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Fancy getting into bike packing? Put off by the cost of the bags...? Lidl have your back, £9.99 each...
I have the Podsacs bar and seat pack, those are identical!
How big's that seatpack? I was looking at the 6l Altura one on Planet-x for Audax's, somewhere to stuff a down jacket etc on long distance rides.
TINAS - I had a look at the Altura last year. I was after something smaller than my Revelate. I wasn't impressed either by the materials or the strap system. The double-clasp seemed to be a bit of a compromise regarding stability. I'd try to get a good look at one before buying.
Seat pack is 9l or 8l closed......
Not for sale in N.Ireland or Ireland 🙁
Brexit donncha!
Member
TINAS – I had a look at the Altura last year. I was after something smaller than my Revelate. I wasn’t impressed either by the materials or the strap system. The double-clasp seemed to be a bit of a compromise regarding stability. I’d try to get a good look at one before buying.
Cheers, think I'll just get the alpkit airlock tapered then.
From 8th March. Bet I'll forget!
Also have a bike stand/rack thing I've been after... plus those cheap brake cleaners, GT85 alternatives etc. They're excellent @ £1.99!
Landfill.
I appreciate my spare time too much to have a trip ruined 10 miles in when they ineveitably fall apart.
But you pays your money and takes your choice.
I appreciate my spare time too much to have a trip ruined 10 miles in when they ineveitably fall apart.
We used some of the Planet X Podsac bags for a hostel trip last year. Fair number of people were using them and noone had any problems. Dunno what the Lidl ones would be like, and these were a little more expensive (think we paid £15/bag) but there are definitely decent options out there without dropping huge sums on bags.
'Landfill' is harsh.
The seat pack looks the same as the one Planet X sell. I got one cheap six months ago - it's, er, functional.
It sways a bit, and it's a pain to get on, but it works. I wouldn't trust it on a week long bike packing adventure, but for day to day stuff it's fine.
The bike stand looks good. It (or a similar stand from Crivit) has good reviews.
Breaking news: Rebranded catalogue products look similar shock!
Once you get away from the bespoke manufacturers (Alpkit, Revelate, Restrap and the like) then this type of product is going to be mass produced in China, displayed in a B2B catalogue with a note stating "We can fit your company logo on this product".
‘Landfill’ is harsh.
Nah, just a Waitrose shopper, best ignored. 😉
Once you get away from the bespoke manufacturers (Alpkit, Revelate, Restrap and the like) then this type of product is going to be mass produced in China, displayed in a B2B catalogue with a note stating “We can fit your company logo on this product”.
I get what you're saying but it's not like every brand buys and sells exactly the same quality of bag, made out of exactly the same materials. It's a cheap set of bikepacking bags from Lidl. It'll be about the quality you'd expect of that.
I appreciate my spare time too much to have a trip ruined 10 miles in when they ineveitably fall apart.
Much better to spend 10x more on stuff that hardly ever gets used.
"Much better to spend 10x more on stuff that hardly ever gets used"
Depends.
I have some things which cost a lot and only get used once or twice a year. But they work really well and have lasted really well. I know they are there when I need them and that they well be dependable. There is no reason why they won't be still in use many years from now. Rucksacks, bike bags, panniers, some clothing, walking boots, crampons, ice axes, canoes etc all fall into this catagory and i have only been disappointed by cheap stuff - not because its cheap but because its made and designed badly.
On the other hand, stuff like electronics and things I use and wear all the time, I tend to buy cheap as an expensive pair of trainers/shirt/jeans will wear out just as fast as a cheap pair and electronics always breaks or gets outdated no matter how much it costs.
You don't have to spend a fortune on bike bags. I have a set by Topeak I use for general commuting and short weekend rides that cost about £40 for the frame bag and £20 for the top tube bag etc. Works absolutely fine and still going strong despite a fair amount of abuse. Not quite the best fit but good enough and crucially its been designed by a bike packer not copied from a photo.
(I do shop at Waitrose....but also Aldi, just not for outdoor kit!)
Good link scotroutes, cheers.
That seems to be the answer. It’s a fair review where the expectations are not too high given the price.
I was thinking of getting the handlebar bag, but after reading that I don’t think I’ll bother.
Has anybody tried a crivit bike workstand?
I’m after some bags got the Jen Ride, cheers.
You don’t have to spend a fortune on bike bags
Absolutely: Lidl has some cheap ones.
I've got a range of kit ranging in cost from "cheap at twice the price" to "Chuffin' Nora! How much?". There is some correlation between price and quality/suitability but you can't guarantee anything.
With items like these someone might buy them and assume that all such bags act in a similar manner and dismiss them.
On the other hand, stuff like electronics and things I use and wear all the time, I tend to buy cheap as an expensive pair of trainers/shirt/jeans will wear out just as fast as a cheap pair and electronics always breaks or gets outdated no matter how much it costs.
Couldn't disagree more with these examples.
On the other hand, stuff like electronics and things I use and wear all the time, I tend to buy cheap as an expensive pair of trainers/shirt/jeans will wear out just as fast as a cheap pair and electronics always breaks or gets outdated no matter how much it costs.
Surely you want to spend money where you spend time? You stand up all day, buy some comfy shoes. You use your phone a lot, may as well invest in something decent. You're a travelling minstrel, invest in a nice lute, etc.
Many of the fancy examples you gave are things that could save your life, so it's sensible to invest in those. Not sure a bike bag fits into that category.
Ok @johnnystorm and @andeh so I work in a cold building and wear a down jacket in the winter. My job involves lugging equipment around and frequently its muddy and abrasive. Should I use my Ultralight Weston mountaineering down Jacket (£270) or my Decathlon down Jacket (£35)?
I have a nice pair of Loake boots which only get used occasional like..you know I tend to wear a pair of bargain rail 5.10 boots at work cos well they get worn out and they didn't cost 200 quid
Etc etc.
Phones are a bit different. The price difference between an average android phone and a very good one is small enough compared to the use it gets that I have a good phone as a daily driver.
But most electronic stuff is underpinned by such appalling software that it makes very little difference how much you spend. Can you give me an example of where spending big bucks on electronic gear pays dividends?
Good link scotroutes, cheers.
That seems to be the answer. It’s a fair review where the expectations are not too high given the price.
I was thinking of getting the handlebar bag, but after reading that I don’t think I’ll bother.
Seems like a crap 'review' from someone who has never actually used it. They are just comparing it to some other bags which look kind of similar.
Winston: Really got me thinking about priorities/value/quality. I know what you mean about not wearing nice stuff out, but if it's better quality it should be able to cope with the extra wear, hence why you'd spend more in the first place. In the case of the boots, Loakes should last a fair time, so if they're only going to be worn now and then, why not buy something cheaper that looks the same, but isn't as durable?
No hard and fast rules here, I don't think. Probably more about suitability to the job over quality. The jacket thing, you'd probably be better off buying something hard wearing from Dickies or the like, which would last and be warm.
No examples of electronics tbh, there's always that sweet spot of price/value. The trick is not being drawn into the more-expensive-is-more-gooder thing. However, having used an iPad Pro, and a boggo android tablet, the Apple is just a much more enjoyable, seamless experience. Still wouldn't buy one like, but if I had a genuine use for one (other than dicking around on Garage Band) I could be swayed.
Regardless, as someone who was considering getting a bag for commuting but does it so rarely that there would be no point in investing, the Lidl ones seem like a nice gateway bag.
Winston, your statement is changed slightly by the mention of wearing things in a filthy environment. If my job involved those conditions I'd either wear cheap stuff or hope work would provide the right kit. Outside of that situation I have found plenty of examples were spending money has made sense. Cheap jeans have tiny pockets that always develop holes and they just don't last as long. Cheap T shirts lose their shape, develop holes and so on.
In the realm of electronics cheap TVs and laptops have poor quality screens. My old works desktop was an iMac that was still fine to use when it was almost a decade old.
Reckon I'll give the seat pack a go for commuting. Don't like using a panier and don't like wearing a pack in summer so this looks great for a tenner.
Can't see any serious bikepacker buying this kit but for occasional use or just to see if you want something better it'll probably be fine.
Cheap jeans have tiny pockets that always develop holes and they just don’t last as long. Cheap T shirts lose their shape, develop holes and so on.
No they don’t. But you wouldn’t know this due to your brand snobbery.
But if it makes you feel nice, up to you isn’t it. Just admit it! 😂
Has anybody tried a crivit bike workstand?
Yes, I own one, no problems with it at all. For the price it's absolutely worth it, you would have to spend many times more to get something better.
A bit of grip tape on the seatpost tends to keep seatpacks in the right place and reduces swaying.
A strip on the handlebars helps with light brackets as well..........
<div class="bbp-reply-author">natrix
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<div class="bbp-reply-content">A bit of grip tape on the seatpost tends to keep seatpacks in the right place and reduces swaying.
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Also helps prevent wearing through the paint/coating on the seat post.
FWIW, I bought a Roswheel (around £12) seat pack a few years ago for commuting. It took about 4 weeks before the stitching started coming away where the straps attached to the bag. Managed to keep it going for a couple of months with the use of pop rivets and washers. It eventually died. and I replaced it with the Blackburn equivalent for £65. 2 years later, it's in "as new" condition
Cheap jeans have tiny pockets that always develop holes and they just don’t last as long. Cheap T shirts lose their shape, develop holes and so on.
No they don’t. But you wouldn’t know this due to your brand snobbery.
But if it makes you feel nice, up to you isn’t it. Just admit it! 😂
I've just checked the pockets of my cheap jeans and found that my keys, loose change, iPhone and wallet all fit in comfortably, as they always have. I'm not sure how much bigger I'd need the pockets, or what I'd be carrying in them if I had bigger pockets. Maybe a baguette, a folding fishing rod and a set of juggling balls...