What do you need to be happy on a cycle tour? Sure: scenery, weather, safety, a good bike and a good plan. But experienced cyclists also know that less ballast leads to more fun. Six to eight kilos of payload is enough in this country in summer, unless you have camping equipment with you. Then everything is on board, including rain gear and a set of civilian clothes for the evening. The luggage volume is somewhere between 25 and 45 litres - actually compact enough for a rucksack, but this is annoying in the long run.
But wouldn't the ever-increasing number of bikepacking bags be an alternative to the fixed luggage rack and classic panniers? Is this more of a trend for Instagram snappers or also a consideration for traditionalists? We got to the bottom of the matter and first asked the bag manufacturer Ortlieb, which offers both options. Peter Wöstmann, spokesman for the brand, also sees style issues at work: "The trend towards 'micro-adventures', i.e. short trips from home, has also seen people switch from classic cycle touring to this visually more sporty segment. The gravel bike as a new, successful type of bike has also contributed to the spread of these bags. Bikepacking bags are increasingly found on gravel bikes or racing bikes that are used for commuting during the week and become sports or touring bikes at the weekend." And these bikes sometimes don't fit a pannier rack, either technically or visually."
Lightweight or practical?
But the trendy luggage also has technical advantages. We virtually put together two bag sets from the Ortlieb range for a packing volume of 45 litres and added up the weights. The classic pannier variant consisting of two 20-litre back rollers, a handlebar bag with adapter and a high-quality luggage rack added up to a proud empty weight of 3.2 kilos. In the comparative setup with bikepacking bags strapped directly to the bike, you need more products for the same volume: a 16-litre saddle bag (aka "arse rocket"), a handlebar roller, a full-size frame bag and two small fork packs of four litres each for the fork. The bottom line is an empty weight of just 1.9 kilos - expensive, but convincingly lighter for sporty riders.
Slim makes you fast
Alee Denham, the founder of the cycle touring website, has perhaps an even more serious advantage Cyclingabout.comtested out: To test the air resistance of both variants, he rode numerous test laps on a cycling track at a constant power of 200 watts and averaged the speed. With two panniers on the pannier rack (front or rear), he rode at an average speed of a good 28 kilometres per hour. With bikepacking panniers on the handlebars, frame and saddle, it was two kilometres per hour more. Now 200 watts is a continuous output for well-trained cyclists. The bike engineer and wind tunnel specialist Robert Kühnen calculated the result down to a more realistic performance and tarmac roads for us. But even with 140 watts of pedalling power, the bikepacking setup still achieves 23.7 to 25.2 kilometres per hour.
The perfect mix
So if you want to be faster on the road for whatever reason, you need bikepacking bags - and have to make compromises elsewhere. Quick access to the load or transporting bulky items such as a second pair of shoes or an espresso maker can be tough. And if you haven't chosen the perfect panniers for your frame and pedalling style, you will constantly come into contact with the saddle or frame bag when pedalling. The soft, somewhat shapeless handlebar rollers sometimes hinder gripping or even shifting gears on the racing handlebars, and they also sometimes press on the Bowden cables or rub the paint off the head tube. Bikepacking routiniers therefore cover the unavoidable contact points between panniers and frame with protective film. A bike with classic panniers may move more slowly overall, but it doesn't have these problems.
Bikepacking bags
Sandra Schuberth discovered sporty cycling five years ago and loves multi-day bikepacking trips on her own. Together with others, she founded the website "Thewomenallride.cc"
Sandra Schuberth - online editor and cycling blogger: "After cycling from Leipzig to Hamburg once with a pannier rack bag, I realised that bikepacking bags suit me better. I can really limit my luggage and only needed one bag on the pannier rack. But that didn't ride so well. What's more, I don't want to be constantly carrying a pannier rack on my sporty bike. Now all my luggage for multi-day tours fits easily into the bikepacking bags. The saddle bag contains my sleeping bag and a sleeping mat, among other things. When I stay overnight with friends, I always add a stuffable dress for a civilian look.
My panniers are custom-made. Because I'm rather small, others didn't fit perfectly in the frame or dragged on the rear wheel. Frame bags are always tricky: If they cover the bottle cage position, you have to see where the drinks fit - in a drinks bag or additional bottles elsewhere. I also have to pack particularly slim so that my legs don't touch them when pedalling. I keep the handlebar roller as small as possible, because otherwise it can hang on the front wheel and its weight affects the steering. When I park the bike briefly, the panniers stay on. I usually carry a small rucksack or a top tube bag for snacks and more valuable and frequently used items.
It may all sound a bit impractical, but because I ride very often, I hardly have to think about it when packing. And in terms of riding behaviour, especially on bumpy roads, bikepacking bags are clearly superior for me."
Arguments for/against bikepacking bags
Advantages:
- Low weight
- Aerodynamics
- Sporty handling
- Adventure look
- No luggage rack necessary
Disadvantages:
- Can interfere with pedalling
- Cumbersome attachment
- Accessibility on the move
- Limited size of packages
- Paint damage possible
- Partial elimination of bottle holder
- Racing handlebar grip positions restricted
Touring bags
Stefanie Freytag spends many weeks a year travelling - often by bike. In recent years, she has cycled from Geneva to Lisbon, from Apulia to Munich and climbed several peaks along the way off the cycled "Route des Grandes Alpes".
Dr Stefanie Freytag - anaesthetist, frequent traveller and mountaineer: "I like it simple. I don't want to attach half a dozen little bags with fiddly straps and buckles to my bike - and in the end they don't hold and I have to lash them on the go. Some of these bags get in the way when I'm pedalling normally, or I bump into them when I'm pedalling in the saddle. Classic bags are also convincing at the finish: A simple grab - and I can lock the bike and walk away. One bag in each hand and that's it. It's also easier to pack things in normal panniers so that they are waterproof, even if the bag itself is not. Put a bin liner in and the panniers in there and you're done.
I can't confirm that you wouldn't be able to find your things in such a large bag: After a few days, you automatically develop a sensible system of what is where in the bag and use different coloured panniers or plastic bags. I also don't find that the bags fall off on the routes that are sensibly travelled with luggage. If you buy good ones and adjust them correctly, this doesn't really happen.
A pannier rack proves its worth anyway if you need to take bulky items with you: We once cycled with all our glacier equipment in the Western Alps for mountaineering. And you simply can't fold up an ice axe!"
Arguments for/against touring bags
Advantages
- Mounted in seconds
- Variable packing
- Accessibility on the move
- Solid seat
- No obstruction when pedalling
Disadvantages:
- Driving behaviour/centre of gravity
- System weight
- Aerodynamics
- Solid luggage carrier required
Conclusion of the bag duel
Given the slightly different preferences of our two protagonists, it is obvious that our pannier duel will not end with a winner and a loser. Both options are legitimate and logical. What's more, there's nothing to stop you combining both bag worlds. Handlebar bag and "arse rocket", pannier rack and handlebar roll? They are by no means mutually exclusive. The new variety simply makes it easier to find the right bags for your travelling style and bike.
