road bike travel bag

The Best Bike Bags and Cases for Travels in 2023

• By : Nicholas Watts
• Updated : April 11, 2024

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With air travels, I often hear horror stories and seen videos where the baggage handlers treat the bike bag just like another suitcase.

One of the primary concerns most cyclists have is whether their bike makes it out from transit safely. The first thing I’d do when I pick up my bike bag at the airport is to do a quick inspection before leaving the airport.

Packing your bike in a cardboard bike box provides very little protection, and you risk it getting damaged during transit.

It’s worthwhile to invest in a bike bag, and even more importantly, know how to pack your bike correctly . No bike bag is 100% damage-proof but at least they do offer wy more protection compared to a cardboard bike box especially if the bike costs thousands.

On this page, I’ll discuss the difference between bike bags and share some of the popular ones used by cyclists to travel.

A Quick Glance : Our Favorite Bike Bags and Cases

Soft Shell Bike Bag : Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 “One of the lightest and easiest to pack bike bags.”

Hard Shell Bike Case : B&W Bike Box 2 “Value for money for a hard shell in terms of price vs the amount of protection.”

Soft Shell Bike Travel Bags

Scicon aerocomfort 3.0.

• Type of Bike : Road
• Compatibility : Quick Release, Thru Axle
• To Remove : Wheelset
• Weight : 8 kg

Scicon is arguably the most popular bike bag brand today.

It’s used by 7 out of 18 World Tour pro cycling teams in 2018 which includes the likes of Bora-Hansgrohe, Mitchelton-Scott, Bahrain-Medida, AG2R La Mondiale, and Quick-Step Floors.

The Aerocomfort 3.0 is the improved version of the very popular 2.0 version. Scicon has made several improvements based on customer feedback. The 3 most significant improvements are the addition of the thru-axles compatibility, new wheels system which was prone to breaking previously, and a reinforced internal bike mount.

It’s still without a doubt the lightest bike travel bag in the market today .

At only 8 kg, it’s even lighter than its already lightweight predecessor. With the bike packed inside, you’re definitely way below the 20 kg allowance that most airlines impose.

The thing I really liked about the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 is the ease of packing and the minimal disassembly required. I’d say most first-timers would probably need less than 10 minutes to have their bike securely packed and ready to go.

• Pros : One of the lightest and easiest to pack bike bags.
• Cons : Smaller base can be unstable and prone to tilt over.

Evoc Bike Travel Bag

• Type of Bike : Road, TT, CX, MTB
• To Remove : Wheelset, Handlebars, Saddle, Seatpost
• Weight : 9.1 kg

Evoc is a German brand well-known for its outdoor and travel bags. This Evoc bag is among their most popular products in their lineup. The unique feature about the Evoc Bike Bag is its one bag fits all concept. The same bag can fit all bike types from road to time trial, cyclocross, and mountain bikes.

Evoc uses an interchangeable internal bike stand to mount bikes. Each type of bike would require a different type of stand due to its shape and design. If you’re buying this bag for your road bikes, make sure you remember to get the bike stand!

Packing wise, the Evoc Bike Travel Bag requires a bit more work by removing the pedals, seat posts, twisting the handlebars sideways, and removing the standard wheel.

The good thing with such removal is the bag packs down into a compact size, which makes the baggage handlers’ work easier. I bet you wouldn’t want an aggressive baggage handler handling your bags, don’t you?

• Pros : Fits all types of bikes.
• Cons : Outer layers are not as durable as advertised.

Thule Roundtrip Pro XT

• Weight : 8.6 kg

Thule is a Swedish company well known for its travel products. This mid-level bike bag has an internal bike mount that doubles up as a work stand, which will make assembling and disassembling your bike quick and easy.

Most road bikes will fit comfortably into the Thule Roundtrip Pro XT bag unless you’re riding anything above size 60, and it includes an adapter for thru-axles. It has a separate wheelset compartment so that your wheelset doesn’t come into contact with your bike frame.

The two roller wheels make it a snap to pull your bag wherever you need to go.

• Pros : Internal bike mount can double up as a temporary workstand.
• Cons : Soft case doesn’t provide 100% protection against rough baggage handlers.

Biknd Helium V4

• Weight : 9.0 kg

Biknd is a Canadian brand that is all about developing innovative bike bags. In fact, their first product is the Helium bike bag which is now in its 4th version, hence the V4.

What makes the Biknd Helium V4 special is the unique way the protection mechanism is implemented. It uses inflatable airbags that strategically placed at both sides of the bag.

Packing the bike would require some disassembly work by removing the wheels, pedals, seat posts and twisting the handlebars sideways. To make packing easier, both the side and front panels can be opened completely.

Now if you’re traveling with 2 sets of wheels, you’re in luck because the bag can fit all of them. Unlike other bags where you keep one wheel on each side panel, the Biknd Helium V4 can hold 2 wheels on each side.

• Pros : One of the best protection for a soft case.
• Cons : Costs more than the average soft case.

Hard Shell Bike Cases

B&w bike box 2.

• Weight : 11.5 kg

B&W is a German brand that has been making innovative outdoor bags since 1998. The Bike Box 2 is the successor to their original Bike Box and has won the prestigious 2018 German Design Award .

The B&W Bike Box 2 is among the lightest available. At almost 12 kg, you’ll most likely fall under the 20kg weight allowance most airlines allow.

However, take note that even though it can fit almost all types of bikes, you’d go above the allowable weight allowance should you fit a mountain bike, which is generally heavier than a road bike.

Packing is made easier with the two shells of the bag coming apart into 2 separate left and right. Once you’ve the bike disassembled, there are internal straps that hold it in place, and extra protection is achieved via the additional foam layers provided.

There’s no dedicated wheels storage compartment. B&W provides 2 separate wheel bags which are also placed inside the bag when you close it.

• Pros : Most value for money for a hard case.
• Cons : Smaller bag design means more to be removed when packing.

Thule Roundtrip Transition

• Weight : 12.0 kg

The Thule Roundtrip Transition is the hardshell equivalent of the Roundtrip Pro XT. In fact, it’s Thule’s top-level and most secure bike case.

It has a sturdy aluminum base and when combined with a strong ABS shell, it provides excellent protection to your bikes.

You can pack your road bike, TT, CX, or mountain bike with this bag, making it very versatile.

As a bonus, thru-axle adapters for 15mm and 20mm axles are included besides the standard quick release.

The unique thing about the Thule Roundtrip Transition bike case is the internal mounting stand can double up as a mobile work stand, making assembly/disassembly and maintenance easier when you’re traveling.

• Pros : Very high-quality build from a reputable brand.
• Cons : Heavier than the average hard case.

Scicon Aerotech Evolution X

• Weight : 11.0 kg

The Scicon Aerotech Evolution has been around for 10 years now and the 3.0 is Scicon’s latest version which was released in late 2017. The major improvement made in this version is adding the thru-axles compatibility.

Without a doubt, the Aerotech Evolution is Scicon’s one of the most secure bike travel cases out there. With premium pricing, Scicon has ensured no corners are cut. The bag has been thoroughly tested to ensure maximum protection for your bike.

The hard shell is made of very durable and hardened plastic, or what Scicon likes to call, thermoplastic . Internally, there is padding everywhere for your bike frame and straps strategically located to hold them in place. It would require some additional work to pack your bike into the bag.

Unlike the Aerocomfort 3.0 where only the wheels are removed, you’ll need to remove pedals, seat posts and twist the handlebars in addition to that.

You probably notice by now that most hardshell cases are bulky and heavy. While it’s still bulky (the shape and size remains), Scicon has managed to bring down the weight by 1 kg compared to its predecessor by using newer and more advanced materials.

At 11 kg, the Scicon Aerotech Evolution 3.0 is among the lightest bike case available.

• Pros : One of the lightest hard cases around and offers a very high level of protection.
• Cons : Be prepared to pay more.

BuxomBox Ventoux

BuxomBox is a small, UK-based company that specializes in bike boxes. In fact, bike boxes are their only product available.

The Ventoux Road is arguably the best one around when it comes to maximum protection. Its entire construction is top quality. With that, it also comes with a premium price tag. You’ve been warned.

For starters, the BuxomBox is made entirely from aluminum. It’s the same 6061 aluminum that’s used to make high-end aluminum race bikes. Not only do they look really good, but they’re also very durable and impact-resistant.

There are 3 sizes for you to choose from, depending on your bike size. Besides, you can also choose whether to support quick release, through-axle, or both.

With 4 handles, 2 at the top and 2 at the sides, you can maneuver the bag around the airport with ease. The 2 fixed and 2 caster wheels make things even easier.

• Pros : Good looking, lightweight, and maximum protection.
• Cons : Packing can be a chore for first-time users.

Bike Travel Cases Buying Guide

1. type of bikes.

This is the most important thing to consider when buying a bike bag or box.

The type of bike you’re planning to travel with will determine the bag’s shape and dimension and the box you’ll need.

Some newer ones like the Evoc Bike Bag , Buxom Box Ventoux , and Thule Roundtrip Transition can fit all bike types.

While it’s obvious that the bike frame of a road, cyclocross (CX) , time trial (TT), and mountain bike look different, there are more to that.

Among other differences are the handlebar’s shape, wheel hub width, and wheel size and diameter.

Geek Tip : Some bike travel cases are bike-specific, whether it’s for road, TT or mountain bike. Make sure you’re buying the right variant.

2. Quick Release vs Thru Axles

Today there are 2 types of braking systems for road bikes.

Traditionally, all road bikes use caliper brakes but disc brakes are getting popular recently for their better braking capabilities especially in the wet.

The mechanism used to attach the wheels to the bike is different between these two.

• Quick Release. The QR was invented by Tullio Campagnolo and has been around for more than 90 years. It’s a wheel locking mechanism found in all road bikes with caliper brakes.
• Thru Axles. The TA was first introduced in mountain bikes in the ’90s. Today, it’s used in all disc brakes road bikes. The axle needs to be pulled out completely to remove the wheels.

Why is this important?

The bike frame has a different design at the dropouts to accommodate either Quick Release or Thru Axles. And so does the bike bag to fit the different dropouts especially if they have an internal mounting stand.

Geek Tip : Newer travel cases are compatible with both quick release (caliper brakes) and thru axles (disc brakes) through an adaptor.

3. Ease of Packing

You’ll need to do some disassembling to pack your bike. You’ll need some of the common bike tools such as hex and torx wrenches .

The amount of disassembly needed depends on the bike travel case, but in general, this isn’t too hard to accomplish. If in doubt, you can always check out YouTube .

All bike travel cases are designed to fit bikes without the wheels, so no matter the make or model, you should expect that removal of the wheels will be necessary.

Some travel cases like the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 require minimal disassembly, while all bike boxes require quite a number of components to be removed prior to packing.

Generally, the list below needs to be removed :

• Rear Derailleur

Geek Tip : How good you’re with the wrench is an important factor when it comes to choosing a bike bag or box that suits your needs.

4. Airline Weight Allowance

If you’re planning to fly with your bike, weight can be an important consideration. Most airlines have a check-in baggage weight allowance between 20 to 30 kg.

Bike boxes weigh more (anywhere between 12 to 18 kg) due to the hard and solid materials used.

On the other hand, bike bags weigh less, between 8 to 12kg, and can be carried more easily when you’re on the move.

Depending on your bike’s weight, you’ll probably end up with around 16 to 25kg baggage check-in weight.

Bike Bags vs Bike Cases : Which is Better?

You’ll often see cyclists pack their bikes either in a bike bag or a bike case. So you’d probably be wondering;

Which one is better to transport for you?

Bike bag or bike case?

• Bike Case is the harder version and provides the most protection for your bike and is very durable. They’re made from tough materials like thermoplastics. It’s also sometimes referred to as a hard case or hard shell.
• Bike Bag is the softer version that typically has internal structures to maintain the bag’s shape and protect your bike. The soft outer sides are made from nylon or canvas which could be vulnerable to tears over time. Some refer to it as soft shellbags.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Which bike bag can fit my road, TT, and mountain bikes?

I understand that some of us have a few bikes and the bike we travel with depends on the type of riding we’re going to do.

In this situation, I recommend you consider a bike bag that is one size fits all. Generally, these bike bags don’t have internal mounts which limits your choice of bikes.

Have a look at the Biknd Helium V4 or the B&W International Bike Box 2 .

2. How do I provide additional protection to my bike on top of what’s provided by the bike bag or box?

There are several ways to do this. You can either,

• Buy additional foam paddings and wrap them around the top tube, down tube, seat stays, and fork. 
• Use a cable tie to tie the chain to the chainring to avoid it from falling off.
• Remove the rear derailleur if it gets in the way.

3. What is the lightest bike bag and box available today?

Many cyclists concur that the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 is the lightest bike bag today. At only 8 kg, you’ll have plenty of weight allowance left to pack your bike.

For the bike box, you can choose from either the Scicon Aerotech 3.0 or the B&W International Bike Box 2 .

Author Recommended Reads

• How to Pack Your Bike for Air Travels
• How to Ship A Bike and How Much Will it Cost?

Nicholas Watts

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Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. How we test gear.

The Best Hard- and Softshell Cases For Traveling With Your Bike

Whether you want a light and stealthy case to avoid fees or a tough, hard-side case to protect your ride, you'll find it here.

Whether you’re planning to travel across the country or across the globe, a sturdy bike travel case or bag is a worthy investment. Your bike will be better protected—and you’ll have more peace of mind—than it will if you stuff it into a cardboard box and hope for the best. Here’s what you need to know.

B&W International Bike Box II

Compact and tough plastic case and four smooth rolling wheels.

Orucase Airport Ninja

Requires more bike assembly, but less likely to incur a fee.

travel Bike Travel Bag Pro

Securely holds modern 29er trail bikes with minimal disassembly.

SCI-CON AeroComfort 3.0 TSA

This case lets you leave the pedals, bar, and seatpost in place.

Thule RoundTrip Transition

ABS plastic shell protects the bike inside. Comes with a repair stand.

Hardshell versus Softshell

Hardshell cases provide the highest level of protection against impacts, but they also weigh more, which can lead to even higher luggage fees. Hard cases also don’t break down, so they take up more room in a hotel room or rental car when not in use.

