Preparing for Gravel Season – Bike Packs

As we enter the new year, and the cyclocross world championships are just around the corner, that means that gravel season will soon be upon us. We’ll have some product line articles and reviews coming on various products that will help get you through those long, mixed terrain days in the saddle, but let’s talk about on-bike storage.

Frame packs aren’t just for bike packing. The more I ride with them, I find myself grabbing a top tube pack for a few hours on the road or even a frame pack for some longer days. But when it comes to multiple hours on your own, you’ll appreciate having room for clothing, nutrition, tools, and anything else you think you’ll need to get you through the ride, especially when you find yourself in the middle of no where.

There are five main areas that you’ll potentially strap a pack onto your bike, handlebars, fork legs, top tube, inside the front triangle, and behind the seat. Some people also like backpacks and waist packs, but I’m going to focus on packs for the bike.

Handlebars

Handlebar packs can come in many forms. Some are compression sacks that fit into holders that strap on parallel to your handlebars or more squared off packs. Others will fit onto aero bar extensions and run parallel with them, usually under the bars. Some brands also make little sacks that strap to your bars that look something like a cup holder. There are also stem packs too.

Stuff sack style packs are great for extra clothes or anything soft that you can compress down. Many of these bags will have air release valves that help to make them as small as possible by removing excess air. From there, they stuff into holsters and lock into place. Many holsters will also have loops that you can daisy-chain other packs onto them.

Handlebar packs work well, but if you plan to use an out-front mount for a computer, light, or camera, there is a chance that you might run into a problem. Some packs take this into consideration with spacers that drop the pack down. Also, if you run narrow bars, check the measurements to make sure you have room to use shift levers and safely move your hands around on the bars. Double-check your set up and how the pack mounts before you take the plunge.

Fork Legs

For really long rides or bike packing days, some will use stuff sacks or carry extra water on mounts on the fork legs. This is more common for bike packing than gravel, but for those epically long days, it is another place to carry. Another thing is that not all bikes are equipped to carry loads on the fork. For example, the Look 765 Gravel RS and Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie bikes that we recently reviewed do not have integrated mounts on the outside of the legs. The T-Lab X3 does though. If your bike doesn’t have integrated mounts, some brands make some that strap onto your fork legs.

These packs tend to just be stuff sacks that strap onto the mounts. Again, clothing, sleeping bags, anything that can be easily compressed down. Some brands also make really big bottle holders that hold larger Nalgene style bottles for extra hydration. You can always slap an extra water bottle mount for a spare bottle or a cargo bottle like the XXX from Elite.

Top Tube

These are some of my favorites. Whether you are going out for an hour or two, or all day, these packs come in handy to carry extra nutrition, tools, a phone, keys, money, anything that is on the smaller side, depending on the pack. For me, this is the pack that I use the most.

Just like on the fork, some bikes have bolts behind the stem so you can bolt the pack on. For others, you just strap them around the top tube and possibly around the steerer tube. The great thing about these packs is that you can mount them at the stem or the seat post, or even both if you really need the storage. They come in all shapes and sizes as well. Some are rather short and compact, while others are long and low. Most feature a zipper down the center two provide access.

Frame Packs

These packs fit inside of the front triangle of the bike. They come in all shapes and sizes and range from a small pack that fits just under the top tube to a custom, full triangle pack that replaces the water bottle cages. they mount using straps around the tubes, although I could see a future where frames have integrated mounts inside the frame to provide a clean look to the bike.

These are going to be the packs that haul much of your gear. It can carry just about anything that you can fit inside and helps keep the center of gravity as low as possible since this will be the lowest, and centermost pack on your bike.

There is a reason that they come in all shapes and sizes though. You’ll need to take into consideration tube lengths, angles, space inside the frame (especially if you are running it on a full-suspension bike), and water bottle mounts, location, and bottle height. I personally have three different frame packs that I use, and a lot depends on the bike and the ride. Some go full length from the steerer tube to the seat tube, while others like the Restrap Adventure Race Frame Pack is shorter, allowing room for a bottle on the seat tube.

Saddle Packs

Finally, at the back of the bike, there are the saddle packs. These typically mount to your seat rails and seat tube and come in all different sizes. Some can be small seat packs that you would use to carry an extra tube or two, while others will be multiple liters large to carry more gear with loops and straps to attach even more gear.

They come in different configurations as well. Some of the larger saddle packs are more holsters and include a stuff sack, while others have a zipper or roll-top design.

One thing to keep in mind with these is clearance if you are using a dropper seat post. Not only do you need to be mindful about mounting it on the seat tube, but also tire clearance when the post is fully dropped. Topeak makes an accessory mount that bolts onto your seat post, allowing you keep straps off your seat post or you can mount a water bottle holder or tools to it, but again, watch for clearance issues. On the Full Tilt Boogie, I can run this mount, but only when I am not running my rear Cycliq Fly6.

What To Look For?

That’s actually a good question. You need to ask yourself what rides you want to do, what you want to carry, and what will fit your bike. Other things like water resistance vs. waterproof, reflective accents, method of attachment, and weight are important to keep in mind.

For many, a top tube pack, frame pack, and maybe a smaller saddle pack will be plenty for most adventures. Many brands have lines that are focused on different areas (adventure, racing, durability) that can help you narrow down options to fit your needs.

We’ll have some line recaps and reviews coming soon for Apidura, Nittany Mountain Works, Restrap, and Topeak. We previously reviewed some packs from Apidura’s Backcountry line, though they were recently updated.

Whether you are preparing for gravel season, or just looking to add a little storage to your bike to help empty your jersey pockets, there is a pack out there for you.