightweight |
| High quality |
| Versatile placement options with sticky mount |
| ✕ Cons |
|---|
| Difficult to integrate with a frame bag |
| Brake cables may interfere with ideal placement |