Softshell cases have come a long way in recent years, and some offer nearly the same level of protection as hard-shell models. Softshell cases are usually lighter than hard-shell cases, and fold or roll down for easier storage.

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Hard-shell cases usually rely on a rigid, outer shell—made from a type of plastic—for their protection. Most softshell cases are constructed from durable nylon and rely on padding to protect your bike.

Some softshell cases have a rigid internal frame that provides structure and protects the bike from crushing forces. There are also hybrid cases, which have a fabric exterior lined with foam and plastic sheets.

Both types of cases often include additional padding for the frame, as well as straps to hold the frame and wheels in place.

Size and Weight

Pay attention to the size and weight of a bike case, particularly as it relates to the weight of the bike you plan to transport. Most airlines have a 50-pound weight limit before incurring an overweight fee. You need to factor in the weight of the case, the bike, and other items you’re considering throwing in there before selecting a case.

Hard-shell cases are more protective, but weigh more, leaving less for packing materials, bike, and gear. Softshell cases are lighter, which means you can pack a heavier bike without exceeding the limit but may offer less protection for your gear. The weight difference can be extreme: Thule’s Roundtrip Transition is made of ABS plastic and extremely rugged but weighs 38 pounds, while Orucase’s soft-sided Sub62 weighs just 13 pounds.

Most airlines have a dimensional limit of 62 linear inches—calculated by adding together the total length, width, and height of the bag. If an item of luggage is larger, it can incur an oversize-bag fee. Orucase’s Sub62 is smaller than 62 linear inches, so it should avoid an oversize fee, while Thule’s armored RoundTrip Transition measures over 106 linear inches and is almost certain to cost you extra.

Packing Tips and Tricks

Before choosing a case, have an idea of how much bike disassembly/assembly you’re comfortable with.

Cases like Scicon’s AeroComfort require very little wrenching to pack and unpack a bike but are larger and likely to incur a bike or oversize fee. A smaller and lighter case like Orucase’s Sub62 is much less likely to incur an oversize or overweight charge, but packing the bike into this case requires removal of both wheels, the bar and stem, rear derailleur, pedals, seatpost, and fork.

If you want to use additional padding to protect your bike during transit, consider using your cycling apparel, since it has to make the trip with you anyway. You can also use pipe insulation, which is inexpensive and can be purchased at your local home-supply store. Always be sure you also have all the tools you need to get your bike back up and running at your destination.

How We Picked

Every case on this list has been thoroughly evaluated and vetted by our team of test editors. We also consulted product managers and designers, athletes, and used our own travel experience with these cases to determine the best options. We evaluated them on performance, price, protection, weight, size, and how much bike disassembly is required to come up with a list of cases to serve the needs of anyone traveling with bikes.

Here are nine of our favorite bike travel bags and cases you can buy right now.

Most Stealthy

Orucase airport ninja.

Looking to sneak your road bike through security and escape extra baggage fees? If so, this Orucase travel case is the ticket. The ultra-compact bike backpack fits most road frames and breakaway-style travel bikes. Though it’s soft-sided, the Orucase bag uses integrated plastic panels with energy-absorbing foam to armor it against impacts.

Least Wrenching

Scicon aerocomfort 3.0 triathlon, scicon aerocomfort 3.0 triathlon.

Scicon’s AeroComfort 3.0 TSA blends the low weight of a soft-sided bike bag with a rigid frame to protect your prized ride from surly baggage handlers. This travel bag is designed specifically for drop-bar bikes and requires minimal disassembly. The wheels stow in dedicated pockets on the sides and, best of all, there’s no need to remove the handlebar. The adjustable chassis holds your frame in place by the axles—either quick-release or 12mm thru-axles. The four-wheeled design makes it easy to maneuver through crowded airports, and the compact design keeps it within many airlines’ standard luggage dimensions, which may help you skip oversize baggage fees.

B&W BIKE BOX II

B&w bike box ii.

B&W’s International Bike Box II is a simple, effective, and affordable hard-shell case. The clamshell design is easy to use, and the interlocking halves fasten with six buckles to keep everything secure. This budget-minded case includes wheel bags and multiple layers of foam to protect the frame from the wheels. Two fixed wheels and a pair of rotating castors make the International Bike Box II as easy to maneuver as a shopping cart.

DAKINE BIKE ROLLER BAG

Dakine bike roller bag.

Dakine’s Bike Roller Bag has enough space to fit 29ers, downhill bikes, and even 29er downhill bikes. Unlike many other soft-sided bags, the Bike Roller Bag has wheel sleeves inside the main compartment, which reduces the number of external zippers that could fail. Heavy-duty internal and external padding safeguards the frame, fork, and wheels from overzealous airport workers.

Cardboard Box

Bikeflights bike box, bikeflights bike box small.

A cardboard box is a light, inexpensive, and—provided the bike is packed properly—surprisingly safe way to ship a bike. Most brand new bikes—even high-end and custom bikes—are shipped in cardboard boxes. Bike breakdown and packing difficulty is average to high. A cardboard box has no puncture or impact protection, and can fall apart if it gets too wet. The BikeFlights Bike Box comes in four sizes: small, medium, large, and extra large.

Best For Mountain Bikes

Evoc bike travel bag pro, evoc bike travel bag pro.

EVOC’s bike bags are some of the most popular soft-sided options for road and mountain bikes—it even makes versions for BMX and fat bikes. The Bike Travel Bag Pro is a premium version of the company’s Bike Travel Bag. It includes an integrated aluminum chassis to hold frames securely in place by their axles. EVOC added six centimeters to the length of the bag to keep pace with the longer, lower, slacker trend in mountain biking. Another nod to modern mountain bikes are wheel pockets that can swallow 29-inch wheels wrapped in 2.6-inch tires. When not in use, the Bike Travel Bag Pro folds down small enough to fit under a bed.

THULE ROUNDTRIP TRANSITION

Thule’s RoundTrip Transition fits most road and mountain bikes within its tough, ABS plastic shell. Nylon wheel bags prevent frame and wheel rub during transport. The two-piece, hard shell cradles the frame in a lightweight aluminum stand that doubles as a work stand, making reassembly and maintenance a breeze once you arrive at your destination.

Fits Two Wheelsets

Biknd helium v4, biknd helium v4.

The Helium V4 is a drop bar-centric bike bag with a twist. Unlike most other bike bags, it can carry two wheelsets, which makes it an excellent option for cyclists traveling with both race-day and training wheels. Both sides fold flat for unfettered access for quick packing and removal. The feature that really sets the Helium V4 apart is the inflatable panels on the sides of the bag that add protection without heft. These inflatable bladders keep the weight to just 19.8 pounds, which is half of its heavyweight competitors.

Best for Large Bikes

Pro bike travel case mega, pro bike travel case mega.

Traveling with extra-large road bikes or 29er trail bikes poses problems for some cases, but not for Pro’s Bike Travel Case Mega. As the name suggests, this soft-sided bag is designed to swallow large and long frames easily. The alloy base holds the frame by the axles, while padded wheel pockets and foam bumpers keep your bike protected. Integrated pockets allow riders to stash pedals, tools, a mini-pump, and other ride essentials.

Unique Protective Feature

Douchebags savage bike bag, douchebags savage.

Once you get over the name, there’s a lot to like about this bike bag. The Db Savage is a soft-sided travel bag with a race car-inspired roll cage. This internal framework bolsters stiffness and provides an additional level of protection against damage. The Savage works with all road and mountain frames. It features external pockets for wheels and internal organizers for pedals and tools.

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At Scicon Sports, we have designed  bike carry bags that cater to the unique needs of cyclists who seek adventure while keeping their precious bikes safe and secure. Our innovative bike boxes and bike luggage offer a perfect balance of protection and convenience. Discover a meticulously designed range for road, triathlon, and mountain bikes , each crafted to cater to specific bike types.

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Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 Road Bike Travel Bag review - hassle-free with very little disassembly required

Used by UAE-Team Emirates' riders and for good reason - it’s a market leader. If you’ve got the funds, buy it

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If you’re in the market for a bike bag that is incredibly easy to use, hassle-free and will have you riding quicker than you can drink a post-flight coffee, look no further than the Scicon Aerocomfort.

Makes travelling quick and easy

Very little disassembly required

Keeps frame off the ground

Lots of padding

Separate pockets for wheels and components

Question marks over protection of the rear derailleur

Bulky so doesn’t fit into cars well

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

• Construction
• Value and conclusion

I won’t lie: I have a fear of travelling with my bike. I’ve tried pretty much everything - cardboard box one time, a flimsy, cheap soft shell the other. I’ve even once wrapped a bike up in dozens of bin bags and loaded it gently and fearfully onto the floor of a bus luggage compartment (the bike survived).

Thankfully, dear reader, you will be put at ease by learning that in recent years I have had a much better soft shell case that has mostly done the job, although it still hasn’t dealt with my (irrational or justified?) fear of hopping on planes with my bike.

So when I got the chance to test out the Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0 bike bag, conveniently just before a bikepacking holiday in the Dolomites, I was naturally excited. I mean, look at the thing! Its shape perfectly forms around a bike stripped of its wheels; there is hard casing at the bottom which keeps the chain and derailleur off the ground; and it looks like there’s enough padding to survive the aggressive throws of a tired airport baggage handler.

Two months and no less than four flights later, the Scicon bag has almost put me at complete ease with taking my bike on a flight. The Italian brand gets the thumbs-up from me and comes highly recommended as it's easily one of the best bike bags .

Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0: construction

The Aerocomfort 3.0 is a soft, fabric bag on the outside, made from high density woven nylon. Inside, there is an internal metal bike stand that ensures that the frame is kept off the ground. All you do is remove both wheels, fit the chain over a purpose-built T-bar, and slide the bike onto the metal frame via quick releases or thru-axles.

The wheels go into pockets on separate sides of the bag, the handlebar, the seat post and the saddle stay in place, and I didn’t even remove the pedals. There are straps to keep the bag close to the frame, as well as top tube, handlebar and saddle protectors - the latter, however, was too small to fit over my saddle.

And that’s it. Zip it up, attach the straps to pull it along and job’s a good’un - off yer go.

Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0: in use

Packing up my bike into the Scicon Aerocomfort took as little as 20 minutes. It really was that quick (my competitive tendencies were disappointed, however, by reading some reports of a record of 10 minutes to pack everything up). The first time took a little longer as I found both the paper and video instructions quite poor, but I quickly got the hang of it.

At the other end, it was a case of unzipping the bag and every single time I found my bike secure, without any scratches, nothing broken, and ready to be ridden after just 15 minutes of refitting the wheels and packing everything away. It was a breeze.

I was impressed by mostly everything, but there are a few points worth bringing it up. Namely, I wasn’t convinced by the protection given to the rear derailleur even if it did loop over a T-bar, and the last time I used the bag I did have to tighten the derailleur back to the frame as it had come loose a little bit. I also read various reviews on the internet of bent hangers, not helped by the bag having to lie down on airport luggage belts. That said, they appear to be rare cases.

I found the wheel pockets provided ample protection for my disc brakes, and they would also fit in wider gravel tires. I’m not sure flared handlebars would easily squeeze into the bag though.

Fitting inside the bag were my clothes, helmet, shoes and everything else I took with me, and though I didn’t use the provided gearbag as I had my bikepacking bags , it was a nice touch.

Pulling the bag along through the airport was made easy by the removable strap, although it would have been nice to have had a handle when carrying the bag up and down stairs. The four small wheels are solid, but do have a tendency to want to spin around more than is necessary.

Once the bike is set-up, the Scicon Aerocomfort folds down into about a third of its size, and is accompanied by a plastic bag that when wrapped over the soft shell bag stops it from unfolding more. It’s still quite bulky, however, and will take up the entire back row of any car.

Scicon Aerocomfort 3.0: value and conclusion

Something this good, effortless and hassle-free, and something that makes travelling with a bike so incredibly quick and easy does come with a price tag to match - $569 /£447.

It’s a lot of money, for sure, but about the same price as the Evoc Bike Travel Bag, and other high-end soft shell bike bags. The Scicon Aerocomfort definitely gives you peace of mind.

If you want 10/10 protection, go with a hard shell case, but if you want a very quick and easy bag to travel with that is unlikely to damage your precious toy inside and permit you to be riding 15 minutes after collecting it off the luggage belt, the Scicon Aerocomfort ticks every single box. Certainly, I’m keeping mine for good.

• Price: $569 / £447
• Weight: 8.2kg
• Dimensions: 115 x 95 x 28cm
• Colors: Black
• Website: sciconsports.com

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A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine , about motor doping in cycling.

Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.

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[The Janus Duffel] is great, high quality materials. Zippers are phenomenal. This is not just for cycling, it’s my everyday bag. 10 out of 10.

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Evoc Road Bike Bag Pro review

It promises to forego the hotel room bike build, but is evoc's road bike bag pro as protective as it is simple.

Cyclingnews Verdict

Stupendously expensive, but it's an absolute breeze to travel with

Super simple to pack away a bike

Protective plastics where necessary

Packs down for storage

Fixed direction rear wheels mean manouverability is reduced

You can trust Cyclingnews Our experts spend countless hours testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

If you've travelled on a plane with your bike, there's a very good chance you've had to disassemble it to within an inch of its life in order to squeeze it into the bike box, before rebuilding it again in a hotel room upon arrival at your destination. 

Even for the most mechanically proficient, this can often take hours and, given you're going to need to do the same for the return journey, you're looking at two disassemblies and two rebuilds for a single trip away. Assuming around two hours for each pack/unpack, you're looking at eight hours worth of tool time bookending your supposed 'break' - more than a week's worth of training time for many amateur cyclists.

This might not be the most laborious task for yesterday's technology of externally routed cockpits and removable seatposts, but with evermore integration comes increased tool time for the most simple tasks. In the spirit of competition, many airlines have relaxed their rules a little over recent years and the best bike travel cases have come a long way as a result, nowadays offering increased space and internal support frames to protect your chainstays from the dreaded lateral crush.

