Tailfin Aeropack

[rivers]

Does anyone use a tailfin aeropack? I'm contemplating swapping out my various saddlebags for a Tailfin instead. What are your thoughts? Any drawbacks, besides the price? My main issue with saddlebags is that no matter the application (commuting or bikepacking), is it needs to be packed perfectly or something isn't fitting (if my 6 litre or 10 litre) or it's rubbing on my rear wheel on rough terrain or poorly maintained road (if it's the 15 litre).
Thanks

 

[Sea of vapours]

I have a small selection of on-bike bags, one for each location on the bike, other than forks. The most recent was acquired two years or so ago and is a Tailfin Aeropack. The only reason I now use any of the other bags is for very small quantities of kit, in which case I use a 1l top tube bag and/or a 4l frame bag. I recommend the Tailfin very highly if you need to carry that sort of volume (5-20l).

Quite apart from being really easy to pack, with the contents being readily accessible, it's completely stable in use: nothing rattles and nothing moves at all so the only time I'm aware of it being there is when on foot and moving the bike. it's a really well thought out piece of equipment. I won't list all the good things about it as plentiful reviews do so and they're right. Expensive, yes, but very much worth it I think, if it's going to get a lot of use.

The only drawback for me was that anything normally mounted on the seat post can't be. Tailfin resolve this issue by selling a 'seat post mimic' mount which bolts to the back, enabling you to put seat post lights on there. There's also a bolt on light mount (alternative to the seat post mimic) and two slots for slot-in style lights. I suppose it's slightly heavier than a huge saddlebag, but it's incomparably better than those in usability and stability.

 

[steveindenmark]

I have Tailfin rack, aeropack. There is no drawback, apart from the price. But once you get over that. They are excellent. You dont even know its on the back and the whole rack and bag is so quick to move to another bike. I bought several axles for several bikes.

I ride on roads, forest tracks and farm tracks. It makes no difference. Easy to pack and unpack. Its great.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good afternoon,

I commute on this using a rucksack and have looked at the tailfin (both the separate rack and bag and the integrated unit) a few times.

The rear lights are those that are readily available in £10-£20 range and have a rubber strap that fits around the seat post. During winter these lights need charging twice a day, but I know that when they go back on they will be pointing in the right direction.

I was always a bit confused about how rear lights would work, the tailfin site has a photo where the rear lights point away from straight behind you.

Given that many rear lights rely on a reflector to get their visible from so far away would we be back in the days of rear lights with screw in light bulbs?

Or is it practical to mount on the rack rather than the bag?

Bye

Ian

 

[Sea of vapours]

I was always a bit confused about how rear lights would work, the tailfin site has a photo where the rear lights point away from straight behind you.

That image shows lights on the 'hook on' straps on the back of the Tailfin bag. Either of the two options I described above involves bolting a light mount onto the rear base of the bag and that provides either a backward facing light bracket for bolt-on lights or a short seat post section equivalent onto which you can mount seat post style lamps.

 

[IanSmithCSE]

@Sea of vapours - Thanks, the product range has expanded a lot since I last looked.

 

[Dogtrousers]

They look interesting. Although I'm quite happy with my rack+rack bag, when I next feel the need to spend money on toys this might be on the list.

 

[Elybazza61]

Have had the aeropak for a while, mine is the carbon one which I got before they started with the ally ones; as others have said it's rock solid and really quick to get on and off and switch between bikes.

Also have the ally rack which is on the better half's Cotic.

 

[rivers]

I've just come from the Tailfin offices. It is a lovely piece of kit for the target market. They're setting me up with a demo unit to try for a few weeks, then if I'm happy, I'll definitely be purchasing

 

[cougie uk]

Good afternoon,

I commute on this using a rucksack and have looked at the tailfin (both the separate rack and bag and the integrated unit) a few times.
View attachment 678575
The rear lights are those that are readily available in £10-£20 range and have a rubber strap that fits around the seat post. During winter these lights need charging twice a day, but I know that when they go back on they will be pointing in the right direction.

I was always a bit confused about how rear lights would work, the tailfin site has a photo where the rear lights point away from straight behind you.
View attachment 678576
Given that many rear lights rely on a reflector to get their visible from so far away would we be back in the days of rear lights with screw in light bulbs?

Or is it practical to mount on the rack rather than the bag?

Bye

Ian

Am I missing something ? Lights don't rely on a reflector do they ? I mean they concentrate the light given out behind them - but there's no reflector or you'd only see the light if you had a headlight focused on it ?

 

[IanSmithCSE]

Good morning,

By reflector I meant a "silver" surface behind the light rather than a reflector as in the orange things we all have on our pedals at night as this is a legal requirement. :-)

Many rear lights are not equipped with such a layer and spew light in all directions and those that are make design choices similar to front lights, a compromise between flood and spot.

Given that a Tailfin is aimed at people using the "wrong" bike it is unlikely that the rear light will be powered by a dynamo or a great big battery in a bottle cage. This introduces a quick big compromise between running time and brightness, added to which rubber band mounting on the seat post seems to make many manufactures reluctant to put in big/heavy enough batteries.

My commute is 18 miles each way and takes between 60 and 90 minutes, with a few exceptionally longer trips when fog bound.

LIght	Notes	Running Time Full Power
A	Brighest, internal battery, no reflector	70 minutes
B	Sorta bright, internal battery, no reflector	150 mins
C	Dimmest, AAA batteries, reflector	1,000 minutes

Neither lights A or B are capable doing the out and back legs and A is incapable of even doing the whole of one leg.

So while A is incredibly bright spewing out light in all directions and is easy to see, it can't be used at full brightness unless set to flashing.

Light B looks impressive indoors or in the garden but on an open road it's useful range is much less than it appears at first glance. I lent the bike against a telegraph pole, walked backwards and I didn't have to go very far until the bike was less than obvious.

C is my backup light which I carry in my pocket just it case. By modern standards it is a poor light but it is a lot better than A with a flat battery.

The reflector in C means that the low power LEDs can produce enough light to be visible at a distance most of the times, as cars approaching from a distance have time to see it as they will usually be in the narrowest bright zone.

Whilst A and B do have a quite wide spread of light, even they would be tested if hung in the location shown in the earlier post. That specific light mounting options are offered by Tailfin seems to suggest that even they agree.


Bye

Ian

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I presume you don’t want to fit a standard rack and rack bag? This option would be much cheaper if you don’t want the quick release features of the tail fin.

 

[rivers]

I presume you don’t want to fit a standard rack and rack bag? This option would be much cheaper if you don’t want the quick release features of the tail fin.

Nope, not after a standard rack and bag. No mounts, don't want to attach p clips on to a carbon bike, and want something a bit more versatile than the array of saddlebags I have. I know there are cheaper options, but they don't work for me for various reasons.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

want something a bit more versatile

The bag I’ve seen on tail fin is pretty much just a rack bag. Specialised mounting for tail fin rack but everything else wasn’t anything special. But fair enough if it’s carbon and isn’t designed for carrying luggage as standard.

 

[rivers]

The bag I’ve seen on tail fin is pretty much just a rack bag. Specialised mounting for tail fin rack but everything else wasn’t anything special. But fair enough if it’s carbon and isn’t designed for carrying luggage as standard.

Versatility over my current set-up, which is an array of saddlebags depending on the situation.