Late in 2018, we posted a story about Apidura‘s newest line of packs, the Race Series. These packs are meant to be light and functional for race events. When we told Apidura about Project OneBike, they sent us three bags from their Backcountry series, the Frame Pack (4.5L), Top Tube Pack (1L), and Tool Pack (0.5L). We’ve put them through multiple events in all kinds of conditions, and are overall pretty happy with them. The Top Tube Pack finds it’s way onto my bike for many more rides than I would have ever expected before the review started. Read on to learn more.
To learn more about the brand, read the first few paragraphs of the Race Series article linked above. The quick version is Apidura is a UK brand that is all about adventure cycling, and making packs to carry everything you need on your ride. Whether it is a quick 20-mile training ride or a week-long bike packing trip, they have you covered.
There are three product lines on offer. Race Series, as we previously mentioned, is lighter and made for fast, ultra-distance racing style events. The Expedition Series adds some durability while remaining light, and includes a wide range of packs for various parts of the bike. Both of these lines are also waterproof.
The Backcountry Series is the most durable packs from the brand. They are weatherproof, but not fully waterproof, targeting gravel, singletrack, and trail riding applications. The hard-wearing Dimension-Polyant VX21 nylon material used across the line is waterproof, but the stitching process could potentially let some water in. The Hypalon-reinforced velcro straps provide secure fastening of the pack and is safe to use on carbon fiber frames. Each piece also has contrasting reflective graphics to add visibility in low-light conditions.
Looking closer at the individual pieces I’m using, let’s start with my favorite piece, the Top Tube Pack (1L). This versatile pack can be used at the stem or seat post to carry nutrition, small tools, or batteries. Since I use a dropper seat post, I only ever used it at the stem, mainly carrying nutrition, keys, tubes of Nuun, ID, etc. The main compartment opens up at a zipper along the top, with a handy pull to make opening and closing easy with or without gloves. There is a divider inside that helps to provide a little bit of structure by velcroing from one side to the other, or it can be left open for storing larger items. The pack uses two velcro straps, one near the rear of the pack that goes around the top tube, and one at the front that goes around the steerer tube.
Currently, I have five gels, a Justin’s nut butter packet, and 3 snack-size bags of powder drink mixes in a larger ziplock bag packed inside, with a little bit of room to spare for an external battery pack for the GoPro. I could probably easily pack in a HOTSHOT bottle for cramps, some Floyd’s of Leadville gummies to round out for a 5 hour or so ride. The pack fits well on the Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie’s top tube. While I don’t have the stem slammed by any means, the 15mm of spacers makes it a little bit harder to strap the pack around the steerer than a lesser aggressive position. Even so, the Top Tube Pack stays in place well and stays out of the way whether I’m in or out of the saddle, or standing over the frame.
The next piece is the Tool Pack (0.5L). This little pack tucks underneath the saddle using a single velcro strap that starts on the right, goes over the saddle rails, wraps all the way around to the pack to the buckle, and then back around the bag in the opposite direction to velcro it in place. It has a large velcro flap that opens in the rear to provide access to the contents, which is large enough for one MTB tube or two road tubes, tire levers, CO2 canisters, and a small multi-tool. There is also a spot for a clip-on rear blinky light to attach. From the front panel at the seat post, along the top along the saddle rails, and continuing as the flap that covers the back is coated with Hypalon to protect the pack and the bike. You can even run an Ass Savers fender with the tool pack in place on wet days, which is a definite bonus.