One of the latest contenders in the race is the Evoc Road Bike Bag Pro. It promises minimal disassembly, which equates to maximum ride time, but at $925.00 / £749.99, this travel case is looking to fetch more than many people are spending on their holiday in the first place, so is it worth the substantial investment?

Design and specification

The Evoc Road Bike Bag Pro is built as something of a hybrid; it's not a soft bag, nor is it a hard case. It combines the best of both worlds in order to offer increased protection where it's needed, and weight-saving fabric where it's not. 

The case features a single zip that runs the entire length, ultimately splitting the bag into two halves leaving the base intact. The base and top of the bag are given a solid plastic material, while the case's mid-drift uses the softer fabric. This combines for an empty weight of approximately 25lbs (11kg). 

Upon unpacking the Evoc Road Bike Bag Pro, I was surprised to find that the case itself needed to be assembled. Partially flat-packed, it not only saves the courier from needing Ross Geller's help to get it up the stairs to your apartment, it also makes for a somewhat less obtrusive piece of furniture between holidays, although, with a square footage of 130 x 53 x 25cm when packed, it's still not something you'll hide away too easily.

Transforming the case from storage mode to bike-ready mode does add time to the overall process of packing for your holiday, but it is a simple task of sliding plastic rods down into designated slots. These hold the soft fabric sides upright and support the weight of the plastic upper. 

I found these can be really finicky at times, needing a healthy dose of finesse - rather than my preferred tact of brute force and ignorance - in order to slide them into the slots in the base. That said, after a few months of ownership, these slots seem to have become a little more supple and this task has eased. 

Inside, a part-metal, part-plastic frame can be found, onto which you'll bolt your bike, and a selection of plastic adaptors to cover all your likely axle fitment needs. The frame itself can slide to allow for wheelbases up to 106cm in length, and the sections into which you fit your axles feature multiple holes for varying height needs. At the front, there are two holes, and at the back, there are four holes to account for varying derailleur cage lengths and chainring sizes. As to which you'll need to use, trial and error is your friend. Just check your chainring isn't scraping the floor and your derailleur isn't touching the plastic verticals of the frame.

To fit the bike to the frame, all you need to do is remove your wheels and pedals. Your handlebars can stay put assuming they measure less than 50cm, and your saddle height can remain untouched assuming it's beneath 86cm (from the floor when packed on the frame). Removing your pedals isn't actually a necessity, but it does mean you don't need to worry about your pedals damaging your wheels once everything's packed up. Once you've done this, place the necessary plastic adaptors into your preferred holes in the frame, and fit your bike to the frame as if you were bolting your bike to a turbo trainer. 

There is a padded cover provided, which is to be fitted over your handlebars to protect against any rough and tumble, and two wheel bags are also supplied to keep your probably-expensive road bike wheels from damaging your equally-expensive frameset. 

Once you've placed the frame (now with your bike's frameset secured into place) into the case, there's plenty of room either side for your wheels to slide in. Straps are available to hold everything in place, as is a cross brace that will protect your chainstays against lateral impacts. 

Once everything's in the bag and you've zipped it shut, the inbuilt combination code (like you'll find on many suitcases) will prevent opportunistic thieves from having a nosy inside. Of course, this is far from the security that the best bike locks are going to offer, but for added peace of mind, it's a helpful touch. 

A helpful internal pocket is provided, too. Useful for keeping things such as tools or pedals, which are often too dirty for your suitcase but would damage your bike if they broke loose. An external pocket is offered too, as a place for the front wheel to be placed at arrival at check-in - although being honest, I forgot to do this, thankfully the wheel remained intact. 

Three wheels adorn the base of the Road Bike Bag Pro, all of which are replaceable roller blade type wheels. The two at the rear are fixed in line, while the front central wheel is free to roam like a shopping trolley wheel. I think if I were being picky, I'd prefer wheels at the front too, as the central wheel has a habit of being unstable when pulled at the wrong angle. 

Handles are scattered throughout the bag, which should provide the majority of owners plenty of options when it comes to manoeuvrability. The handle on the front of the bag above the rotating wheel is the obvious choice when it comes to pulling the bag along, however, at 6ft 2" (186cm tall), I did find it to be a little too low and found myself having to crouch ever so slightly in order to reach it. I think a handle atop the plastic cover at this end of the bag would resolve this. 

The coronavirus pandemic has unfortunately curtailed my travelling plans, so I only have a single two-hour flight from Bristol to Majorca with which to judge the performance of the bag from a safety and protection standpoint. Various small scuff and scrape marks on the outside of the bag show signs of minor maltreatment en route, but the bike travelled there and back unscathed. Even the rather common problem of hoods being turned inwards was non-existent thanks to the hardened plastic upper.

There are a couple of minor things that I would change should Evoc ever decide to create a version 2.0, but in comparison to the majority of the competition's offerings, the difference is truly night and day. 

Of course, I'm not forgetting there is one player that competes more closely: the Scicon TSA 3.0 AeroComfort, which promises a similarly minimalistic approach to disassembly and comes with a slightly smaller overall footprint. 

Comparing them both side by side, the Scicon is smaller and lighter overall, but foregoes the hard plastic protection. The Scicon bag uses four wheels, all of which can spin like a shopping trolley, so it has a tendency to drift, although it does make for slightly easier cornering through the serpentine queueing barriers you're likely to find at an airport. Despite the hard case of the Evoc, it's the Scicon that feels more top-heavy, by virtue of its smaller wheelbase. As for the all-important question of which is faster when it comes to rebuilding the bike upon arrival at your destination, a completely unscientific test of racing friends on holiday, it was the Scicon that won the day, albeit only by around 10 seconds, and both easily under the 10-minute mark. We had both already kitted up and ridden to the café by the time traditional bike box owners were finished.

Evoc Road Bike Bag Pro: Specs

• Maximum dimensions: L: 137cm, H: 90cm, W: 50cm
• Empty weight: 24.25lbs / 11kg
• Price: US$925 / AU$1,399 / €795 / £749.99

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Josh is Associate Editor of Cyclingnews – leading our content on the best bikes, kit and the latest breaking tech stories from the pro peloton. He has been with us since the summer of 2019 and throughout that time he's covered everything from buyer's guides and deals to the latest tech news and reviews. 

On the bike, Josh has been riding and racing for over 15 years. He started out racing cross country in his teens back when 26-inch wheels and triple chainsets were still mainstream, but he found favour in road racing in his early 20s, racing at a local and national level for Somerset-based Team Tor 2000. These days he rides indoors for convenience and fitness, and outdoors for fun on road, gravel, 'cross and cross-country bikes, the latter usually with his two dogs in tow.

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First Look | Buxumbox removes the headache of travelling with an integrated bike

New aluminium bike box is designed to simplify flying with your pride and joy

Oscar Huckle / Our Media

Oscar Huckle

It’s always nerve-racking flying with your bike. Will your bike arrive at the destination in one piece? Is it sufficiently protected? Can you remember what exactly your bicycle insurance covers? 

Whatever is running through your head, you’ve likely packed your bike into one of two types of bike box – a soft bag or a hard box. Both designs have their pros and cons. 

A soft bag features padding to protect your pride and joy, and is typically lighter to hit airline limits. But that can be at the expense of pure protection, where a hard box trumps a soft bag. On the other hand, hard boxes can be cumbersome to transport. 

Enter the Buxumbox, which falls into the latter camp but with some nifty features to make transportation easier and to pack modern machines with integrated cable routing . 

Buxumbox is the brainchild of Ed Morris, who concocted the first iteration of the box back in 2014 when he was fed up of trying to find an option he’d trust to carry his bike. I first spotted the box doing the rounds at the Bespoked Handmade Bike Show earlier this year and was intrigued by its claims of simple operation. 

We’ve been sent the Ventoux Road for review. It retails for £1,056 and accepts most road bikes and gravel bikes .

Close to indestructible and easy to pack 

The Buxumbox Ventoux Road is made in the UK from 100 per cent recyclable 6061 aluminium. According to the brand, it’s designed to last a lifetime with scope to be adapted for future changes in bike design. 

The brand says it opted for aluminium for its strength and low weight, with the panels said to be only 0.5mm thick. Buxumbox admits the aluminium will dent or scratch over time, “but only in a good way”. 

Either way, I’d far prefer the box to scratch and keep an expensive bike safe than the other way around.  

Once the bike is packed, an anti-crush bar slots between the wheels and frame to give the box its rigidity. 

If you are unlucky enough for an airline baggage handler to damage a panel, this is something Buxumbox can easily repair and somewhat justifies the initial investment. 

Buxumbox also wants to take away the hassle of packing a bike and claims you can pack the Ventoux Road in under five minutes – quite the tall claim. 

Perhaps the most enticing sell of this box, though, is you won’t need to take your bike apart if it's integrated. 

While carefully removing a conventional stem and finding somewhere to affix the cockpit in the box is already annoying, having to be creative with safely storing small, proprietary integrated cockpit parts takes things up a notch. 

Then, having to do it all over again at the end of the holiday adds to the upset. 

You’ll need to check that your handlebar can rotate 101 degrees, though, to take advantage of this function – it needs to be turned to enable the fork to slot into its mounting cradle.  

Buxumbox Ventoux Road first impressions 

I used the Ventoux Road to transport a 3T Extrema Italia to Spain to ride Badlands, a gravel ultra-endurance race. 

My previous experiences of using bike boxes have been quite frustrating. 

My most recent example is packing my Niner RLT 9 RDO into an old Scicon case for the Seven Serpents . 

Not only did I have to remove the wheels, I had to detach the rear derailleur and changer, and take apart the front end, while carefully securing it with plenty of padding to avoid any damage. The experience may also have involved a panicked last-minute dash to a bike shop because the provided rear axle didn’t work with my frame. 

As such, I typically prefer to rent a bike abroad to minimise the stress of flying with a bike and prevent any damage. 

However, this wasn’t an option for Badlands because the only way I was going to ride 800km with 16,500m elevation in comfort was to use a familiar steed. 

True to Buxumbox’s word, it takes only five minutes to load and remove the bike. I didn’t need to remove the seatpost (the joys of running a dropper post ), which meant I only had to remove the wheels. 

The provided wheel bags, with a cut-out for the anti-crush bar to slot through, are a smart touch, meaning there’s no chance of the wheels contacting your frame when in transit. 

Everything about the Buxumbox screams of high quality, with the heavy-duty latches and castor wheels the box rolls on particular highlights. But so it should for the tall £1,056 asking price, which is approaching double the cost of most conventional bike boxes.

The only real flaw I can foresee is it weighs 15kg, almost half the 32kg weight limit of most airlines .

With the 3T weighing a little under 10kg, that’s already 25kg gone, which didn’t leave much room to store my bikepacking bags and other equipment. 

Nevertheless, I’m looking forward to putting the Ventoux Road through its paces on my next trips. Stay tuned to find out whether it earns a spot among our list of the best bike boxes and bike bags . 

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Best bike pannier bags and pannier racks 2024 — our mega guide to all your cycling luggage possibilities

Are bicycle panniers the best way to carry stuff? They certainly can be, depending on your bike and individual needs. In this guide, we'll take a look at your bike luggage options and help you choose from the best pannier racks available.

Bicycle panniers make it easy to carry stuff that's too bulky for your pockets or too heavy for a backpack, and it's this versatility that makes them for many people the best way to carry your gear. The best bicycle panniers are waterproof to protect your stuff, durable and easy to fit and remove from the bike.

For commuting, look for bicycle panniers that are large enough for a laptop and provide organising pockets for other stuff. For touring, durability and capacity are key, but don't be tempted to go too big; you can always leave the kitchen sink at home

The best pannier racks are stiff so your panniers don't sway, and designed to fit around complications like lowered seatstays and disc brakes.

Pannier bag recommendations

>>Read more: All reviews of pannier bags on road.cc

Altura Heritage 16L Pannier — Buy Now for £39.99 from Cyclestore

The Altura Heritage 16L Pannier is excellent. It's very well made, very weatherproof, and very versatile – you can use it up front on a lowrider rack or fit it at the back, in any weather, or even heft it as a shoulder bag.

It's made from 12oz waxed canvas, and although Altura only describes it as water resistant – perhaps because the zip on the 'lid' isn't waterproof – they're being quite modest. The fabric is very good at repelling rain; like, all-day rain.

Tester Tass writes: "I think the Altura Heritage is excellent. I really like the look, and the fact you can use it as a shoulder bag. The fabric is tough and weatherproof, it's a great size, and it includes light-mounting loops. You can buy cheaper 'I'm a pannier' panniers, but if you like the heritage looks and shoulderable versatility, it's well worth the money."

Read our review of the Altura Heritage 16L Pannier

Altura Thunderstorm City 20 Pannier — Buy Now for £59.99 from Tweeks Cycles

The Altura Thunderstorm City 20 Pannier delivers fully waterproof load-carrying capability in a smart and durable package, with good commuter features. It could lend itself to a spot of touring, too. It's fully waterproof with a roll-top closure to keep out the rain, has reflective accents all over it to maximise visibility, a padded laptop sleeve built into the structure inside, plus a zipped interior pocket, sleeve pocket and key loop.

It attaches with a robust and high quality Klickfix mechanismthat incorporates a push-button release, making it a superfast job to fit and remove the bag, once all the initial fitting has been set up. The grab loop makes it easy to carry and there are loops if you want to add your own carry strap.

The roll-top fastens with an unusual but simple strap with hook and daisy-chain. This suggests greater longevity than many, as there's no complex buckle to break, which can be a weak point on this sort of pannier. It's a defiantly waterproof bag, offering really good protection from the weather, with sealed seams as well as that TPU-coated fabric.

The laptop sleeve is big enough for devices up to 15in and the padding is pretty decent, while the stiffened back panel gives extra confidence in its protective abilities.

Read our review of the Altura Thunderstorm City 20 Pannier

Oxford Aqua V32 Double Pannier Bag — Buy Now for £64.99 from Decathlon

The Oxford Aqua V32 Double Pannier Bag is a rugged and incredibly protective load-carrying option at a brilliant price. These linked panniers are not the lightest, and the roll-top on each is quite stiff, but they're very, very tough.

