EXP Series Anything Cradle - Handlebar Bags
Salsa

EXP Series Anything Cradle

Specs checked by Brian Williams · 6 years bikepacking
$75USD420g / 14.8oz
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Salsa EXP Series Anything Cradle — handlebar bag drawn to scale. 44 cm long, 16 cm tall, 16 cm wide. Overhangs a 40 cm bar by 4 cm.
Salsa EXP Series Anything Cradle, drawn to scale from the dimensions we hold: 44 × 16 × 16 cm. The length is the span across your bars, which is the figure that decides whether the bag fits at all. Every bag on this site is drawn at the same scale, so you can compare two of them directly.

Will it fit your handlebars?

This bag spans 44cm across your bars, so it needs at least 50cm of bar to sit properly — a bag that merely matches your bar width leaves nothing for your hands, hoods and cable runs.

40cm drop4cm past the bar ends
42cm drop2cm past the bar ends
44cm droponly 0cm spare — will crowd your levers
46cm drop / flaredonly 2cm spare — will crowd your levers
52cm gravel flare8cm spare — room for hands and cables
68cm flat24cm spare — room for hands and cables
76cm flat32cm spare — room for hands and cables

Measured on stated bag width against common stock bar widths. Flared gravel bars give you more usable span than the number suggests, and a harness with spacers buys a little more.

Weight
420g
14.8 oz
Price
$75
$18 per 100g
Packed Size
Cradle fits 3-5L dry bags
Score
Not scored
verified specs, no editorial score

Salsa EXP Series Anything Cradle — Specs & Analysis

Manufacturer specifications, compared against every other handlebar bags in our database. We do not test gear in the field — we measure, verify, and compare.

The Anything Cradle is Salsa's modular approach to carrying a load on the bars. Rather than a fixed bag, it's a harness with adjustable straps and aluminium stays that holds any dry bag or stuff sack you already own, sized for 3-5L. Sold on its own here; Salsa also sells it paired with a 15L dry bag.

Who Is the Salsa EXP Series Anything Cradle Best For?

Riders who already own dry bags and want a bar harness rather than a fixed roll. If that describes your riding style, the EXP Series Anything Cradle should be at the top of your shortlist. It sits in the Handlebar Bags category alongside 19 other products we track.

How It Compares

At 420g and $75, the EXP Series Anything Cradle is 312g heavier than the lightest option in this category (the Apidura Racing Handlebar Mini Pack at 108g). The most budget-friendly option is the Surly Junk Strap at $10.

The price-to-weight ratio comes in at $18 per 100g — a reasonable middle ground between performance and value.

What We Like

  • +Works with any dry bag or stuff sack you own
  • +Universal fit adjusts to most handlebar shapes
  • +Aluminum stays prevent bag sway
  • +Modular system adapts to different trip needs

Watch Out For

  • Requires a separate dry bag for waterproofing
  • Cradle straps can creak on rough terrain
  • Less streamlined than integrated frame bags

The Bottom Line

We haven't scored the Salsa EXP Series Anything Cradle, and neither has anyone else we can cite. It's here for its verified specifications and dimensions, which is what the fit tools run on — a score is an editorial judgement, and we don't hand one out until someone has a basis for it. What this page can tell you is measured: 420g, $75, and how both sit against every other handlebar bags product we track.

Weight checked against the manufacturer on 18 August 2026see the source.

Specifications and dimensions come from the sources listed above. Where a page draws on first-hand riding, it says so.

How the EXP Series Anything Cradle compares

Against the bags people cross-shop it with, measured rather than reviewed — including how many real frames each one fits.

How it compares

Against the 20 handlebar bags we hold published specs for.

At 420g the EXP Series Anything Cradle is lighter than 5 of 19 alternatives we track. The category median is 318g.

At $75 it undercuts 16 of 19 of them, against a median of $125. That works out at $18 per 100gbelow the $38 median for handlebar bags.

Weight in category420g
108g540g
Price in category$75
$10$250
Lightest we track: Apidura Racing Handlebar Mini Pack · 108gCheapest we track: Surly Junk Strap · $10

Weight and price come from published specifications. Cost per 100g is a blunt measure — it rewards light gear and says nothing about durability or whether the thing works — so treat it as one input, not a verdict.

More in Handlebar Bags

Handlebar bags and rolls carry bulky, lightweight items like sleeping bags and clothing up front.