Bike saddle bags

Bike Bags. The Best Selection at Mammoth

Bike panniers, along with many other accessories such as a good bike handlebar bag, are a traditional piece of equipment that is perfect for cycling trips. Countless cyclists use panniers for urban commuting and everyday tasks such as shopping, work or school. This is ideal, of course, but they are especially useful when it comes to cycle touring or adventures where you need to carry a lot of luggage on your bike.

Panniers are very practical because of their large storage capacity and quick and easy access. They are usually placed on the both sides of the rear luggage rack, and sometimes completed with a third bag placed between the panniers, on the top of the rack, if more space is required.

On occasions when even more luggage space is needed, a front bike pannier can be positioned on each side of the fork. The activity known as bikepacking combines a variety of bags of various shapes and sizes, specifically designed for attachment to different areas of the bike, such as the handlebars, frame, saddle or seatpost.

Bike bags are available in all sizes and materials. A crucial aspect is the waterproofing capacity, to ensure your luggage stays dry. If the material itself is not waterproof, it is essential to use a waterproof rain cover.

It is important to spend time studying the weight distribution between the different bike bags and panniers, to prevent difficulties when handling the bike. Depending on the size and design of your bike bags, they will influence, to a greater or lesser extent, the aerodynamics of the bicycle. This, together with the increased weight of the luggage, makes ridingmore complicated and more energy is required to maintain a certain speed. Excessive volume can also compromise certain bicycle manoeuvres. This is why the features should be considered carefully, before buying a bicycle bag.

If you do not need as much storage capacity, you can opt for a smaller bike bag, such as the Topeak RX Trunkbag DXP. These bags do not require a traditional rack and can be fitted to a quick release seatpost carrier. They are more aerodynamic and this model has expandable side compartments that turn into panniers, but the maximum load weight is, of course, more limited (about 8 to 10 kilos in total).

When using the panniers, you will need to attach a luggage rack, such as the Topeak side panel basket.