The two 16 litre bags (making up 32 litres of carrying capacity) are made from a durable fully waterproof fabric, with a roll-top closure – which is a bit stiff to roll but doable – and each has a zipped compartment on the outside as well as reflective accents. The rear of each bag section is stiffened and there's a toughened bumper at the bottom.

Read our review of the Oxford Aqua V32 Double Pannier Bag

Vaude Aqua Back Light panniers — Buy Now for £88.00 from Chain Reaction Cycles

Vaude's Aqua Back light panniers are tough, waterproof and lightweight, at just over 1.2kg in weight. The capacity is modest at just over 19 litres each, but the design means you can stuff them, and they work best when nearly full. Coupled with a roll-top closure system and external netting, this makes them more suitable for touring overcommuting.

An plastic plate at the rear helps the Aqua Back Light panniers retain their shape and also supports the internal pockets. Thewaterproof material used for the bags themselves makes them tough as well as light, and the super-versatile mounting system is a doddle to use.

They're eco-friendly too, made from Econyl which avoids the environmentally problematic PVC. 

Read our review of the Vaude Aqua Back Light panniers

Upso Potters Pannier — Buy Now for £70.00 from Upso

The Upso Potters pannier is a striking-looking thing which should last for years and years. It does an excellent job of keeping its cargo dry and secured to the bike.

Upso makes a range of bags from mostly recycled materials, most prominently the tarpaulins that go on the sides of trucks. It also uses things like fire-hoses and seatbelts where possible.

Take a peek inside this pannier and you'll see a label sewn in, saying it was handmade by Sue. That's a familiar touch for anyone who has a Carradice bag, and in fact Upso is a sub-brand run by the folk at Carradice. As with Carradice products, the bags are handmade in England and they do a cracking job. The design is relatively simple, without much in the way of bells, whistles or indeed pockets, but it's all neatly finished.

Read our review of the Upso Potters pannier

Carradice Super C A4 Pannier — Buy Now for £130.00 (pair) from Condor Cycles

This is a made-in-Britain pannier that does what it says it will and is built to last.

Carradice luggage has a well deserved reputation among mile-eaters for being tough, no-nonsense and durable. The Super C A4 pannier, specifically designed — as its name implies — to take A4 files and similarly shaped objects, certainly lives up to that.

As with everything in Carradice's Super C range, it's made from cotton duck, a traditional heavy, waterproof waxed cotton fabric. Cotton duck is incredibly hard-wearing and will keep your stuff dry for decades to come. It can be repaired easily by stitching or gluing, and can be reproofed with reproofing wax. It also gives Carradice bags an idiosyncratic retro look.

The pannier is shaped to take A4 files, and does so well.

Read our review of the Carradice Super C A4 Pannier

Ortlieb Vario — Buy Now for £141.95 from Wildbounds

Is it a pannier or is it a rucksack? The first thing you notice about the Ortlieb Vario is that it’s got all sorts of complicated looking bits and pieces attached to it.

Setting these aside for the time being, it’s a well made and sturdy fully waterproof pannier style bag with an effective and simple roll-top closure. It fastens securely to a rack with Ortlieb’s standard QL2.1 or QL3 fastenings (anti-theft locks are available as an extra) much as a normal pannier. It’s both left and right side compatible. Ideally sized for commuting, the bag will easily take a 15.4” laptop in protective sleeve as well as a change of clothes, although that’s pretty much the lot.

The main point of difference for the Vario, though, is its ability to transform quickly and easily into a rucksack, making it ideal for extended carrying. A discrete zipped stretch fabric compartment on the front of the bag houses the rucksack harness which simple clips on to eyelets on the back of the bag with sturdy and secure clips, without needing to do anything at all to the clips.

The harness itself is robust and well padded, offering good wear comfort, but is a little tricky to put away again, as the front stretch pocket is quite neat in size.

Read our review of the Ortlieb Vario

Ortlieb Back Roller Classic — Buy Now for £108.00 from Sigma Sports

Keep your eyes peeled and you'll see plenty of Ortlieb's Back Rollers on both commuters and grizzled tourists. There's a reason for their ubiquity: they're bloody good.

The Back Roller Classics take their name from the way they close. They roll up, with a single clip and strap holding them shut. It's basic, but it works very well, the roll prevents water from getting through while allowing enough slack to accommodate larger loads. Total capacity for the pair is 40 litres, which is about as much as you'd want to be carrying.

Where they really score is in the ease of use. The top hooks open and close when you lift the carry handle, which makes attaching and removing them a doddle. The retaining hook at the bottom is easily moved on an elliptical track to suit your rack, as are the top hooks. It's simple and pleasant to use.

Read our review of the Ortlieb Back Roller Classic

Ortlieb Commuter Bag — Buy Now for £160.16 from Alpine Trek

The Ortlieb Commuter is a really well-designed bag for those who ride to work. The QL3 system suits this bag brilliantly – easy to use on a bike and with no real compromises once you arrive.

If you've used Ortlieb gear, the construction quality won't come as a surprise; it's beautifully made, in Germany. The fabric used is a PU-laminated Cordura which manages the neat trick of being tough, waterproof and looking really good at the same time. It's not wipe-clean in the same way as tarpaulin, but dried mud brushes off easily.

The main advantage of Ortlieb's QL3 system is that the back of the pannier is flat, with no protruding hooks, so it's much better-suited for carrying off the bike. This is possible as there's an extra bracket which stays fixed to the rack, and the sticky-out bits are on that bracket – two at the top and one below – fitting easily into matching slots on the back of the pannier.

Read our review of the Ortlieb Commuter Bag

Pannier rack recommendations

>>Read more: All review of pannier racks on road.cc

M-Part FLRB front low rider — Buy Now for £30.39 from Bikeparts

This low-rider rack is essentially a copy of Jim Blackburn's design from the 1980s, which Blackburn Design no longer makes. It bolts on to the mudguard eyes on the fork and is held at the top by a clamp round the fork leg.

The design works well if you have a fairly simple hook-on pannier, but the stiffening plate gets in the way of hooks that close all the way round the bar. It's nothing you can't fix with judicious Dremelling, but you might want to get a more modern rack and avoid the hassle.

Tortec Velocity — Buy Now for £29.99 from Tredz

This minimal rack lacks a top platform, but many people find they never put anything on there anyway, so why not do without it? There's room between the 10mm hollow aluminium struts for 32mm tyres or 28mm tyres and mudguards, and it'll take up to 25kg.

Velocity users like its sleek looks too, though to preserve them, as with most coated racks, protective tape on the contact points is a good idea.

Tortec Epic Alloy rack — Buy Now for £34.99 from Tweeks Cycles

The alloy version of Tortec’s beefy stainless steel Epic rack is a sensible weight, very stiff and, if you shop around, excellent value for money. Made from 6061 rod and available in a choice of anodised silver or black powder coated finishes, it's a subtly clever set up designed to fit a full range of frame sizes, shapes and types.

Like many modern rear racks it has an extra set of top bars so you can carry your panniers a bit lower and so drop the centre of gravity of the whole lot. Its best feature is that the Epic Alloy's lateral stiffness is vastly superior to similarly priced competition, especially when loads sneak past the twenty kilo mark.

Read our review of the Tortec Epic Alloy rack

Madison M-Part Summit rack — Buy Now for £34.99 from Tweeks Cycles

Madison's Summit heavy duty rack is a quality item at a sensible price. Madison claim that the wide base offers greater stability and while that may be a bit of marketing spin, the rack certainly does feel very solid.

The most unusual feature of the Summit is the way the struts attach to the frame. Rather than a single hole either side through which a bolt screws into the dropout eyelet, the Summit comes with a separate footplate on to which the strut bolts. In fact you get a choice of two different footplates to allow for varying frame designs.

Each strut attaches with a pair of rather long nuts and bolts. Again Madison make a bold claim, that this design "dramatically increases strength and lifespan" and while they may be right, it can also make the rack more awkward to fit with the long bolts potentially fouling mudguard stays. It's not the end of the world, but was the cause of a few early medieval oaths during the fitting process.

Read our review of the Madison Summit rack

id="mozTocId887711">Blackburn Central Rear Rack — £42.62

The Blackburn Central Rear Rack is a no-frills choice that should fit just about any bike imaginable. With a 20kg weight limit it's good for touring as well as commuting, and with a lifetime warranty it should outlive you.

It has stepped-put lower attachments to clear disc brakes and a wide range of nuts, bolts and clamps so it should fit any imaginable seatstay design.

In use we had no rattles, shifting or other issues. The Loctited bolts held fast, as you'd expect, and apart from a bit of paint loss where the panniers mount it performed perfectly.

Overall, this is a utilitarian workhorse of a rack that's pretty much infinitely flexible in installation, and with a lifetime warranty should be one of the things you hand on to your children.

Read our review of the Blackburn Central Rear Rack Find a Blackburn dealer

Tubus Tara low rider — Buy Now for £64.99 from Bikeinn

Tubus' Tara low rider has been tweaked and improved over the last 18 years, making it a thoroughly mature design. It's made in Germany from 10mm steel tubing and puts the bags nice and low for stable handling.

It'll take up to 15kg, and Tubus offers clamps for bikes that don't have fittings on the fork. Tubus says it'll fit most forks, though the clamps should not be used with carbon forks.

Tubus Disco rear rack — Buy Now for £116.10 from Cyclestore

The Tubus Disco is a rear pannier rack for a kind of bike that isn't designed to take one: a cyclocross, mountain or (these days) road bike with a disc brake caliper attached to the seat-stay and no rack eyelets at the dropouts.

In a sense, it's a solution for the cyclist who bought the wrong bike. But it's easy to be wise in hindsight, and this sturdy German rack lets you carry luggage on a bike you didn't anticipate equipping with panniers.

It's made from chromoly steel tubes. That means it's stiff and strong for its weight. It's rated to carry 20kg, as much as many sturdier-looking aluminium racks. Steel is easier to weld if you do break it on the way to Timbuktu or wherever, although for the vast majority of owners that will be only a hypothetical advantage.

Read our review of the Tubus Disco rear rack

Find a Tubus dealer

Thule Pack’n Pedal Tour Rack — Buy Now for £85.49 from Tweeks Cycles

Instead of bolting to eyelets on the frame or fork, Thule's Pack 'n Pedal Tour rack mounts on your bike with ratchet straps. That makes it one of a few options if you want to carry bags on a frame with no rack mounts, and while it works well, it's a bit heavy and expensive.

The Topeak TetraRack R2 is an alternative that doesn't need additional side-pieces to accommodate panniers.

Read our review of the Thule Pack’n Pedal Tour Rack

Tubus Cargo classic — Buy Now for £95.99 from Bikeinn

The Cargo Classic rack from Tubus is the company's original rack. It's a solid rack that is really easy to fit and is compatible with most frames on the market.

If you want a rack that can take a heavy load, the Cargo is rated up to a whopping 40kg, plenty for a couple of stuffed panniers and a tent on top. Despite its load capacity, it's impressively light.

Fitting to the frame couldn't be any easier. The two adjustable struts are easy to install and they provide a wide range of adjustment so you can get the rack perfectly set up in the right position. All bolts are supplied.

Riding with a pair of Ortlieb panniers mounted to the rack showed there to be no clearance issues. Even with heavily loaded bags, the rack is impressively sturdy. It doesn't budge over rough roads and cheerfully handles you heading off-road too.

Read our review of the Tubus Cargo classic

​ Rack and bag systems

A few manufacturers offer racks and bags that are designed to be used together. They'll often accommodate components from other makers too, but work best as a system, usually saving weight and improving rigidity over generic racks and bags. These two are our favourites of the genre

Aeroe Spider rack & bags — Buy Now starting from £107.99 for the rack from Cyclestore

From the designers who created the Thule Pack’n Pedal Tour Rack, the Aeroe Spider Rack clamps on to any frame and with one, two or three cradles gives you capacity for up to 36 litres of Aeroe's heavy-duty dry bags. It's quick to fit, tough and versatile, and stays exactly where you left it over the roughest terrain.

Tester Mike writes: "I used the Aeroe Spider Rear Rack for days through the Highlands, battering at speed over very rough tracks, with no suspension, with a full load of gear, and it didn't budge one millimetre. I couldn't detect a hint of sway, unlike with even the stiffest of seatpacks. Leaning the bike up against fences, trees and so on carried no concerns, the gear all secure and the rack unmoving. Once home, it was the work of maybe 30 seconds to remove the entire system with a ratcheting 5mm hex tool, bags still attached.

"Speed and simplicity of fitting are big advantages here, as well as the solidity in use. The Aeroe system is genuinely one that could be pulled from hand luggage and fitted to your bike in an airport baggage hall with a single 5mm hex, ready to wheel out the terminal door. Or lent to a friend the night before a big ride, confident that over the course of a single IPA it could be fitted securely to any bike and would stay thus. Try that with a traditional rack and panniers."

Read our review of the Aeroe Spider Rear Rack Read our review of the Aeroe Heavy Duty Dry Bag 12L

Tailfin's unique carbon fibre rack and matching panniers are ultra-light and can be fitted to pretty much any bike. It's a pricey setup, but makes a real difference if you ride with luggage a lot. The rack weighs 350g, and the pannier is 650g – or 800g if you include the removable pocket insert. The rack is the expensive bit at £339 for the carbon version; the starting price above is for a set with one side pannier, so the bags aren't unreasonable for top-quality lightweight luggage.

You can buy the rack on its own, likewise the panniers, as they'll work with other bags and other racks, but there's no doubt that they are best when used together. The combination saves a useful amount of weight over the competition, but the main advantages are the rock-solid, zero-rattle stability of pannier mounting and the simple, elegant, tool-free attachment to just about any bike, rack mounts or no.

In use, the weight difference is significant, sure, but the main difference is the absolute solidity with which the pannier and its contents are held in place. There are no rattles when you ride over broken tarmac. Stand up and swing the bike on a climb and you don't have the sensation of the pannier moving independently of the bike. If you need to put panniers on a top-quality bike and want it to still ride like it cost a hefty four-figure sum, this is the way to go.

