Every lover of cycling is well aware that hiking is not enough without a bicycle bag. Of course, some people ride with a backpack, but on long trips the bag begins to rub shoulders, and pain in the back occurs.
Benefits
Why do we need bike bags? The answer is very simple. Just imagine that you will no longer have a large number of bags that you have to hang on the steering wheel, they will not hit you in the legs and interfere with movement.
The advantages of these products are undeniable:
- small compact dimensions;
- the ability to adjust the volume of luggage;
- reliable fixation on the trunk.
The use of a bicycle bag significantly reduces the load on the back, as well as on the saddle of the bike. This bag will be an ergonomic solution for storing food and travel items.
As a rule, good backpacks have solid mounts, and this is extremely important for all movements on the bike. It is no secret that the quality of roads often leaves much to be desired, the cyclist is constantly faced with bumps and sharp turns. If at the same time there will be a poorly fixed bag behind your back, it is possible that you will arrive at your destination empty-handed.
The bicycle bags intended for fastening on a bike will not cause discomfort to their owner and will not make him worry that he may lose his load on the road at any time.
How much weight can I carry on my bike?
The answer to this question largely depends on the weight of the cyclist in full gear. Of course, thin, wiry and short people are in a better position.With proper load distribution, they can easily carry up to 50 kg of luggage, and if there are all kinds of trailers, this figure will be even higher. If the bike user is more well-fed, and his body weight is, for example, 110-120 kg, then you should not load your bike with a load of more than 25 kg.
The maximum permissible weight of a loaded bicycle bag also depends on the type of frame. If you are a happy owner of a modern bike, you can afford to transport heavy items. And when riding a bicycle with a folding frame, excessive load is very quickly affected, for example, when moving in a rural bumpy area.
By the way, there is an unwritten rule among cyclists, according to which the weight of a folding bike backpack should not occupy more than 50% of the load that can be fixed on a bicycle with a single frame. This is important, since the folding frame can not be called solid, and when moving massive loads there are great chances to encounter increased metal fatigue and, as a result, cracks.
In any case, if your bike is loaded too much, you should only move on roads with a smooth surface.
Trunk
In order to use the bike bag, you need a special trunk that protects the rear wheel from accidentally getting the straps and fasteners from the bag into the needles.
Any bike provides for the use of front and rear luggage racks - these are the places that are considered the most convenient and loaded in bikes. It should be noted that many cyclists, especially those belonging to the younger generation, today fundamentally do not use the front trunk.
There is some rational grain in this - the front trunk makes it difficult for the cyclist to maneuver and move over rough terrain, negates the possibility of jumping from curbs and traveling through large tree roots on forest paths, luggage on the front trunk drastically reduces bike handling, and this often leads to falls the cyclist.
That is why the rear trunk is most often used. The bags placed on it are good in that they allow the owner of the bike to calmly and leisurely move along a level road.
If you are planning a long trip and loading both luggage carriers, then Distribute the load correctly: cargo of approximately the same weight should be transported on each side of the bicycle, otherwise the vehicle will begin to “stand on its hind legs” at each stop, which makes the ride uncontrollable and often leads to serious injuries.
Kinds
There are several varieties of bicycle bags on the market: single-volume and sectional.
One-Volume Backpacks They are a one-piece bag, supplemented with special straps for easy movement on the shoulders. A similar model is optimal when moving dimensional objects. Among the shortcomings of the model can be noted discomfort that occurs with the cyclist whenever necessary to remove any thing - in this case, you have to disassemble the backpack completely.
Sectional "bicycle pants" are more popular - they have several compartments, which, if necessary, can be removed and used as a separate item. Typically, such a device has a pair of bags ("legs") and one upper section. If the backpack is not fully loaded, the cyclist can always unfasten one of the compartments - this will make the luggage less overall.
Very often, tourists use not only the inner space of the bags, but also their outer surface. For example, foam is placed there (a rug used by tourists) - the product is rolled up and laid in the upper compartment of the "bicycle pants".
How to choose?
Very important, so that the width of the "bicycle pants" does not exceed the distance between the ends of the steering wheel. Otherwise, you can catch on the bush and other vegetation while driving along narrow forest paths.It is advisable that the "pants" were made of dense matter, as branches often whip along the bags during hikes, and when bikes fall, the fabric can simply tear.
Another undoubted advantage of bags on the bike carrier is the ability to choose a cover for your future backpack and all kinds of accessories. It is desirable that the backpack for the bike was waterproof. It is not necessary to hope that during your trip there will be good clear weather all the time - there is always a chance to get into bad weather. Poorly protected from rain will not protect your belongings and products.
Of course, this does not really matter when you are going for a short walk and plan to return home after a couple of hours. But if you are leaving for a multi-day trip, then it will be extremely disappointing to be without food and replaceable things. On sale are many models of "pants", which may vary in class of wetness. This parameter is measured in millimeters of water and indicates how high the pressure of a column with a cross section of 1 mm can withstand matter without leakage. Cordura 1000 is considered the best compromise between strength and durability.
Of course, it makes sense to buy such a bag only if you are engaged in multi-day cycling. On small trips, the bike bag is usually no more than half full. A half-empty bicycle bag begins to sail, and this has a significant resistance to movement.
The crucial point for choosing “veloshtanov” is the size of the backpack itself. The most commonly used model is a volume of 50 liters, and the smallest backpack is a 6-liter product, it is used in day trips. For long group trips, it is better to use options for 100-120 liters.
Keep in mind that the cover should not be continuous, it is important that it has special slots for access to the transported luggage.
If you are a regular user of the bike, and your movements on it are not limited to a couple of hundred meters in the yard, then it is advisable to buy this thing. Having paid for it only once, having picked up all the related accessories, you will use such a bag for a long time and you will be able to fully appreciate all its positive qualities.
See the video below for an overview of the Roswheel trunk bag.