I’ve used this pack a few different ways. Times when I am running tubeless tires, I’ve traded tubes for bags of hydration mix. For my longest rides, I was able to fit five snack pack size bags and a multitool. Currently, there are two road tubes, two blue park tool levers and a Crank Brother’s M17 multitool with a spare quick link tucked into it. I’ve used a clip-on blinking light, which worked well, but I usually go with a Knog Blinder around the seat post or a Cycliq Fly6 light/rear camera combo. At times when I haven’t completely stuffed the Tool Pack, I’ve been able to stash a Crank Brothers Alloy Power Pump under the pack with the velcro strap that wraps around the bag to hold it in place. It isn’t the best option for the pump, and I have since moved it to under the top tube, but it worked in a pinch. My only complaint is that the bag can shift at times due to the velcro strap. Other bags I have used have the velcro strap and buckle at the top of the bag, so it holds the bag tightly against the rails individually, while the Tool Pack wraps from the top of one rail to the other. It’s more of an aesthetic annoyance though, as the pack can look a little crooked or twisted on the saddle, but it has always been very secure, even on the roughest of rides.
Finally, we have the Frame Pack (4.5L). I’ve used this pack the least, but have always been thankful to have it when I have used it. As the name suggests, it’s 4.5L worth of cargo that fits under your top tube, between the head tube and the seat tube. It attaches with three Hypalon coated velcro straps around the top tube and nylon straps and buckles around the seat tube, down tube and head tube. There are zippers on either side of the pack with the same pulls as on the Top Tube Pack. The zipper on the right accesses the largest compartment of the pack, while the zipper on the left opens up a narrow compartment that runs the length of the pack. On the inside, there is a small, zippered compartment meant for holding small valuables like cash and ID. On either side of the front, there is a notch in the flap that covers the zipper for power cables or hydration tubes.
The Frame Pack was a key piece for my most demanding ride of the year so far, the Lu Lack Wyco Hundo. I was nowhere near filling it, but it carried some extra food, extra gloves, my pump, some tools, and some other odds and ends. I was planning to use it to stuff my rain jacket and any other warmers I didn’t need during the ride, but with the rain and cold temperatures we faced, I never took any of it off. It did do a great job and protecting everything during adverse conditions, giving me a dry (for about 5 minutes) pair of gloves to use late in the ride when my hands were pretty numb. On other rides, I loaded it up with post-ride cloths to test it out and was able to hold a lot. When fully packed up, and I mean fully, it was a little wider than the top tube, so you may rub your legs against it at times. I never found it to be uncomfortable to ride with
Overall, I’m extremely happy with the Apiruda packs. The Top Tube Pack has really surprised me with how much I use it. Even on 35+ mile rides, I still bring it along so that I don’t have to pack my pockets with anything more than my cell phone. Its location right behind the stem makes it really convenient to grab a gel mid-ride and stash the packaging back in. All three packs have held up well against some miserable conditions. The durability and quality of construction mean they should last a very, very long time. The bags a little bit on the pricy side, $47 for the Top Tube Pack (1L), same for the Tool Pack, and $103 for the Frame Pack, but you are getting high-quality pieces that will hold up to all of your adventures.
Unless you follow them on social media, you won’t hear too much from Apidura. They are a very understated company, not just with their products, but also their marketing. With the top quality product they are creating, they let the products do the talking. In this case, my packs always asked me, “Is that all you’ve got?” Whatever your adventure is, or how loaded up you need to be, Apidura has you covered. Along with the three packs we reviewed, if you need more, they also have food pouches for your bars, various handlebar, and accessory packs, and a large saddle pack to cover whatever you need to carry. When you plan out your next adventure by bike, get set up with Apidura.
Heckling Editor, Image Taker, Crash Test Dummy, and Beard Master at Bikeworldnews.com
~Veggie Powered Athlete~
Location – Lancaster, PA
Current Testing Rigs – 2024 Van Dessel Arch65, 2019 Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie, 2018 Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD, 2016 Van Dessel Whiskey Tango Foxtrot, 2015 Bianchi Sempre Pro, 1978 Trek TX900
Dream Bike – I’ll tell you when they make it
Discipline – Cyclocross, gravel, road and duathlons (ride/run)
Favorite Rides – Quiet country roads of Amish Country, some of the best roads around.
Food of Choice – Sweet potato roll
Beer of Choice – Unibroue Grand Reserve 17, aged four years
Bourbon of Choice – Widow Jane 10 Year