Tailfin has recently introduced several new bags and racks, including a £199 aluminium rack that's cheaper (but heavier) than the carbon fibre rack and a top-mounted trunk bag.

Read our review of the Tailfin T1 + SL Super Light Package

Read our review of the Tailfin AeroPack S

Things to know about panniers and racks

Folks who choose to carry stuff in bike panniers tend to be a bit fanatical about it. They point to the advantages of bicycle panniers over shoulder bags and backpacks: no sweaty back, larger capacity, far more comfortable, easier to waterproof and did we mention you don’t get a sweaty back?

I’ve got to admit to a strong preference for bike panniers. Sure, I’ll grab a backpack or courier bag if I’m just nipping into town for the evening as an easy way of carrying the stuff I don’t want to leave on the bike, but to carry more than a couple of light items, it’s panniers every time.

Another big advantage of bicycle panniers is that they can only be used on the bike, which means a) I know where they are (on my bike) and b) neither of the teenagers is going to go to the hassle of borrowing them so they’ll stay there.

But I’ll try not to be too evangelical here.

>>Read more: Beginner's guide to cycling luggage — how to carry stuff on your bike

We're just looking at traditional bicycle panniers and here. For a look at the new generation of 'bikepacking' bags see our article The best bikepacking bags — luggage for lightweight adventures

Pannier placement

Bicycle panniers hang at the side of your bike, on purpose made racks. They can fit in three main locations: next to the rear wheel; by the top of the front wheel; and next to the front wheel hub.

The rear location is the traditional place for large bicycle panniers, though there’s no obvious reason why – perhaps early cyclists were just aping the way horses are loaded behind the rider.

For this position to work well, your bike needs fairly long chainstays so that the panniers can be over the rear wheel contact point and still leave heel clearance. That means carrying rear bicycle panniers on a typical road racing bike isn’t ideal. Not only will a light frame be flexible with a load at the back, but assuming you can bodge a rack on in the first place (see ‘What if my bike doesn’t have eyelets’, below), the bags will be so far back they’ll tend to sway and wobble.

However, touring bikes have longer chainstays and are usually stiffer so this is a good place for panniers on a touring bike; many such bikes come with a rear rack as part of the package.

If you need even more capacity, for a long tour or camping trip, then you’ll want to put bicycle panniers on the fork as well. You can get racks that put them up high, at the same level as rear racks, or down low by the wheel hub.

A high front rack is good if you want to carry light items on top of the rack as well. It’s a good place for a sleeping mat, for example. Typically, front panniers for high-position racks are smaller than bicycle panniers rear .

Back in the 1970s Jim Blackburn (founder of Blackburn Design) and Jim Gentes (who later founded helmet-maker Giro) did some experiments with luggage placement on bikes. They found that the best handling was achieved with a load spread between a low front rack and a conventional rear rack. Handlebar bags were very popular among cycle tourists at the time, but Blackburn and Gentes found they should only be very lightly loaded; too much weight in a bar bag adversely affects the handling.

It turns out Blackburn and Gentes could have gone further. In 1984 adventurer Nick Sanders set a the first Guinness-ratified round the world cycling record, carrying his gear in just a pair of 45-litre bicycle panniers on a low-rider rack. I ran a similar set up for a while and they coped fine with a few days’ shopping as well as touring.

Rack construction

Racks are usually made from steel or aluminium rod or tubing. Steel rod racks are the cheapest, but are usually only found on very cheap round-town bikes. They tend to be, frankly, rubbish: flimsy, rattly and flexible. Aluminium rod is next up and is light and inexpensive. Racks made from aluminium rod start from about £10 and, if designed right, can be stiff enough for moderate loads.

Steel and aluminium tubing is where it’s at if you want to carry more substantial loads. Aluminium tubing racks start from about £20, steel from around £50.

If you want the ultimate combination of strength and light weight, German rack maker Tubus offers a titanium rear rack, the Logo Titan, for a bargain £185, though you can find it cheaper on line.

As important as the material is that the rack have some sort of triangulation to help make it laterally stiff. A rack that’s a simple rectangle when looked at from behind will be more flexible than one that has struts that slope inward from the bottom. Large-diameter tubing also increases stiffness, just as it does with bikes, though there are practical limits to how large rack tubing can get; you still have to be able to fit a pannier and hooks are usually a centimetre or so across.

Racks often have extra features as well as the ability to hang a pannier. Some rear racks have mounts at the back for a light, which is handy if you’re likely to stack things on top of the rack and so obscure a light on your seat post.

What if my bike doesn’t have eyelets?

Ideally, any bike you’re going to use to carry bicycle panniers will have eyelets on the frame to bolt on a rack or racks. The popularity of gravel/adventure bikes and the rise of ‘soft’ cyclocross bikes means more and more bikes do have eyelets, though often only on the dropouts.

However, many still don’t. Fortunately there are plenty of options if you want to put a rack on a bike that’s not intended for one.

Several manufacturers make racks that will fit a bike with no eyelets. Thule’s Pack n Pedal rack straps on to the seatstays and will fit just about any bike that has a few inches of space there, including suspension mountain bikes. Pack n Pedal racks are intended for use with Thule’s matching panniers which have a dedicated hook attachment and are held against the rack by magnets. They’re very nicely made, but the steel plate for the magnets to grab makes them heavy. Thule makes a side frame for the Pack n Pedal racks that allows the use of any panniers.

Other manufacturers such as Tubus and Old Man Mountain also make racks that will fit bikes without eyelets, and accessory kits that can be used to fit other racks to such bikes.

If your bike has mudguard eyelets but none on the seatstays, a simple and elegant solution is to replace the seat clamp with one that’s threaded for rack attachments .

You can also get racks that fit on the seatpost, though these should only be used with very light loads as they tend to sway.

Pannier options

The range of bicycle panniers out there is truly vast. There are small panniers for commuting and front rack use; big ones that’ll take everything but the kitchen sink for long-distance touring; shopping panniers designed to be easily carried off the bike; commuter panniers that’ll easily take A4 documents or a laptop; convertible bicycle panniers that turn into rucksacks and lots more.

Given the range of choices, you need to think about what you’ll be using the bags for. If the answer is ‘everything’ — shopping, commuting, touring — then large rear panniers are the way to go. You’ll probably only need one of them for the office run, but there will be times when you’ll be grateful for the capacity of a pair.

If your needs are more specific, then take a look at purpose-made panniers. A briefcase pannier, for example, will do a better job of carrying a laptop and A4 files than the less-shaped and unpadded space of a general-purpose bicycle panniers, unless you don’t mind bent corners on your files.

Carrying the bag a further than the few metres from the bike to the office? There are bicycle panniers that have lurking shoulder straps to make toting gear on foot easier. They don’t tend to work brilliantly as backpacks — you wouldn’t want to go on a day hike with one — but they’re plenty good enough round town.

The extent to which a bicycle panniers protects its contents varies. They’re generally better than the days when you much had to use thick plastic bags to line all bicycle panniers, but the level of waterproofing still varies.

At the ‘seriously waterproof’ end of the scale one manufacturer leads the way: Ortleib. This German bag-maker started out by making bicycle panniers from truck tarpaulin after Hartmut Ortlieb was inspired to use the material when his gear got wet on a cycling tour in the south of England in 1981.

Ortlieb soon added welded seams and a roll-top closure to his original idea and a waterproof legend was born.

Thanks to Ortlieb’s influence other pannier makers have raised their game. Even the most traditional of British pannier makers, Carradice, has added welded PVC panniers and other bags to its range, alongside its classic Super C panniers in cotton duck fabric. Cotton duck is also waterproof but needs more careful handling to keep it that way.

Attachments

Modern bike panniers are securely attached to the rack by mechanisms that lock closed so the hooks can’t bounce off the rail. For anyone who remembers watching a bag roll down the road after bouncing off a rack on a steep descent, these systems are a blessing.

Many pannier makers use attachments from a third party like German fixing maker Rixen & Kaul. Rixen & Kaul’s Klickfix designs started with a handlebar bag mount and now include ways of fixing almost anything you can imagine to your bike. R&K also makes a wide range of its own bags.

Ortleib has its own systems that either grab a standard rack or include attachments that amount on the rack. This QL family of mounts all include a grab handle that opens the hooks so you can lift them off one-handed. QL1, QL2 and QL2.1 will fit any rack, while QL3 needs a custom mount but sits the bags further down on the rack for a lower centre of gravity and better stability.

Explore the complete archive of reviews of pannier racks and pannier bags on road.cc

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John has been writing about bikes and cycling for over 30 years since discovering that people were mug enough to pay him for it rather than expecting him to do an honest day's work.

He was heavily involved in the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s as a racer, team manager and race promoter, and that led to writing for Mountain Biking UK magazine shortly after its inception. He got the gig by phoning up the editor and telling him the magazine was rubbish and he could do better. Rather than telling him to get lost, MBUK editor Tym Manley called John’s bluff and the rest is history.

Since then he has worked on MTB Pro magazine and was editor of Maximum Mountain Bike and Australian Mountain Bike magazines, before switching to the web in 2000 to work for CyclingNews.com. Along with road.cc founder Tony Farrelly, John was on the launch team for BikeRadar.com and subsequently became editor in chief of Future Publishing’s group of cycling magazines and websites, including Cycling Plus, MBUK, What Mountain Bike and Procycling.

John has also written for Cyclist magazine, edited the BikeMagic website and was founding editor of TotalWomensCycling.com before handing over to someone far more representative of the site's main audience.

He joined road.cc in 2013. He lives in Cambridge where the lack of hills is more than made up for by the headwinds.

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6 Best Soft Panniers for Adventure Bikes

Welcome to the Best Soft Panniers for motorcycles guide. Here’s a selection of the best soft luggage options for adventure bikes on the market today. You’ll find info on their features, how they work, pros, cons and loads more. If you’re in the market for new luggage, start here…

Why Soft Motorcycle Panniers?

By Andy Davidson

Mad or Nomad - RTW motorcycle travellers

Soft pannier luggage is the way to go for adventure bike travellers. They’re cheaper than hard boxes, less strain on the frame, more flexible, adaptable and most importantly – hard panniers are way more likely to cause you harm in a crash. That makes going soft a wise choice for anyone focusing more on off-road than tarmac riding.

If you’re set on soft motorcycle luggage, then remember that not all bags are made equal. You’re going to want the right soft stuff to suit your bike, budget and riding style and this article will help you figure out which system is best for you.

But, if you’re not convinced by soft luggage, want to weigh up your options and are considering hard panniers, then take a look at these handy guides next.

• Motorcycle Luggage Guides
• Hard vs Soft Motorcycle Luggage
• The Best Hard Panniers

The Best Soft Luggage for Adventure Bikes

This guide started off by listing six of the very best soft motorcycle panniers on the market. But that was years ago, times have changed, gear has improved massively and there are loads of new and excellent contenders on the scene from around the world. So, we’ve rewritten the list to include a larger selection of bags – from eye wateringly expensive to budget, racked to rackless and panniers suited for round the world expeditions to weekend rides. 

You’ll find a selection of the best soft panniers for adventure bikes below to help you choose the perfect luggage setup for your travels. 

The Best Premium Soft Motorcycle Panniers

Racked, high price, serious adventure riding and rtw focused, mosko moto backcountry panniers.

Quick Info: off-road focused, requires rack and clip plate, heavy duty, high price range, exceptionally well made and serious kit

American firm, Mosko Moto cemented their place on the soft luggage top spot because they produce seriously high-quality, tough and durable gear. Their kit is off-road adventure riding focused and the bags emphasise that. If you’re looking for premium kit and are going to be spending most of your time on the rough stuff or looking to travel round the world with something that won’t fail you, then these are a good choice.

The Back Country is their racked pannier system. It works by clipping on and off a plate fitted to your pannier rack. They do also offer rackless luggage, but more on that in the rackless section at the bottom of this article.  

Mosko Moto sell directly to the rider and don’t have a dealer or distributor network. They say this allows them to skip out on a costly distribution step so that they can use premium materials without making their products too expensive.

We are using the Backcountry panniers on our round the world motorcycle trip and can’t speak highly enough of them. Check out our review below for more info. 

READ MORE: Mosko Moto Backcountry Panniers Review

Mosko Moto make four different types of bike luggage options: panniers, rackless panniers, duffels and tank bags.

• The panniers use a double bag system. The outer bag is the protection and the inner is a removable dry bag.
• The racked panniers use a ‘quick-mount wedge system’, which means they can be taken off and on again without using straps.
• There’s no overseat straps and the bags are fixed to the racks so they don’t flail around on rough terrain.
• Scout 25L panniers (50L total).
• Back Country 35L panniers (70L total).
• Mosko produce rackless panniers as well as frame mounted bags for the more serious off-road focused adventure riders.
• Super high-quality gear
• No dealer mark-up as the bags are sold direct.
• The bags are adaptable, come with pockets and can have additional storage pouches attached.
• Lifetime warranty on sewn seam bags and two-year warranty on welded seam bags.
• Mosko is US based, but if you’re in the EU then the bags are shipped from Amsterdam, so factor in shipping prices. Worldwide shipping is available though.
• You’re looking at a hefty price tag for the Mosko bags, but these are amongst the hardest wearing and toughest bags in the world. 

Racked panniers start from around 580GBP / 715USD / 660EUR.

Please check the link for the most up to date prices. 

Lone Rider MotoBags Semi-Rigid Panniers

Quick Info: semi-rigid, high-end price, requires rack, comes with fittings, extra large panniers 

The Lone Rider MotoBags are semi-rigid soft panniers. They’re expensive but high-quality panniers that Lone-Rider claim are 100% waterproof. You get two pannier bags, two removable inner dry bags, two universal mounting plates and the necessary parts to attach them to your rack and two specific locks for the bags. 

These are the biggest panniers in this article with MOLLE straps so you can fit even more gear onto them. They’re the closest a soft pannier can get to being hard luggage too, so if you want something in the middle ground with loads of space, these might be the ones for you.

The Lone Rider MotoBags are two pannier bags that must be used with rack plates and a pannier rack. 

