Gear Review - Bikepacking lugagge

Bikepacking has probably been one of the main evolutions in cycling in the last few years. It is essentially off-road or mixed surface bicycle touring with minimal amounts of gear. Mind you, it’s exactly what I’ve been doing at the weekend for the last 25 years but this latest evolution is accompanied by some nifty new ways to carry stuff on your bike. The traditional luggage options were always panniers and a rack but bikepacking luggage attaches directly to the frame. This makes it lighter, more aerodynamic and better for nimble off-road handling. What I have found though is that different cycling situations still require different luggage solutions, from day rides to multi-day tours, and from summer to winter. So I thought I’d set out the luggage solutions I’ve been using for the last couple of years.

For a lightweight, short summer tour my set up is a seat pack, handlebar bag and a top tube bag. My seat pack for touring is the Ortlieb seat pack. It’s really robust and completely waterproof with a maximum capacity of 17 litres, though with its roll-up closure, you can use it at much smaller volumes as well. Like all seat packs it uses the saddle rails and seat post for attaching to the bike. It’s got a stiffened bottom which means the whole pack doesn’t crumple when you tighten the straps which could lead to it rubbing against the rear tire. I chose this pack because it needed the smallest amount of clearance above the rear tire - I have a very small framed bike so the space for a seat pack is pretty limited. The triangle of my frame is also too small for a frame bag that makes use of the bike's central triangle, so I wanted to get plenty of capacity in my seat pack. I’ve added an extra strap to ensure it stays pulled up right against the saddle, reducing the risk of it rubbing on the rear tire. When loaded up and with straps fully tightened, I find there is still a small gap between the underside of the rear of the saddle and the top of the bag. I try to squeeze something into this space such as a lock or extra stuffsack because I find filling that gap seems to make the whole bag more stable.  There are bungee cords on top of the bag that help make use of this space, reflective patches and loops for a rear light. The cost when I bought it was £120.

My handlebar bag is an Alpkit Airlok Dual 13 litre stuff sack which is pretty robust and waterproof. I find it works really well by feeding it through the brake and suspension cables then tightening the integrated straps over the handlebar. I know that some people use a special handlebar frame for holding a front bag but I’ve found it works just fine for me without this. Finally, my little top tube bag is also from Alpkit and I have two different sizes, depending on the trip. These are both cheap purchases, under £20 I think.

The seat pack holds my sleeping bag, cooking kit, spare clothes and food. I’ll often strap waterproofs or a bike lock to the top. I’ll stick in here as well my spare inner tube and some bike tools plus small towel and toiletries. In the handlebar bag I put my tent plus my bicycle pump and tire levers. My tent is a Terra Nova Laser Competition 1 so it squashes down really small. The tent poles fit inside the Alpkit bag, making it a width that fits between the brakes but only just. The poles can also fit in the Ortlieb seat pack along the bottom. My sleeping mat I put in its own waterproof stuffsack and fit under the straps of the Alpkit bag. These straps are also a handy place to fit a map. The top tube bag holds stuff that I want quick access to, usually my camera and my wallet for those bike ride café stops.

For day rides, I don’t nearly need to carry so much so I use the top tube bag with a much smaller Altura seat bag. I think it’s the Vortex bag though it looks like it has evolved since I bought mine. It cost £45 when I bought it. I had a lot of trouble with this bag. If I pulled the straps tight enough to hold it flush with my saddle to avoid rubbing, it crumpled in the middle because it doesn’t have any stiffening. This resulted in the rear tire rubbing anyway which left me with a hole as the bag is made of lightweight material. I repaired the hole then stiffened the bag along the bottom by inserting a small plastic mudguard. Like the Ortlieb bag, I added an extra strap and it now works perfectly. The extra strap also makes it easier to access the bag because it holds it in place when I open it - you have to undo the saddle straps for access and without the extra strap the whole lot slides down the seatpost. The bag holds bike tools, a tube, an extra layer, waterproofs and lunch.

On a longer trip or in the winter months, I’m carrying more stuff with a warmer sleeping bag, bulkier clothes and lots of extras. Therefore, for winter cycle touring I go for a hybrid approach using the same handlebar arrangement but coupling it with panniers which give a much greater capacity. I use the Tubus Airy titanium rack so it’s really light and the Ortlieb smaller front panniers in their lighter weight waterproof material. This works really well and gives space to carry more food on longer trips. I do find as well that the panniers require much less faffing than the seat pack which takes a bit of time to get everything to fit well. However they are heavier and don't half rattle on bumps.

Of course, much of this stuff has been languishing in the cupboard in recent months due to the coronavirus lockdown. However it looks like in another week or so longer bikepacking trips will be back on the cards.