Scicon Race Rain Bag – Get Organized Before Your Ride

Over the years, I’ve used a number of bags to carry my gear to races and after work rides. They were usually backpacks or duffle bags, and rarely had the pockets I was looking for to organize everything. When Scicon announced their Race Rain Bag, it looked like it could be what I was looking for. Scicon sent one over to us to review and besides one small complaint, it has become my choice for race day, and anytime I need to carry my gear for a ride or run.

The Race Rain Bag is all about organization inside and out of the bag, and you know it from the first time you see it. Beyond the main compartment, there are four zippered compartments on the outside of the bag. Each is labeled to help you remember where everything is, or make it easy for your soigneur to quickly find your bag and what you need when you are waiting at the start line. Inside the main compartment, there is a net pouch on the back of the flap, that is labeled for shoe covers. Finally, on the opposite end, there is a mesh flap for a compartment to keep your dirty gear away from your clean gear. If you stuffed it full with post ride race kit, it would fill up about a third of the bag, leaving enough room to still hold your shoes. Handles on the top of the bag, and the main compartment flap make it easy to carry.

When loading the Race Rain Bag, the outer zippered compartments have labels for Jersey+Shorts, Rain Jackets+Vest, Warmers, and Gloves. The main compartment is labeled as Shoes+Covers and the outer mesh compartment is left to your imagination. In practice, I’ve been able to load up all of these items, and more. I’ll add a mesh base layer in the Jersey+Shorts, and when I leave the jacket at home, socks and gloves find their way in. Or, if it is a two race day, I’ve packed in two kits and base layers without issue.

My only complaints are what to do with my helmet and small items like computer, HR strap, glasses, and tools. Instead of a net pouch inside the main compartment, I wouldn’t mind seeing a pocket for the small items. Sure, you can leave them in one of the other pockets of the bag, but a dedicated pocket would be nice. When it comes to the helmet, I haven’t quite found where to put it. There are some other bags out there that carry your lid, but it adds additional bulk and they are usually in the form of a backpack. When I conveyed these comments to Scicon, they reminded me that this bag was made for pro riders who wouldn’t need to carry things like a helmet or keys. As part of the response, though, they said to keep an eye out for something in the near future. BWN will keep you updated as we learn more.

Now for the cool part. When purchasing the Race Rain Bag from Scicon’s website, you have the chance to add your name and a flag to the top bag. This gives the bag a “pro” touch, and helps to identify your bag quickly. They have a large selection of state and country flags available, but I’d love to see an option for team logos to be added instead of the flags or somewhere else on the bag. Again, this is just a suggestion and does not detract from the a really great bag. Best of all, the customization is free when you order it directly from Scicon’s website.

We’ve had a chance to put this bag through a good portion of a cyclocross season, plus a number of days of training and multiple running events. So far, it has performed flawlessly and doesn’t show any signs of wear. At $139.95, it is a bit pricy, but with how organized this bag is, it will come in handy when you need it most. The Race Rain Bag will continue as part of my race and after work training gear for the foreseeable future.

Scicon Rain Race Bag – $139.95

http://www.sciconbags.com