They also come with specific locks to make them more secure. These are amongst the biggest panniers available on the market today. 

The Lone-Rider MotoBags are two panniers that bolt onto a mounting plate and are then attached to your pannier racks. The panniers come with the racks and all neccessary fitments. 

• The Lone Rider MotoBags come as either 31 + 38L, 2 x 38L or 2 x 31L.
• Comes with racks and fittings
• Comes with waterproof inner bags.
• The bags are lockable.
• You can collapse the bags flat while not in use.
• Extremely hard wearing.
• Larger capacity than most soft panniers.
• Easy to attach additional smaller bags.
• The eye-watering price tag. However, the bags do come with all the fittings.

Lone-Rider MotoBags are around 918GBP / 1,199 USD / 997 EUR. But this does include the two bags, rack plates and fittings. 

Giant Loop RTW Panniers

Quick Info: off-road focused, tried and tested gear, clip on and off panniers designed for round the world travel

Giant Loop have been in the game 12 years and know how to produce quality gear. The US firm are most well known for their rackless horseshoe system (more below), but they also produce the large and hard wearing RTW panniers designed for, you guessed it, round the world motorcycle travellers. The RTW bags use a clip on system to your pannier racks.  

Giant Loop also produce a throwover luggage set called Siskiyou. These are smaller in capacity and don’t use the clip on/off system. 

Giant Loop produce rackless horseshoe shaped rear bags, clip on/off soft panniers and a throw-over rear pannier.

• The clip on/off panniers work without straps and fix onto the pannier rack with a quick release fastener.
• The throw-over pannier set has a rigid connector that sits on the pillion seat and allows the bags to drape over the racks.
• Round-the-World panniers are 90L+ in total.
• Siskiyou throw-over panniers are 70L total.
• Giant Loop produce rackless and clip on/off panniers.
• The US firm has been in the game a long time and have a long-standing good reputation.
• Simple in design.
• Works well on most bikes.
• Giant Loop is produced in the US and can be tricky to purchase internationally. 
• RTW 90L+ panniers are around 570GBP / 699USD / 644EUR.
• Siskiyou 70L throw-overs are around the same price.

Adventure Spec Magadan Panniers

Quick Info: suited for long-term and RTW travel, secure, throw-over, simple design and easy to use

The Adventure Spec Magadan panniers were developed by Walter Colbatch (if you haven’t seen the incredible Sibirsky Extreme on YouTube , you need to check them out!) The panniers were made to be simple, tough and secure by someone who is seriously knowledgeable when it comes to adventure motorcycle travel. 

READ MORE: Magadan Pannier Review

Adventure Spec are now on the third iteration of the Magadan panniers – the MK3, which is an upgrade to the previous MK2 design. The MK3s come with Molle attachments for additional pouches. 

The Magadans use two velcro straps which lay over the pannier seat and then the bags are fastened to pannier racks. These panniers use a dry bag insert, which can be removed and taken into your hotel or tent without unstrapping the entire pannier.

• The Magadan panniers are 35L each side (70L total).
• Designed by legendary adventure rider, Walter Colbatch.
• Integrated PacSafe cables make the bags slashproof and lockable. They can also be locked to the pannier frame.
• Easily attached.
• Large external pockets.
• Durable, tough, well thought out and simple.
• Pricey for throw-over bags.

The Adventure Spec Magadan panniers retail for around 416GBP / 512USD / 472EUR.

Kriega Overlander System OS Panniers

Quick Info: can be used as either throwover or attached to a plate, premium, high-price range, Kriega 10-year guarantee 

British firm, Kriega, have been in the luggage business since 2000 and have a long standing reputation for high-quality and ultra robust kit. Kriega kit comes with a 10-year guarantee because they’re so confident of its build. They produce the Overlander-S  (OS) range of adventure luggage and under that subhead have both a racked and rackless OS system. 

The racked bags come in either 32 or 22 litres and are attached to a mounting plate to be clipped on and off a pannier rack. However, they can also be used as throwover bags with an additional strap system. 

Kriega produce throw-over panniers and a rackless system as part of their Overlander System (OS).

The Kriega OS soft panniers work in one of two ways, you can either use them as a traditional throw-over set with two top straps that rest on the pillion seat. Or they can be attached to a specially designed OS platform and then use a quick release system.

• The OS panniers come in 32L (64L total) and 22L (44L total) options.
• Excellent reputation.
• Durable, waterproof and cleverly designed bags.
• Panniers are sold separately and don’t come with the OS-Platform (quick release option) or OS-straps (overseat straps). They need to be purchased separately, which bumps up the price.

The OS-32 is around 279GBP / 345USD / 318 EUR per pannier.

Wolfman Rocky Mountain Expedition Panniers

Quick Info: racked, well-known, tried and tested, expandable, simple and very easy to install and use, no plates required

Wolfman provide quality luggage and are pretty popular over in the USA. They claim their gear is 100% waterproof with RF welded seams. The construction is very sturdy and they’re made to last. The company has been producing soft luggage for a long time and are well-known and trusted over in the States. 

The Expedition bags can be easily mounted onto most pannier racks, making for easy fitment. Another benefit is their size and adaptability. Each bag is between 30-32 litres and come with straps for easy mounting of an additional bag on top and a water bottle holster on the side.

Wolfman offer throw over type panniers that do not require a backing plate. They produce a variety of motorcycle specific luggage options, but the Expeditions are their only pannier set. 

The Wolfman Expedition panniers can easily clip onto a large range of pannier racks as they come with a universal strap and use a G-hook mounting. Simply throw them over the rear seat and strap them up or attach directly to the frame.  

• The Expedition panniers are 30L each bag, but you can squeeze an extra 2L in each bag dependent on how you roll the top. So total capacity is 60-64L. 
• They also come with straps able to take an additional roll top bag on top and a water bottle holster on the side so you can attach even more luggage to them.
• Tried, tested and trusted brand.
• Tough and highly durable.
• Waterproof bags with RF-welded seams. 
• Easily mounts to most pannier racks. 
• Large capacity of up to 64L.
• Can easily add more bags to the panniers.
• Wolfman is US based, so for everywhere else in the world you will need to pay for international shipment.
• The company does state on their website that they sell via Amazon, but they only list a couple of products on there, so you’re likely going to need to purchase via the website.  

Expect to pay around 470GBP / 579USD / 534EUR  for the Wolfman panniers. 

Bumot Xtremada Panniers

Quick Info: racked, large capacity, tough, easy attachment, can only be used with Bumot pannier racks

Bulgarian firm, Bumot, make excellent luggage systems offering both hard and soft luggage. I’ve always had good experiences when using this kit. It’s tough, simple and very well made and that’s what you need for long-term travel.

The Xtremadas work with a roll-top closure with two overtop straps. You can also use these straps to tie down another roll top on top of the panniers.  They come with a waterproof inner bag that you can easily whip out when taking your gear with you.

These are large bags at 35L and 31L on the exhaust side, plus two 1L pockets for each pannier. Normally that’s an additional extra on most bags. 

Bumot say they offer the only quick release soft luggage system on the market. Meaning within seconds you flit between their hard and soft panniers within seconds with a simple click on and off system.

Bumot offer hard and soft luggage. Their soft panniers are called the Xtremada and they are the only soft luggage option Bumot produce.

The Xtremadas can only be used on the Bumot pannier racks, so you will need to purchase them alongside the panniers. 

The panniers work with a simple roll top closure and two buckles over the top. 

• The Bumot soft panniers are 35 and 31L, plus two 1L water or fuel holsters on each pannier. 
• Tough, durable and strong bags.
• Simple design and very easy to use and live with on the road.
• Each pannier already comes with two 1L fuel/ water bottle holsters attached.
• You can attach a roll top bag on top of the panniers using the extended straps. 
• Quick release option so you can whip off your soft Bumots and clip on hard panniers.
• The only con with these panniers is that they can only be used with Bumot pannier racks, which are sold separately. The only exception is that they are also compatible with a BMW GSA rack. Check their website for more info.

The Bumot Xtremada soft panniers are priced at 525GBP / 643USD / 597EUR.

The Best Middleweight Soft Motorcycle Panniers 

Racked, mid-price range, excellent for adventure travel, turkana hippohips panniers.

Quick Info: new company and gear, produced by round the world travellers, simple and easy to use with lots of extras

South African company, Turkana, are new players to the adventure bike scene, but the owners are round the world motorcycle travellers who know their stuff. They have produced luggage based on their experiences, know what long term riders need and want and built these to spec. 

The HippoHips are throwover saddle bags that will fit most pannier racks. But what’s great about these is that they can also be used with a backing plate instead if you’d prefer a quick release system. So you have the choice between two different setups with these. 

They’re 30L each side and come with removable waterproof inner bags, four additional holster style pockets that attach to the bags using the MOLLE system and a host of straps for connecting the bags to your bike. 

Turkana offer 30L saddle bags called HippoHips. They do also offer a rackless luggage set called MadMules which range from 5L each side to 20. You can find more info on those in the rackless section below.  

Simple and easy to use throwover pannier system with a roll top closure that simply attaches to most pannier racks. 

Alternatively, you can mount these to a backing plate for a quick release system instead. 

• The HippoHips are 30L each side and come with additional 2L and 1.8L pouches that can be easily attached to the sides via a MOLLE system. 
• Simple, rugged and easy to use. 
• Well suited to long distance and long term motorcycle travellers. 
• Can be used as throwovers or with a backing plate for quick release.
• Comes with additional bags and uses MOLLE system so you can fit other bags too.
• Designed by serious RTW motorcycle travellers. 
• There are no real cons for the Turkana gear. It is a new company and so we’re waiting to hear back from round the world travellers who have used the panniers. Travellers have already posted in the comments section of this article with lots of positive reviews. 

Turkana HippoHips panniers are priced at around 382GBP / 468USD / 435EUR.

Givi GRT709 Canyon Panniers

Quick Info: racked, lockable, quick release, requires clip plate, easy to use roll top closure

The Givi Canyon motorcycle panniers are packed with features. They work by attaching the bags to nylon backing plates (included). These plates have a quick fit and release attachment to racks and can also be locked to the racks with a key (which can be keyed to a Givi top box etc). The bags use a waterproof roll down closure, have removable inner bags, handy exterior pocket for bottles and straps for when off the bike. 

Individual panniers with nylon backing plate which are quickly attached onto pannier racks. 

The Givi Canyon panniers are soft bags with a nylon plate backing. The plate is attached onto a Givi rack with a quick release system and comes with a lockable key. The plate and key are included with the bags. You will need a specific Givi rack for your bike.  

• The Givi Canyon panniers are 35L each.
• There is also a pair of 25L panniers available.
• Comes with backing plate. 
• Lockable key for added security (can be keyed to Givi top box etc). 
• Easy to take on and off.
• Tough and durable material.
• Built in document pocket.
• Exterior bottle pocket. 
• Plenty of external straps.
• This type of pannier with backing plate can only be used on specific Givi pannier racks. 
• Givi Canyon panniers 35l are priced at 429GBP / 530USD / 488EUR
• Givi Canyon pannier 25l are priced at 373GBP / 459USD / 423EUR. 

Enduristan Monsoon 3 Panniers

Quick Info: throw-over, mid-price range, easy to use, simple in design, adaptable – new Evo option available

Enduristan are a Swiss company offering a range of soft motorcycle luggage options including panniers and rackless systems – all with a five-year warranty. The Monsoon 3 panniers use a throwover system and you can attach more luggage on top.

There’s now the Monsoon Evo system where you can attach the pannier directly to the frame without throwover straps. 

Enduristan offer throw-over soft panniers with three connecting straps called the Monsoon 3.

The Monsoon Evo has recently been released which works by attaching to the pannier rack. This is not a clip on off plate system or a throwover and can attach to most pannier racks without any adapter plates.  

They also produce a rackless saddle bag set-up for enduro bikes.

Enduristan’s Monsoon 3 panniers are throw-overs with three connecting straps that rest on the pillion seat. They use a roll top closure system to keep the contents dry. Enduristan say that these bags can fit some bike without racks, but of course, do check and look into heat shields if you go down this route. They do fit to pannier racks.

The Blizzard saddle bags are more suited for enduro bikes and work by resting the connecting straps on the pillion seat and connecting the lower straps to the pillion pegs.

• The Enduristan Monsoon panniers are 30L (60L total)
• The Blizzard saddle bags are 12L (24L total)
• Able to use on some bikes without pannier rack frames
• Made using a three-layer fabric to keep it tougher and waterproof
• Easy to attach
• Simple and easy to use
• No quick-release option

Enduristan Monsoon 3 panniers are 294GBP / 429USD / 333EUR.

The Best Budget Soft Motorcycle Panniers

Racked, budget options, long and short term travel , lomo motorcycle panniers.

Quick Info: most affordable, easy to use, extremely simple, waterproof, roll top and throw over system

Scottish watersports company, Lomo, have recently started producing more motorcycle orientated dry bags and the latest additions are their waterproof soft panniers. There are three sizes to choose from. All are single opening, welded seam waterproof PVC bags. The bags are simple, minimalistic, the cheapest bags in this article, easy to use and no fuss.

Lomo produce the large 30L rear pannier bags which have fixed Velcro straps to connect them. They also make medium 13 litre pannier bags with no connecting straps and a smaller 6.5 litre pair to be used as crash bar bags. Lomo also offer duffel and tube bags as well as panniers. Check out our reviews of both the Lomo large and adventure panniers on the Motorcycle Luggage Reviews page.  

The Lomo large pannier bags are throw-over bags with three sets of straps: a large middle strap and two supporting straps. These can all be tucked under the seat or strapped over it. The bags have a plastic loop on the bottom corners which can be fastened to the pannier rack.

The medium and smaller panniers don’t have a connecting strap and can be fixed to pannier racks or crash bar racks up front.

All the bags are roll top with two side and top fasteners.

• 6.5L crash bar bags (13L total)
• 13L medium panniers (26L total)
• 30L large panniers (60L total)
• Easy to use throw-over bags
• Three size options
• Very affordable
• Can fit any frame
• Not as tough as competitors if you’re going to be seriously off-roading and laying the bike down
• No option to expand with additional pockets or pouches
• Large 60L panniers – 51GBP /  62USD / 58EUR.
• Medium 26L panniers – 58GBP / 71USD / 66EUR.
• Small 13L crash bar panniers – 39GBP / 48USD / 44EUR.

