Essentials Case
If you are looking for a wallet meant to carry your phone, cards, cash, small tools, keys and more this case from Craft Cadence water-resistant wallet is for you.
Why not just use a saddle bag?
This is a valid question, and some people would be just fine with using a saddle bag.
I used to use saddle bags, but then I got away from them for various reasons. If you don’t protect the seatpost with a piece of rubber or tape the saddle bag will rub the seatpost and possibly damage it (especially if it is a carbon seat post).
Yes, it is my fault for not wrapping the seatpost with a piece of rubber to protect it, but when you have multiple bikes, switching the saddle bag from bike to bike gets tiresome.
Having multiple bikes means having a saddle bag for each one, with the flat repair tools and products to fill each bag. Thus, increasing the cost of cycling.
With the introduction of aero bikes came the long slender seatpost, which made attaching a saddle bag impossible without modifying the bag straps.
Once, I got my first aero road bike, I switched from using a saddle bag to just placing my personal items in my jersey pockets. Though, previously I would store my phone and riding snacks in my jersey pockets, the saddle bag carried my flat repair items, cards, money, keys and more.
Each new choice brings its own issues.
Organization and making sure you have all your necessary items for each ride can then become an issue. Thus, to keep my flat repair items all together, I began using a homemade cycling pouch.
The pouch worked well, and I liked how a lot of the materials were from recycled items. However, the pouch is bulky, it isn’t water-resistant, and the zipper is starting to corrode.
Switching to the Craft Cadence wallet was seamless. The water-resistant wallet has plenty of room to carry the items I stored in a saddle bag and it carries much more than my previous pouch.
Water-Resistant Wallet Construction
The Craft Cadence water-resistant wallet is built using fully welded seams and a durable YKK water-resistant zipper is used to keep the case closed.
The walls of the case are made from TPU coated polyester, thus the case itself is waterproof, but moisture could pass through the zipper.
The wallet has a fabric texture feel that will provide some friction to help it stay put when placed into your jersey pocket.
Price and shipping
The Craft Cadence cycling wallet costs $42 USD and comes with free shipping if you spend over $100 USD.
Spending over $100 USD won’t be hard, especially if you add some other waterproof items like the Top Tube Bag, Handlebar Bag, Backpack, or a Pannier Backpack.
Craft Cadence ships from UK, Ireland, and China, so depending on where you live and what you order you can expect to receive the bag within a week or less. My shipment got delayed in customs, so it took a little over a week.
The Numbers
The Craft Cadence water-resistant wallet is 101.5 grams (3.57 oz) empty (1.5 g lighter than advertised) and come in at 582.4 g (20.54 oz) depending on what you put into it. Most of that weight comes from things you will be carrying already.
The wallet dimensions are 109 mm x 100 mm x 28 mm (7.48 in x 3.94 in x 1.10 in), but with the tube and phone in the wallet it measures almost 50.9 mm (2 in) thick.
I typically don’t like to get bogged down with the numbers and adding 100g isn’t going to be noticeable. Currently, I could lose a bike or two worth of weight to get back to my prime racing weight, so an item being heavy seems moot.
Even if you are at your race weight, and are a weight weenie, the weight of these items is still moot. Most likely you won’t be racing with the wallet and when you are training, specifically training with power, your focus is hitting watt values for a certain amount of time.
Why Use This Wallet?
This wallet isn’t for everyone, and I’ve read comments by people saying they place all their gear in their jersey pockets and have been for years.
Doing that is fine and placing your items loosely into your jersey pockets will do the job. But this wallet provides water resistance and organization unlike jersey pockets.
I have ridden in all types of weather.
I’ve even ridden in rain that flew in sideways. Sometimes rain isn’t an issue though. On hot humid days, sweat comes through the jersey and will soak everything in your pockets.
My phone is in a Lifeproof waterproof case and the phone itself is water resistant, so I’m not worried about it being damaged by water/sweat, but when the screen gets wet, it isn’t functional. And with soaked clothing, there is no way to wipe it off.
This is where the Craft Cadence water-resistant wallet shines.
Besides needing my phone for capturing the epic scenery on my rides, it is nice to know that in an emergency situation when I need my phone most, I won’t have any issues with unlocking the screen.
Key Features
- Key clip
- Zippered pockets for small lose items
- Phone pouch
- Card slots
- Elastic bands to secure large items
My Thoughts
Most likely, when you find me out on the road, you will see me carrying the Craft Cadence water-resistant wallet.
The Craft Cadence water-resistant wallet helps speed up the process of getting ready for a ride. I can quickly and easily add my phone, cards, and keys into the wallet that is pre-stocked with my flat repair items. I place the wallet in my jersey pocket, and I am ready to go.
I really like how the wallet isn’t bulky and quite easily fits into the jersey pocket, even with a 25-28c inner tube in the wallet. Placing the wallet into the rear pocket with one hand is relatively easy.
One thing to note, is the wallet sticks up out of the jersey pocket. Though, I haven’t found this to be an issue it is worth noting.
This product is for any type of rider or adventurer. It was mainly designed for the cyclist in mind and is perfect for commuters or avid cyclist, but I could see using this for other adventures too.
Unlike a saddle bag, access to all your items is very easy. With the zipper design, the wallet opens to over 180°allowing you access to everything you place in it.
The wallet interior is thoughtfully designed, providing dedicated pockets, compartments, straps, and a clip for carrying your things. Everything stays sperate and organized.
The phone pouch easily holds my iPhone XS with the case on it and it can even hold an iPhone Pro Max with a case or a Samsung Galaxy Note without a case.
I really like the water-resistance the wallet provides and how it easily stores most of your items in a single location.
Some may find the item a little pricey, but it is made from high quality materials and the workmanship is very good. I am not disappointed at all, and I would recommend the Craft Cadence water-resistant wallet.
Future Possiblities
In the future, depending on demand, I think a slightly smaller wallet would be nice. As can be seen, my iPhone XS is quite a bit smaller than the wallet, but the way the interior pockets are designed, fitting my phone in it with the Lifeproof case wouldn’t work.
Though, a smaller wallet would be a nice alternative for people not wanting to place their phones in the case.
This wallet under review was provided by the kind folks at Craft Cadence. I would like to thank Craft Cadence for giving me the opportunity to review this item. This review is based on my own opinions and was not influenced by the provider of this item.
Check out their website for the full line of waterproof gear at CraftCadence.com
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