Bike packing bags vs panniers
One of the key differences between traditional cycle touring and bike packing is how you carry your kit on the bike.
Pannier bags and luggage racks are a classic approach to carrying a kit on your bike, offering stability and volume for cycle touring. However, a rack and pannier setup can be heavy, and their use is largely limited to bikes with rack mounts.
In the world of packing light and traveling far – an ethos at the heart of bike packing – bike packing bags come to the fore, enabling riders to venture further away from paved roads and tackle challenging terrain, with a lightweight, versatile setup for carrying kit. (How much your bike packing setup weighs will depend on how much you’re taking with you, of course).
Bike packing bags are designed for use on any type of bike, without the need for rack mounts, and you can tailor your exact setup by adding and removing the bags you need for a particular trip. They are generally soft-bodied and shaped to fit a particular section of your bike.
Bike packing bags may not offer the same capacity as a traditional touring bike, and they can be prone to jiggling around a little, but careful bag choice and thoughtful packing can overcome these limitations and give you a versatile, lightweight bike packing set up to carry everything you require.
Working from the front of the bike back, we’ll run through the main bags on offer, their benefits and uses, and what to look out for if you’re investing in a bike packing setup.
Items kept in a handlebar pack are going to be a bit awkward to access while riding because typically you will need to undo all the fixings and take the bag off before you can open it, so it’s best to use these for the kit you’ll need overnight but are happy to be without during the day. Small handlebar bags will often have a zip closure for easy access, though.
It’s worth remembering that the volume you can store in a handlebar bag will, of course, depend on your bike’s handlebar. Flat-bar bikes will have the freedom to take a larger bag, while drop-bar bikes will be limited to a bag that leaves space for shifter movement when changing gear.
Handlebar bags usually have adjustable volume, often with a roll-top closure, so offer some leeway for fitting to your bike’s dimensions.
Finally, if you are on the fence about whether this might be your thing, a good quality dry bag lashed to your bike’s handlebar with a tie-down strap also works.
Saddle or seat packs sit behind the rider, attaching around the seat post and through the saddle rails.
A saddle pack provides the classic bike packing look and marks out a bike packing rig from a conventional touring setup with a pannier rack on the rear of the bike. Saddle packs come in a range of sizes, with a typical capacity from 8 to 18 liters.
One key advantage of a Bicycle Saddle Bag is the relatively easy access to your belongings during a ride. You will need to stop before you can access anything, of course, but it is easy to open the bag and grab what you need – providing you pack smartly (we will come on to this).
Most bags are designed with a roll-top closure, allowing the bag to become smaller or larger – another advantage – and keeping the contents secure and firmly attached to the bike.
At some point during a bike packing trip, you’ll inevitably need a bit more space. Enter the pack away bag.
The Advantages of Handlebar Bag
A handlebar bag is high above the ground and picks less dirt and road spray.
In different, the bottom part of full-size frame bags often gets filthy due to its proximity to the road and the rider’s shoes.
Obviously, the contamination is a lot worse when the bike does not have full fenders. But even with full fenders on, some dirt will reach the lower part of the bag.
The Advantages of Frame Bag
A handlebar bag is “in your face” and changes the bike’s aesthetics from all sides. Conversely, frame bags are more discrete and more difficult to notice, especially from the front and rear.
Thus, if you want a more blended cargo option, a frame bag is a logical choice.
A frame bag is a very neat way to fill up the frame and add additional cargo space to a bike.