Nelson Rigg Hurricane Panniers

Quick Info: budget panniers, lifetime warranty, throwover, holsters included, excellent value

Nelson Rigg are a US based company that produce a wide range of motorcycle luggage. Despite their Hurricane panniers falling into our budget category, they do come with an impressive lifetime warranty.

The bags include inner liners and holsters and attach to your bike using throwover straps. You can easily attach these types of bags to most bikes, so they’re versatile, simple, easy to use and come packed with included features. 

Nelson Rigg offer the Hurricane adventure bike panniers. There’s a range of other bike luggage too, from duffels to tank bags. 

Simple and easy to use panniers with throwover straps. You can also add further luggage on top of these bags. 

• The Hurricane panniers are 27.5L each side. 
• The bags come with a lifetime warranty.
• Includes removable and waterproof inner liners and holsters. 
• Can be easily attached to most motorcycles. 
• Simple, adaptable and versatile. 
• It’s hard finding a con for the Riggs. They’re produced in the US, but easily purchased in the UK via Amazon.  
• The Nelson Rigg Hurricane panniers are around 259GBP / 299USD / 294 EUR.

The Best Rackless Motorcycle Luggage

No pannier rack required .

For the more hardcore motorcycle adventure rider who values weight saving and riding predominately off-road, a rackless system may be the way forward. Simply put, these systems work by fastening a holster style fabric to the rear of your bike and connecting throwover bags to them – doing away with the need for heavy pannier racks. Here’s a selection of great rackless systems currently on the market today.  

Mosko Moto Reckless Soft Luggage

Quick Info: off-road focused, rackless, heavy duty, different size options available

As well as the  Back Country panniers, Mosko Moto also produce the Reckless system. This is a rackless system, meaning it requires no pannier frames for fitment. It comes in an 80 or 40L setup

The rackless system sits on the rear pillion seat and is fixed to points like the passenger foot braces or frame.

• Reckless 80L Revolver rackless pannier system
• Reckless 40L rackless pannier system.
• Perfect for serious off-road focused adventure bike riders.
• Super high-quality gear.
• Mosko is US based, but if you’re in the EU then the bags are shipped from Amsterdam, so factor in shipping prices.
• The Reckless 80L is priced at around 1,150GBP / 930USD / 1,300 EUR.
• The Reckless 40L is priced at around 715GBP / 590USD / 815EUR.

Kriega Overlander System Soft Luggage

Quick Info: rackless, high-price range, requires base adapter which can be used with and switchable bags

The OS system from Kriega works by fitting a universal fabric base to your bike. Different size Kriega packs can then be attached to this harness. 

The rackless OS-Combo system uses a harness which is attached to the bike first. You will need to drill two holes into the rear fender for it to attach to. The OS-Adventure packs are then attached to that.

• The rackless combo set comes in 12, 24 and 36L options.
• Kriega 10-year guarantee.
• The Kriega system is pricey.
• You aren’t able to attach large size bags to the harness.
• The harness isn’t included and must be either purchased separately or as part of a combo pack.  
• The overseat harness (OS-Base) is around 99GBP / 120USD / 112 EUR.
• OS Base plus two 6L bags 269GBP / 331USD / 305EUR.
• OS Base plus two 12L bags is 297GBP / 365USD / 337EUR.
• OS Base plus two 18L bags is 329GBP / 405USD / 373EUR.

Giant Loop Great Basin Soft Luggage

Quick Info: off-road focused, rackless, one single unit without separate bags

Giant Loop pioneered the rackless luggage system back in 2008. The US based company developed their horseshoe-shaped bags to sit where a pillion would and not need pannier racks. These are simple in design as there’s just one compartment meaning there’s less to go wrong on the road. 

The rackless pannier system sits on the rear pillion seat and fastens down to the frame and passenger foot pegs/braces. The entire bag is one compartment. This is different to Mosko Moto’s rackless system as it’s split into three. What’s better depends which you prefer and find easier. 

• The Great Basin rackless bag is 68L.
• The Coyote rackless bag is 39L.
• The US firm has been in the game a long time and have a long-standing and solid reputation.
• Less to go wrong as it is one unit. 
• Less adaptability than competitors. 
• Produced in the US, may require international shipping. 
• Great Basin 68L is around 567GBP / 699USD / 644EUR.
• Coyote 39L is around 462GBP / 569USD / 524EUR.

Please check the link for the most up to date prices.  

Turkana MadMules Rackless Soft Luggage

Quick Info: built for adventure bike riders and round the world travellers, rackless, positive reviews

The MadMules are Turkana’s rackless pannier system. Above in the midweight soft panniers section you’ll find Turkana’s HippoHips throwover variant. The MadMules are more focused on enduro and adventure riders who value a lighter weight system as they don’t require a pannier rack and you’re able to get your weight as low and as close to the motorcycle as possible. This is an ultralightweight, versatile and tough system for adventure travellers and enduro riders. 

Turkana produce the HippoHips throwover panniers which require a pannier rack and the MadMules rackless system. 

The MadMules rackless pannier system can be fastened down to a huge range of bikes using the mounting points and without any need for a pannier rack. 

• You can purchase 20, 15, 10 or 5L bags to be fitted to the MadMules. You also have the option to attach more luggage to the top and sides using the MOLLE system. 
• Built by experienced round the world travellers
• Lightweight (2.6kg)
• Quick fit, adjustable, simple and tough
• MOLLE system for adaptability
• Removable waterproof and dust proof inner bags.
• Field repairable
• This gear is still relatively new so we’re waiting to hear reports. But so far, the comments section on this article has a lot of positive feedback.
• MadMules Rackless base and 2 x 20L bags are around 460GBP / 587USD / 538EUR.
• You can buy the rackless system in a number of configurations with 20,15,10 or 5L bags. The price changes dependent on which setup you choose. 

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Read more on adventure bike luggage and gear

Thanks for checking out our Best Soft Luggage for Adventure Bikes Guide. We hope you enjoyed it! Here’s a few more articles on motorcycle luggage and gear that we recommend you read next. 

• Adventure Riding Gear Guides
• Motorcycle Packing Guides
• The Complete Motorcycle Trip Packing List

Try these next…

How to Motorcycle Round the World

The Motorcycle Luggage Guide

The 10 BEST Motorcycle Camping Tents

The Ultimate Motorcycle Trip Packing List

The 10 Best Adventure Motorcycle Helmets

How to Choose Your Adventure Bike Riding Gear

Let us know what you think of this Best Soft Luggage for Adventure Bikes Guide in the comments below! We’d love to hear from you. 

55 thoughts on “6 Best Soft Panniers for Adventure Bikes”

This is awesome and just what I was looking for. Loving the website and all the advice. I had a read of your hard vs soft luggage guide and decided soft panniers are the way to go. Now just got to pick one of these! Thanks pals

Hi Dan, thanks very much, we’re really glad you’re finding it helpful! That’s great! If you need anything else or have any more questions just leave another comment or send us an email. All the best and good luck.

Fantastic selection of bike panniers here. thanks for putting this together guys

Thanks Denny, glad you found it helpful! 😀

hi, what’s that yellow bag in the main picture? Looks like a duffel. I’m thinking about going for the Moskos.

Hi Jay. The yellow bag is a Lomo 40 litre duffel bag. Here’s our review of it if you need more info https://www.madornomad.com/lomo-40l-review/ Cheers!

Hi guys. Im still deciding between hard boxes and soft bags. I want to go for soft bags but the only thing thats stopping me is how safe my gear is going to be when i leave the bike. Any tips for this? I just asked the same question in your forum too. Top job. Thanks

Good question! It is easier to steal stuff from soft panniers over hard panniers. But, if someone really wants to get in, they’ll take a chisel and hammer to your hard box and snap it open in no time. So the benefit is really in preventing the opportune thieves. To do that with soft bags you can either go for a slash proof bag like the Magadans or you can buy a Pacsafe mesh net https://www.madornomad.com/pacsafe-review/ or if that’s too much of a faff, there’s always a Pacsafe single cable, which you can use to wrap around your bag.

We left 3 years ago with a net and chucked it after the first few months. We went to the cable and then chucked that too. In three years we’ve never had a single thing go missing from our soft panniers (touch wood) (and in 15 years of bike trips with soft bags as well). Stuff is far more likely to get nicked in cities or big touristy areas which we try and avoid. Here’s an article on how to keep your motorcycle gear safe while travelling https://www.madornomad.com/motorcycle-safety-while-travelling/ .

Also, we tend not to worry about kit in the soft side bags because we have a hard top box. We keep our electronics and important stuff in there, so if the clothes and flip flops get taken from the side panniers it’s not the end of the world. You can read more about our set-up here: https://www.madornomad.com/hard-vs-soft-luggage-for-adventure-bikes/

So to sum up… Yeah, hard boxes can do more damage in a fall, so if you want soft panniers because of that then don’t be put off by security. There are ways of protecting soft bags as mentioned above. But after travelling for a while we realised that they don’t really need protecting because theft isn’t as common as it’s made out to be. If you still want some piece of mind (like we do), then you can always opt for a hard top box to keep your valuables safe and use soft side bags for everything else. Best of both worlds! Hope this helps.

Hi guys, No mention of Lone Rider soft panniers. Ive looked at most of the above mentioned and actually bought an Enduristan 50l Tornado 2 before I came across Lone Rider bags. Have you had any experience with them? They seem to be well made, lockable and fit a wide range of racks. Not cheap however. Would be interested to hear your views.

All the best,

Hey Brett, thanks very much for your comment. Yeah, I did consider them when writing this guide – especially now they’re becoming more and more popular. The reviews all sounds pretty good and they do look very well made. Actually quite innovative really. You know what, you’re right, they probably should be considered for this article. I’m going to do some more research into them and ask around as I haven’t tested them personally and then look at getting them up on here.

How did you get on with the Enduristan panniers? Are you considering switching to the Lone Rider panniers?

Hey guys. Hope you are both well. I havnt bought the pannier bags yet. Its the 50l Tornado 2 roll bag that I have. Its well made and fits all my camping gear in it at a pinch. My sleeping bag is more bulky than my 3 man tent. I really do need to replace the bag. The reason I chose the Enduristan and Lone Riders is because you dont need dry bags unlike the Moskos which were high on my list. That said, I still put my gear in dry bags anyway. Just an added precaution. Nothing worse than a wet sleeping bag!! I have decided to go with the Lone Riders and not the Enduristan Monsoon 3 panniers. The features and build quality of the LRs appear to be a step up from a lot of others on the market. They do need a rack however. But.. LR dont do one for my bike (Super Tenere) so I settled on the Touratec rack. A lot are made from mild steel but Touratec racks are made from 18mm stainless steel tube. Ive had mild steel racks in the past. They always rusted and Im fed up with stripping them down, cleaning them up and getting them powder coated.

All the best to you both

Hey Brett, Ah I see. Woah, yeah that sounds like a big chunky sleeping bag! What tent are you using out of curiosity? Good shout on putting your gear in dry bags regardless. Good choice on the Lone Riders and thanks again for pointing it out. I’ve now added them to this list after a lot of research. They’re seriously expensive, but they do come with rack plates, all necessary fittings and the dry bags and you’re right, they do appear to be super high quality according to all the reviews and product tests I’ve watched and read. It would be really interesting to hear how you get on with them! Please do let us know. All the best to you too and I hope you like your new bags! Cheers mate, Andy

Hi Andy, The tent is a Snugpak Scorpion 3. Not a bad tent. Its a dome tent and as such is stand alone and can be pitched in under 10 minutes easily. There are several pockets the full length on both sides with a small loop above the entrance to hang a light. Good size vestibule that can be closed if you wish. Also 3 vents to help with condensation problems. Reasons for choosing this was price. I had a budget of £300 and got this on sale for £275. Secondly, it is pitched fly first and after initial setup you can pitch it and pack it in one hit. No need to disconnect the interior from the fly. A huge bonus when its raining. Everything stays dry. That was a consideration I wasnt going to compromise on. It had to pitch as one. Third, 5000mm rain head fly and groundsheet so its going to stand up to some serious rain. Fourth, it had to be 3 man because its used for camping with my little man (a 4ft tall 4 yr old takes up more room than you would expect. Hes a little giant!). And i like the extra room.

I used to work in a hunting and fishing store for a few years in New Zealand and got to see a lot of tents so I had a good idea of the features I wanted. Ideally I would like to get a Hilleberg 2 man Tarra or 3 man Saivo but they dont come cheap! Shame they are not available in NZ because I would have used my staff discount and got one!

I like your choice of cooking stove and was so very close to getting the same one several years ago. I had heard it was as noisy as a jet engine but very good. The noise thing did put me off a bit but not enough to discount it. In the end I went with the Whisperlite Universal for the same reasons you went with your Dragonfly. The choice of fuels is definitely a big deciding factor. Petrol, diesel, meths, kerosine, Coleman fuel normal gas canisters. You will always find fuel somewhere for it.

Hey Brett, Yeah we have the Snugpak Scorpion listed in our 10 Best Motorcycle Camping Tents article. Definitely can’t argue with those reasons for getting it haha! Sounds like you really know your stuff. That’s awesome you’re camping with your son, I bet he must love it. Yeah, the MSR DragonFly is an awesome stove, I’ve used it for around 10 years now and just won’t change it. Yeah it’s a little noisy but it’s really not that bad. But yes you’re right, the most important thing is taking multi-fuels so the Whisperlite is a pretty good alternative too. Are you still based in New Zealand?

Hey Andy. Nope. Im back in Dorset now since Dec 2018. Yep. The little man loves it. If it was up to him he would live in a tent.

The only problem Ive found with my Snugpack is the rear guy line wasnt secured into the vent sheild very well and my sisters dog tripped on it and pulled it out. Ive since superglued it back into the slit (theres a flexible foam/plastic band to keep the arch in shape) and sewn it back up with fishing braid. Maybe it was just a one off so shouldnt be a big concern for anyone looking at the Scorpions.. and its not a huge effort to add some extra stitching if youre concerned about it.

