How to carry things on your bike - with Rapha Explore Bags

This spring, after I took an incredibly satisfying trip outside my normal course of business, circumnavigating the San Francisco Bay Area by bike, I discovered that there's more bikepackers that frequent NSMB.com than I would have guessed. It's a thread I'll keep pulling on (Dave started it, to be fair), and one that's obviously tied into writing about Rapha's new bikepacking bags.

But before you move on, perhaps because you don't have any interest in camping with your bike, let's talk a little bit more about just carrying things on your bike in general, and why you should think about doing more of it. Why?

Because we can all agree riding bikes is great, and I'd wager that it wouldn't take much for most readers to replace at least one thing they do in a car each week with a bike, and a way to carry a few odds and ends. There's no reason to take 4,000 pounds of metal and glass when more than 50% of car trips are less than three miles (source)*.

"No way! I have things, and stuff. I'm going to the store!."

*We could debate the statistics on this till the cows come home, but let's just agree that there's a heap of research out there from all across the car-centric world we've built showing that most trips are quite short. And yes, before you hop into the comments, I'm aware that there are indeed people who live in rural areas, and much of this may not apply. I grew up in just such a place. But looking back on it, if I'd driven from my house to town, parked, and ridden around to the various places I needed to go in town, and driven home...

I hear you. But unless you're regularly picking up couches from Facebook Marketplace (and, well, even if you are), a few of your weekly vehicle-based journeys can probably be replaced with a bike ride. Cars are an incredibly inefficient method of getting around, and you probably didn't need to bring a two recliners, a couch, surround sound, and a full HVAC system when you went to pick up some drywall paste from the hardware store.

Or a couple bags of groceries. Or a big bottle of carpet cleaner and paper towels from Canadian Tire. Or takeout Friday's pizza dinner. Or some cash from the bank machine. Or a coffee and a scone. All of these are easily accomplished on a bike. I'm not here advocating for you to suddenly join r/fuckcars and live car-free, but to occasionally ride instead of drive.

Assuming you're on board with the plan here and are going to take some pedal-powered trips about town, you are going to need things while you're out and about. The easiest and simplest option is something you probably already own... a backpack. As a bonus, you'll never get to the checkout without a bag. While we've reviewed many, Matt's recent writeup on a waterproof option from Ortlieb he's been hammering around town in all weather is worth a read. Partially because he starts with: "Experienced riders - commuters, bikepackers, tourers - will tell you to avoid backpacks," and I tend to agree.

So let's talk about other options.

I know what you're thinking. "That doesn't look ready to roll around town... it looks ready to go into the wilderness." But what if we changed it, just slightly.

Explore 10l Seatpack 290 CAD

I'm not a big seatpack guy. I've used them (as part of the long-term Transition Spur review), but overall I like having full use of my dropper post, they often swing around, and packing can be fiddly. However, the Rapha seatpack's metal frame has eliminated most of the movement issues, and the ease with which the roll-top dry-bag comes in and out helps significantly with packing. I'd like to see an air release valve on the bag, but otherwise it's one of the better seatpacks I've used, as long as you're not the type to cut your toothbrush down to save grams. Ten litres is about the maximum I'd ever want to use up this high on my bike, and the two-part nature of it means it's been versatile for other items - like the backpack I led with here. This isn't a daily driver for me, but next time I'm on a mountain bike oriented trip, it'd likely get the nod over my Tailfin setup.

Explore 1 litre Top Tube Bag 88 CAD

I don't love the look of toptube/fuel tank bags, but they're one of the most functional commuting add-ons out there and I almost always have on on my drop bar bikes. Stacking my phone and keys right there on front means they're always easily accessible, and while not the cleanest lines when you zoom out, I prefer this form factor over a 'burrito' style or handlebar bag (more on that below... with the Rapha Explore Handlebar bag). The straps on the Rapha 1-litre bag keep it wobble-free, and while I'd like to see the option for bolt-on mounting, the lack of holes in the bag is a bonus for preventing water ingress. The zipper - like all the zippers in this kit - has done a commendable job of keeping water out. When zipped, the only option for leaks is a well-shielded spot on the front to get a headphone or charging cable through.

Explore Frame Pack 160 CAD

The frame pack comes in three options: 2.5 litre, 3l, and 4l. I've got the largest one, and could easily fit something bigger. All of them are the same construction, with five mounting straps, a large pocket accessed from the drive side, and a slip/snack/map pocket on the non-drive side. Frame bags are a little like houses - you expand to fill the storage available, and it was a bit of a tough downsize from the nearly 6-litre Specialized/Fjällräven Frame Bag I was previously using (this was part of my 2023 Gift Guide... and is still relevant!) was initially challenging. I can't fit an entire 6-pack of 12oz cans in the Rapha.

However, the Rapha slowly won me over by being lighter and easier to dry, while still holding my lock, a jacket, a hat, a couple Voile straps, and a musette or two to carry things home from the store in addition to standard ride kit (multi-tool, tube, pump).

Explore Handlebar Accessory Pack 85 CAD

We've saved the most interesting (and cheapest) for last - and if you're looking for an emergency holiday gift for someone, perhaps this is the one to read about. While I just said I'm not a handlebar/burrito bag person, this bag is one of the more functional pieces here if we're talking about replacing car trips, and errands around town. Cleverly, the bag clips off and the included strap means it can be used as a cross-body bag.* While not voluminous, it'll fit everything you need to run some errands. Purse-wearers will note it's distinctly purse-sized. I'd wager that's not a coincidence, because it's basically a purse that also clips on to your bike. If you're bikepacking, it's also important to have a spot to stash your Most Important Things that you can keep with you at all times, on or off the bike. The handlebar bag fits this niche well, and helps tame one of my biggest pet peeves with this style of bag with a lower clip that attempts to contain some of the flapping and bouncing.

*The caveat here is that if you're old like me, you're not cool enough for a cross-body bag. So you can either just hold it in your hand, or wear it with embarassing amounts of no-shame-dad vibes.

Conclusions

Overall Rapha scores high marks with its bike bag lineup. Everything has been kept dry, zippers are taking abuse well, and the frame and fuel tank bags have basically lived on whatever drop bar bike I'm spending the most time on since they arrived. I wish there was an XL size, but the large size manages to fit a heap of stuff. The frame and fuel tank bags hold their shape well, and you can cram an impressive amount of stuff in there without it feeling like the seams are going to burst. No, they're not the cheapest option out there, but all my experiences with the Explore collection have been overwhelmingly positive (I've been wearing the sh*t out of it since I picked some up to pedal around the Bay Area).

While these bags have been in heavy rotation around town, the most fun I've had with them has been - wait for it - bikepacking. I'd be willing to bet it's a record for "shortest trip with Rapha bags," but it took us a looooooong time.