La Grande Banane [Orange/Magenta/Coyote/Olive]

La Grande Banane is an oversized hip bag that converts into a handlebar bag. We keep the beloved style of the Manivelle hipbag and add volume and function.

At Manivelle, we love handlebar bags. Whether you’re on a one day ride or on a bikepacking tour, this is the bag we use to carry our essentials (warm and waterproof layers), our meals, camera and papers. It’s also the one we keep with us when we stop for coffee or pizza. So we’re very happy to release this new bag and use it ourselves, every day in town and every weekend in the mountains.

Like La Bananadry, La Grande Banane was designed for both urban and travel use. There aren’t many of us who can travel all year round, and the amount of time a bikepackin bag is used is often just a few days a year. So we wanted to make a handlebar bag that was truly developed for bikepacking (waterproof, sturdy, stable) AND that could also be used on a day-to-day basis, as an oversized fitting with our wardrobe, without compromise.

La Grande Banane is made from 500gr/m2 heavy-duty tarpaulin, waterproof (PFAS-free) fabrics for the rolltop and lining, and a padded 3D mesh back. Most of the materials come from leftovers or deadstocks. All clips and zips come from YKK.

The main volume is approximately 5 liters. We’ve reinforced it with foam to protect the contents and structure the shape of the bag, even when empty. Inside, you’ll find 3 different pockets for sorting contents. The front pocket, with its waterproof zip and easy access, is where you’ll find your phone, wallet or tissue hanky.

La Grande Banane is attached to the handlebars at three points. Two straps and foam spacers (supplied as standard: nanostrap x2 and spacers x2+1) attach the bag to the handlebars. The two straps can be spaced on different position to fit most cockpits. A cord that fits around the headtube stabilizes the bag. Depending on your setup (to move the bag away from the handlebars to allow hands to pass through, or away from the headtube to avoid compressing the cables), a pack of 6 additional spacers is available as an option.

Once detached from the bike, two straps at the back of the bag allow you to switch to fanny pack mode. We love the contrast this technical bag gives to an everyday outfit (here we mean “gorpcore”, the trend that hijacks technical parts for lifestyle use). The back is of course padded for a smooth feel. The “MOLLE” attachments available all over la Grande Banane allow you to imagine all kinds of fun configurations for attaching your gears. The two straps under the bag also allow you to add a jacket to the outside of the bag, or to attach tent pegs. A third-point strap (identical to that of La Banane or La Musette) is available as an option if you wish to stabilize your banana when carried over the shoulder.

Like all our luggage, La Grande Banane is handmade in Strasbourg by the superb team of Libre Objet.