Bicycle bags on the trunk: varieties, pros and cons, recommendations for choosing

Every bike tourism lover knows very well that a bicycle bag on the trunk is indispensable for hiking. Of course, some people travel with a backpack, but on long trips, the bag starts to chafe the shoulders, and pain in the back occurs.

Why are bike bags needed? The answer is very simple. Just imagine that you no longer have a lot of bags to hang on the steering wheel, they will not hit you in the legs and interfere with your movement.

The advantages of these products are undeniable:

• small compact dimensions;
• the ability to adjust the amount of luggage;
• secure fit on the trunk.

As a rule, good backpacks have good attachments, and this is extremely important for any movement on the bike. It is no secret that the quality of the roads often leaves much to be desired; the cyclist is constantly faced with irregularities and sharp turns. If, at the same time, there is a poorly fixed bag behind your back, it is possible that you will arrive at your destination empty-handed.

Cycling bags designed to be attached to a bike will not cause discomfort to their owner and will not make him worry about the fact that on the road he may at any time lose his load.

The answer to this question largely depends on the weight of the cyclist himself in full equipment. Of course, thin, wiry and short people are in a more advantageous position.With proper load distribution, they can easily transport up to 50 kg of luggage, and in the presence of various types of trailers, this figure will be even higher. If the user of the bike is more well-fed, and his body weight is, for example, 110-120 kg, then you should not load your bike with a load over 25 kg.

The maximum permissible weight of a loaded bike bag also depends on the type of frame. If you are a happy owner of a modern bike, then you can afford to transport heavy objects. And when riding a bike with a folding frame, overloading is very quickly felt, for example, when moving in rural bumpy areas.

By the way, there is an unspoken rule among cyclists, according to which The weight of a backpack for a folding bike should not exceed 50% of the load that can be fixed on a bicycle with a solid frame. This is important, since the folding frame cannot be called durable in any way, and when moving massive loads, there are high chances of encountering increased metal fatigue and, as a result, cracks.

In order to use a bike bag, you need a special rack that protects the rear wheel from accidentally getting straps and fasteners from the bag into the spokes.

Any bike provides for the use of front and rear racks - these are the places that are considered the most comfortable and loaded in bikes. It should be noted that many cyclists, especially those of the younger generation, do not use the front rack in principle these days.

There is some rational grain in this - the front rack makes it difficult for the cyclist to maneuver and move over rough terrain, negates the possibility of jumping from curbs and driving through large tree roots on forest paths, luggage on the front rack dramatically reduces the bike's handling, and this often leads to falls cyclist.

If you are planning a long trip and load both trunks, then the load should be properly distributed: Load approximately the same weight on each side of the bike, otherwise the vehicle will start to rears up at every stop, making the ride uncontrollable and often leading to serious injury.

There are several types of bicycle bags on the market: single-volume and sectional.

One-piece backpacks are a one-piece bag, complemented by special shoulder straps for easy movement on the shoulders. This model is optimal for moving bulky items. Among the shortcomings of the model can be noted discomfort that a cyclist has whenever it is necessary to remove something - in this case, you have to disassemble the backpack completely.

Sectional “cycling pants” are more popular - they have several compartments that, if necessary, can be removed and used as a separate item. Typically, such a device has a pair of bags ("legs") and one top section. If the backpack is not fully loaded, the cyclist can always unfasten one of the compartments - this will make the luggage less overall.

Very often tourists use not only the inner space of the bags, but also their outer surface. For example, foam is placed there (a rug used by tourists) - the product is rolled up and placed in the upper compartment of the "bicycle pants".

Very important, so that the width of the "bicycle rods" does not exceed the distance between the ends of the handlebars. Otherwise, you may get caught in bushes and other vegetation while driving along narrow forest paths.It is desirable that the "pants" be made of dense fabric, as during the hikes on the bags, branches are often whipped, and when the bicycles fall, the fabric can simply tear.

Another undoubted advantage of bike rack bags is the ability to choose a cover for your future backpack and all kinds of accessories. It is advisable that the bike backpack is waterproof. There is no need to hope that during your trip there will be good clear weather all the time - there is always a chance to get into bad weather. Poorly rain-proofed material will not protect your belongings and food.

Of course, it doesn't really matter when you are going for a short walk and plan to return home after a couple of hours. But if you are leaving on a multi-day trip, then it will be extremely offensive to be without food and changeable things. There are many models of "pants" on sale, which may differ according to the class of soaking. This parameter is measured in millimeters of a water column and indicates how high the pressure of a column with a cross section of 1 mm can withstand the matter without flowing. The optimal compromise between strength and durability is cordura 1000.

Of course, it makes sense to purchase such a bag only if you are engaged in multi-day cycling tourism. On smaller trips, the bike bag is usually no more than half full. The half-empty bike bag starts sailing, and this presents significant resistance to movement.

The fundamental point for choosing "cycling pants" is the size of the backpack itself. The most commonly used is the 50 liter model, and the smallest backpack is the 6 liter product, it is used on day trips. For long group trips, it is better to use the 100-120 hp options.

If you are a regular user of the bike, and your movements on it are not limited to a couple of hundred meters in the yard, then it is advisable to buy this thing. Having paid for it only once, picking up all the accompanying accessories, you will use such a bag for a long time and will be able to fully appreciate all its positive qualities.

For an overview of the Roswheel trunk bike bag, see the video below.