I usually do a lot of research on more than just a couple of sites before buying anything. Have been caught out in the past when I first started riding and camping by listening to advice from armchair campers. Never again. ;o)

Ah I see! Haha don’t blame him. Interesting info on the Scorpion there, I’ll direct people to your comments on it if anyone asks! Yeah, totally agree!!!

HI Andy, Quick update on the Lone Rider bags. All new orders now come with a quick release system and the older ones can be retro fitted.

Hi James, that’s good to know, thanks for the update! Cheers,

Verry usefull! Somebody any experience with the Givi GRT 709 bags?

Hi Raf, I’ve heard lots of really positive reviews on the Givi GRT 709 bags and was actually looking to add them to this list after more research. Of course, it depends on what type of soft bag set up you’re after and if you want throw overs or clip on and off fixed bags. If you are after a lockable clip-on then these do look like a good shout. Cheers

Hey guys thanking you for this very interesting homepage 🙂

My question is just that one;

I have the need for a softpanniers but not on a metal rack, only with straps.

But is there anything for TOW PERSON RIDING? (With Sozius) Ps it’s for the new Ténéré 700

Thanks for your help 🙂

Cheers Severin

Hi Severin, good question! Most rackless soft throw-over panniers have very large straps for resting over the pillion seat in order to support the bags. So, if you’re taking a pillion you can either opt for bags with thinner straps and tuck them under the pillion seat, if possible, or lay them over the seat and add an extra pillion cushion on top – this is probably your best bet. Hope this helps, cheers mate,

I am considering the Enduristan Monsoon Evo bags – they seem to have a decent attachment mechanism to pannier racks, and for the price range (eg compared to Kriega OS). Has anyone owned/used these for Overland travel, and how have they held up – I have seen one review mentioning that the outer plastic reinforcement at the bottom of each bag, broke on a fall – but did not seem to affect the waterproofing…..

I’ve heard good things about the Monsoon bags (and am trying to rack my brains to remember who I know that’s riding RTW with them!). They are far better priced than the more expensive Kriega OS system, but if you’re considering soft panniers and are concerned about how hardy they are because you’re perhaps going to be riding hard off-road a lot and are likely to have a few drops – then why not go for the Magadans? I know they’re about £100 more expensive, but this may be worth it in the long run if you’re on a big, extended and off-road focused trip. Cheers,

Hi, I don’t think that my proposed journey can be described as off road focussed…lol…but I will, as far as time, skill level, etc will allow, be looking to explore the scenic route…. Magadans….yes, seen a review of these and they do look really good….but budget and availability are key deciding factors…and I like the relatively simple mounting mechanism of the Enduristans….anyway let’s see…I still have quite a bit of time to decide….luggage, choice of bike (sent you a separate email on this)….looks like travel costs are going up, so it is likely I will end up choosing the best economical options available out there…. cheers….I do appreciate you taking the time to respond to all comments/posts….

Hi Sekhar, Ah, I see, well that’s fair enough. I’m sure you’ll get on well with the Enduristans regardless and have heard great things about them. Yes, you’re right, having a simple mounting system is very important, especially with soft luggage. However, they do have removable inner bags so that the main bags can stay on the bike while you just take the inner bags into hotels etc. Replying to your email on bike choices right now 😀 Yeah prices have certainly gone up, especially shipping which at the moment is ridiculous! No worries at all, always happy to help fellow travellers. Cheers, Andy

hi there – very very useful article…

Pannier for Brutale 2009 1090RR in Singapore

Wanted some help… I am using the bike for local conveyance and end of next month on a long tour. Want to add some pannier (soft/hard) on the machine, with some locking mechanism and enough storage to throw in my gym clothes during office week and more clothes and tools for the tour… and ofcourse want to maintain the looks. 🙂 what do you suggest?

Hi Ruchir, Good question! A little tricky to answer because the Brutale isn’t a conventional ‘adventure bike’ and so prepping it with a luggage system isn’t as common. So no doubt it’ll be harder to find examples online too. Locking mechanisms for soft luggage are also hard to come by. Your best bet for a secure system is the Adventure Spec bags as you can easily lock them and they’re slash proof. Your other option is to use a PacSafe mesh net or cable loop to secure your gear to the bike. But the AS bags are throwovers and you would probably need a custom rack, as I’m not sure if there are any companies out there making racks for the 1090. So, I would suggest going with something like a Kriega system and having it fastened to your pillion seat. Here’s a Kriega example Or a wider tail pack like this example I think these types of systems would be best because it’s risky to have panniers without support underneath them. The other option would be to have a protective bar fabricated and then use lightweight throwovers like a rackless system that sits very high up. Hope this helps and best of luck with your adventures! Cheers,

Just got back from a month long tour of Colombia with my Kriega 32L plus hook on four additional five liter bags. The attachment point where the OS-2 strap system attaches to the midpoint of the backside of the bags completely tore off. One point on each of the bags. I had to finish the trip strapping them together with bungee cords and duct tape. The bags had about 25,000 miles on them, maybe about 1,000 miles at most of off road. The concept is great, but they worked well until they didn’t. I was very happy with them before this. Can’t recommend.

Hi Joe, Thanks very much for posting your feedback here, that’s really interesting to hear! (and of course, a shame that your gear failed!). I am surprised to hear it, I’ve had some Kriega kit for that’s over 10 years old and going strong. Have you contacted Kriega about it? Would be interesting to hear their take on it. Cheers, Andy

Waiting for my bike to get shipped back from Bogota, Colombia. When it does I plan to take pictures of the failed straps and send them to Kriega. BTW, just ordered Giant Loop RTW soft bags. Fingers crossed.

Ah fair enough then. Do let us know what Kriega says and how you get on with the Giant Loop bags too. I’ve heard very good things. Cheers, Andy

Contacted and sent them pictures as they requested but no follow up so far from them. Noticed that the straps are starting to fray on the opposite bag at the same place. It would have failed also eventually. I liked the OS2 system as it saved weight but now can not recommend. The straps are not properly reinforced. Have bought Giant Loop RTWs.

Hi Joe, Oh that’s a shame, but very interesting to hear. Appreciate you adding your experience on here, thanks. And it’ll be really good to hear how you get on with the Giant Loop RTWs, please do let us know what you think! Cheers, Andy

So far really happy with the Giant Loop RTW bags. Great mounting system, and tons of storage. So far totally waterproof. Recommend.

Hi Joe! Thanks for reporting back. Glad to hear you’re getting on well with the Giant Loops and that they’re proving to be fully waterproof. How many miles/ months have you done with them? Have you been putting them through their paces? Cheers, Andy

A couple hundred miles of off road and lots of on road. No problems.

Brilliant! Keep us in the ‘Loop’ and let us know how you get on with them in future too. Cheers Joe, Andy

Hi Andy, just a heads up that the Bumot Xtremadas include a version that mount directly on the BMW GS/GSA OEM racks. I have a set of these on my ‘21 R1250GS Adventure and I love them, excellent construction, plenty of room and quite nice looking, too.

Hi Michael, thanks for your comment. Yes, you’re right! We have mentioned that in the Bumot section, you’ll find it in the ‘Cons’ section where we state you need Bumot racks to use these panniers unless you’re on a GS! Great to hear you’re loving the Bumots, they are brilliant bags. We had a set on a KTM 790 and thought they were exceptionally well made and tough too. Out of curiosity, do you run the Bumot hard panniers too? Cheers, Andy

Thanks, I missed that in the cons. I have OEM aluminum cases when not wearing the Xtremadas.

Hi Michael, no worries. Ah that’s good to hear that you can switch between the two. Cheers and happy riding! Andy

Thanks for including us on the list. It is a massive honour to be on the same as the other greats. Just a heads-up our range now also includes the Madmules rackless adaptive luggage.

Michnus TurkanaGear

Hi Michnus, thanks for letting us know about the rackless bags – will look at adding them to the list soon. Cheers! Andy

Super helpful article, thankyou ! Picking up my 2024 1250 gsa later this week. (first adv bike) So been researching A LOT for a luggage system. Leaning very much towards the Kriega OS system but a shame having to leave the plate on, without some handyman type of workaround. Just like the expansion aspect, fairly simple to use and they look good, to me, as well. Joe’s comment is the first thing i’ve seen to talk negatively about their quality (straps) They do have a metal tab on top to run a cable across and through frame etc, for some added security if needed. I plan to do some longish trips here in Aus as we have a few acres to play with, but just a hard top box when not traveling. Again, thanks for the great article ! Cheers 🙂

Hi Geoff, thanks for your comment! That’s awesome you’re picking up a new 1250! And it’s your first adventure bike, you must be excited! Ahh, welcome to the world of luggage decisions haha! Kriega is a solid choice. You’re right, it is a shame to hear about Joe’s experience. I’ve had Kriega gear for years, some bags over 10 years and can’t fault them. It could have been just a one off, who knows (I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Joe has replied to your message already on his new Giant Loop system by the way). Yeah, the metal tabs make a difference for a bit of security, we have the same on our Mosko Moto panniers and just leave all our gear in them overnight, even here in Central America, Mexico etc. Sounds awesome! I think the Kriegas would be great for Australia (we do miss riding in Oz!). Please do report back on here in the comments on how you get on with them and what you think of the setup. Would be interesting to hear! Cheers and thanks for your kind words, glad it helped 🙂 Andy

Thanks Andy, Yes super excited !! Been considering a GS since the end of the 1150’s but now have some funding to finally get one …. (& potentially keep the old Guzzi …. shhh) Certainly is quite the rabbit hole of research of not only luggage, but sites like yours are a great asset. Now i’m torn between the Kriega OS and the Bumot Xtremadas !! Haha. Only about $50 difference in it here with shipping etc. Glad to hear Joe is really happy with his Giant Loop RTW’s. Will let you know of the outcome and thoughts after a few months of use. Cheers 🙂

Haha AND keep the Guzzi?! What a garage you must have! 😀 Thank you, i’m glad the site has helped. And yeah, it’s definitely a rabbit hole you can spend forever researching every little thing. Both are solid choices. I’ve had Kriega gear for years and rate it highly. However, I used the Bumot Xtremadas on an on/off road ride through Portugal a couple of years ago and really like them – a lot. I think it depends on what you’re going to be using the kit for. For example, I think there’s less faff with the Bumots and I like the additional pouches and the wide open space for storing a rucksack so you can quickly pull it out and take it into a hotel. Look forward to hearing which you choose and your report after a few months! Cheers, Andy

Hi Everybody.

If there is one brand I can vouch for it is the Turkana products, made in South Africa. What I have noticed with the last bags I ordered, is the little tag stitched inside, with the guy or girl who made them’s name on, handwritten.

This shows how much love and dedication goes in to the manufacturing.

Apart from that, the gear itself is extremely tough and lives up to more than the manufacturer claims. To be honest, at first trying to fit the madmules rackless base feels much more complicated than it is. When You have woven the molle and pals bags to the base, and the fitting is done, they stick to the bike like a tick on a rhinos ass. I ride 95% gravel out in Namibia, and never once have I had an issue with the gear. The downside is, when Isold my XT 660 I sold the complete turkanas with it, and the new owner doesnt want to sell them back to me, so I had to buy new sets. Bloody awesome gear😁😁

Hi Radimar, thanks for your comment. That’s great to hear because we haven’t had a lot of comments or emails in about the Turkana gear yet as it’s still relatively new gear. But we have heard really good things and your comment supports that. So you’re using the Madmules Rackless system? Have you tried any of their other gear?

Ah, that’s a big mistake selling an XT660… I couldn’t part with mine and it’s still sat in my garage at home in the UK haha!

Great report and thanks for posting it here. Cheers, Andy

Hi Andy, well done on keeping the XT😁😁

I had the madmules on my XT660, and bought the XT 1200 with the factory hard boxes. Next order will be madmules again to replace the hard boxes. I actually did order a set and when they arrived a friend of mine just bought a new T7, and heck, the Turkanas look so damn awesome, he then bought it from me😂😂 Currently I have the following Turkana products on my bike: Pelipouch on the handle bar, geckogrip base on the tank with a 5 ltr bullfrog tankbag, and 2 x 3 ltr bullfrog pouches on my crash bars. I use a Turkana Duffalo bag as a tailbag, and attached to it 2 x oxpacker water bottle holders. This duffalo/oxpacker setup works just super amazing for normal travel luggage when I am by plane or by car.

One really incredible future about Turkana, is that it is so versatile, and possibilities is almost endless with the Molle and Pals webbing. And once that weave is done, it sticks like a tick to a rhinos ass😂

Hey Radimar! Haha wow! A Turkana mega fan! 😀 Always interesting to hear people’s luggage setups and it sounds like you’ve got an excellent system there. Also – “Sticks like a tick to a rhino’s ass” – excellent haha! Turkana should use that!!! Cheers mate and thanks for the report, Andy

haha, what a garage you must have !!, re Radimars comment …. “Ah, that’s a big mistake selling an XT660… I couldn’t part with mine and it’s still sat in my garage at home in the UK haha!” But seriously, thanks for the info (and added dilemma) on the Bumots. Will have to go on a touch and feel expedition. A big day in the rabbit hole Lol

I used the Turkana gear HippoHips for my 14 months overland trip through Africa and The Middle East. I must say, this was the most solid gear I had with me. It is so well made and I think the separate inner bag is a must for any big trip. After a few weeks my bags were covered in mud, chain oil and stuff I didn’t want to know what it was, but I always took a clean inner bag into my tent or guest house! After coming home I switched to the rackless MadMules system which is just as tough I can tell after a big crash in Morocco last January. The big difference with other brands is the adjustability. While working in a motorcycle store, I never saw a rackless system that fitted so many bikes and did not flop around. Rick solid stuff!

Hey Martin! Well, that’s a pretty solid recommendation right there! And a very helpful addition to the comments and this article. Thanks for posting your review on the Turkana kit. Looks like we’ll have to add the MadMules to this article too. Cheers mate and all the best! Andy

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