I’ve been using the Simple Strap from ByeKyle for the past three months, riding it in mud and wet conditions as well as dry and dusty.  I’m happy to report that it’s held up exceptionally well and held my stuff in place the entire time.  In fact, the only time I lost something, which I think was a CO2 tube, was because I didn’t bother looking at the online instructions and installed it incorrectly the first time.
I know, I know, you’re looking at this thinking “how in the world can you strap it on incorrectly?”  While I’m sure it’s not as complicated as other things you can strap on, trust me, you can do it wrong.  The important thing is, once it’s on the right way, you’re unlikely to lose anything, and it’s much quicker and easier to get to your stuff than digging through a seat bag, which is the point.  ByeKyle’s founder, conveniently named Kyle, developed the Simple Strap after experimenting with electrical tape in a race.  He flatted, the tape wouldn’t come undone, and he started thinking…
Hit ‘more’ to read the review, see photos of the original Simple Strap sewn with dental floss and get the lowdown…
Since I still wear a hydration pack when mountain biking, I keep my tool and tire levers in that, but you could very easily pack those items into the tube as well.  I keep my CO2 dispenser and pack of tube patches wrapped tightly.  How you see it is how I’ve ridden with it for the past few months…only taking it off to wash the bike (fortunately, I haven’t flatted for a while on the trails).
One concern I had was tools or sharp items could theoretically puncture the tube, but I suppose that’s just as likely to happen when it’s all crammed in a seat pack, too.
The benefits of the Simple Strap go beyond quick, easy access.  It also keeps stuff from bouncing around in a seat bag and annoying you, and it lowers the center of gravity.  Other than being limited by the length of the strap, you could probably even mount it on the seattube to get it lower, but you’d have to have some pretty narrow tubing.  Kyle said some people strap stuff to their stems, also.
The innovation that separates the Simple Strap from simple velcro straps is the rubber pad on the inside.  This keeps it from slipping around on your bike, and for the most part, keeps it from rotating around to the sides.  A good hard wipeout has bested the rubber a couple of times during my test, but the strap is no worse for the wear and nothing ever came out of it.  Look closely and you’ll notice not a single thread or stitch has frayed or gone astray.  Solid construction.
The design has come a long way since the first prototype, hand sewn by Kyle with dental floss:
Kyle hand sewed the first few, but now they’re made for him by a place in New Jersey.  To date, he’s sold about 300, and you’ll find them on the bikes of pros like Jeremiah Bishop and Georgia Gould, just to name a few.  They’re also now available in several colors, which we featured here.
VERDICT:
The Simple Strap has lots going for it: Made in USA, works beautifully and it’s cheap:  $6.99 with free shipping.  You might even find it at a local bike shop.  What more could you ask for?  I give it a full Five Thumbs Up.
If you remember, a few weeks back, ByeKyle had a promo that gave away a free Simple Strap if you could guess the beer that was hidden by the straps.  I’m happy to report that Denny Yunk, who works for Hayes Bicycle Group (ie. Hayes, Manitou, Sun-Ringle, etc.) won. The correct answer was:
