Are bike bags now cool?

[Juliansou]

Hi
when I first got into biking (mainly road) it was considered very bad form to have anything other than a small saddle bag. Now it seems de rigueur to have a multitude of bags strapped to your bike. I run a small top tube bag, rack for panniers (commuting) - ultimately, I‘m not going to lose any sleep over strict ( or otherwise) adherence to ‘the rules’. I will be doing some very light touring, so what do those more experienced think? Just my observations, but It seems luggage in general has gone from being a bit nerdy to very much on trend!

 

[matticus]

What do I think? Touring has had a big boost in popularity. The trend was led by the Ultra-racing crowd (e.g. Mike Hall RIP) - these folks adopted very light/flimsy bags (which makes some sense), and aero setups (which makes sense if you plan to average 18mph+ and you have a time limit or are racing).

Because ultra-racing is considered cooler than mere touring, the term "bike-packing" has been adopted by those wanting to tour and be cool. They tend to use the same style of luggage as the ultra-racers - just in case anyone accuses them of touring,

 

[Juliansou]

Oh I see ......
Thank you for your reply. I‘m still getting my head around some of the nuances of the various cycling genres!
So essentially someone like me (a bit nerdy!) has a nod to the gear used by ultra racers, goes ‘bike packing’ resulting in increased cool factor - I like the sound of that!!

 

[freiston]

Hi
when I first got into biking (mainly road) it was considered very bad form to have anything other than a small saddle bag. Now it seems de rigueur... ... It seems luggage in general has gone from being a bit nerdy to very much on trend!

I really don't understand this. I got "into" cycling (as opposed to just riding my bike) in the late 70s and it was touring that got me into cycling. In those days it was commonplace to have panniers (Karrimor or Carradice were just about the only "proper" panniers available) or a large saddlebag (usually a Carradice). I had Karrimor panniers and a Karrimor Bardale bar bag.

I never got into club riding or time trialling (iirc, 10 mile and 25 mile time trials were very popular back then). My lack of involvement with that type of cycling meant that I was never au fait with the practices and attitudes of its participants but my recollection is of a folded up tub and tool-roll strapped under the saddle with a toestrap or stuffed in a jersey back pocket. As far as I am aware, the club rider/time trial rider still travels light but tool rolls and tubs have been replaced with multitools and (until recently) innertubes - and strapping them under the saddle has been replaced with little under-saddle bags.

So apart from the recent ultra-racing/bike-packing phenomenon that @matticus summed up so well, I don't really see any change.

 

[rivers]

This will be my bike on Friday as I'm cycling down to Southampton, camping overnight and heading to the Isle of Wight Saturday

 

[MichaelW2]

Oh dear. I will have to stop carrying bags.
I have been proudly cycling at the rusting end of uncool since I was 10 , when I eschewed the Raleigh Chopper in favour of a sensible Raleigh Rodeo. I used my 5 speed Falcon sports bike all through the MTB decades. I rode steel when Aluminium was king and used panniers when messenger bags ruled.
When steel road and singlespeeds were en vogue I selected a 26" wheel Aluminium, hub 8spd city bike. An entirely rational choice not driven by fashion.

I still feel that some kind of bag is neccessary so it will take some ingenuity but one must maintain standards.

 

[cougie uk]

I think there are a few things going on here. Traffic levels dropped and people got interested in cycling.
People had time off or weren't keen on flying abroad for their holidays.
Bike packing kit can fit a lot of bikes. Panniers slightly less so.

 

[fossyant]

It's never cool, but hey ho. I had double panniers on my rather rapid fixed gear road bike, but they carried my clothes to and from work, and kept them dry.

I don't like frame bags as they do damage the paint - bit of grit under the bag and your paint will vanish rather quickly. You need lots of helicopter tape.

 

[matticus]

I think there are a few things going on here. Traffic levels dropped and people got interested in cycling.
People had time off or weren't keen on flying abroad for their holidays.
Bike packing kit can fit a lot of bikes. Panniers slightly less so.

This doesn't explain the eleventy new "bike-packing" luggage ranges that were already on sale pre-COVID. I think the trend started a few years ago!

 

[CanucksTraveller]

I'm not aware of ever thinking bike luggage was either cool or uncool either way, I've never really heard much said about it by other cyclists either*. I'm a recent convert to touring only since last year, before that I was a roadie ever since about age 14. Out on a road bike I'd occasionally look enviously at couples on loaded tourers and think "I reckon that's very probably a good way to have a huge amount of fun" so I've certainly never looked down on people with bags.
I now find myself using my Ortlieb handlebar bag and thinking "where have you been all my life". It's extremely nice to have empty pockets and a comfortable back, and yet have camera, phone, snacks, map, suncream etc right to hand. I'm getting sensible in my old age I think.

*(Apart from the odd good natured "sandal" jibe aimed at CTC members on here).

 

[PaulSB]

I'm not sure there are any fixed rules. I know one or two who think there should be nothing hanging under the saddle. Of the people I know those who ride road bikes, I'm not saying roadie as this sometimes seems derogatory, have a small saddlebag with a couple of tubes, multi-tool, lock, levers and perhaps CO2 canisters. Amongst this group there are a very few who also run with top tube or frame bags - each of these people also carry a lot of clutter such as cameras, multiple lights etc. it seems they need the extra packs to carry all the stuff associated with this.

When I'm touring I have always used panniers and a rack. However next time I'm on 3-4 day tour I will probably use a Restrap bag.

 

[Fab Foodie]

I really don't understand this. I got "into" cycling (as opposed to just riding my bike) in the late 70s and it was touring that got me into cycling. In those days it was commonplace to have panniers (Karrimor or Carradice were just about the only "proper" panniers available) or a large saddlebag (usually a Carradice). I had Karrimor panniers and a Karrimor Bardale bar bag.

I never got into club riding or time trialling (iirc, 10 mile and 25 mile time trials were very popular back then). My lack of involvement with that type of cycling meant that I was never au fait with the practices and attitudes of its participants but my recollection is of a folded up tub and tool-roll strapped under the saddle with a toestrap or stuffed in a jersey back pocket. As far as I am aware, the club rider/time trial rider still travels light but tool rolls and tubs have been replaced with multitools and (until recently) innertubes - and strapping them under the saddle has been replaced with little under-saddle bags.

So apart from the recent ultra-racing/bike-packing phenomenon that @matticus summed up so well, I don't really see any change.

And I still have my 80s KS100e Karrimor Panniers, Bardale bag and a large Karrimor Cotton Duck Saddle-bag (better than Mrs FFs Camper Longflap)!

 

[mythste]

Simple explaination.

"bags" are friendlier when the going gets rough. We've seen a boost in "gravel and adventure" bikes. Therefore, we have seen a boost in bags.

Bags are good. Pannier racks are good.

Cool is a state of mind. You bunch of miserable old fecks.

 

[HobbesOnTour]

Feck it!
I'm really uncool - I've so many bags I bring a trailer along!

 

[mythste]

Feck it!
I'm really uncool - I've so many bags I bring a trailer along!

I've never seen a trailer like that before, that's ace! What is it?