Cycling backpack "pants" (for the rack)

A mandatory item in the equipment list of any cyclist is a bicycle backpack for the rack. It is also called a rack pack or simply “bike pants”. Some people prefer to travel with a regular backpack on their shoulders. But this method is only suitable for one-day bike trips (rides) or short trips without spending the night in tents. This is due to the fact that carrying a heavy load on a bent back is not so comfortable (and even unsafe) and your back gets tired quickly.

Therefore, a rack pack on any bike trip is simply a must and irreplaceable thing. Typically, bicycle backpacks are divided into two main types - single-volume and three-section...

Three-section bike backpacks usually have a relatively small volume of up to 50 liters and, as the name suggests, consist of three independent “bags” (two side and a central one). Suitable for short hikes, and the main advantage is that you can vary the volume based on the amount of equipment. For example, take only one or two side bags or, after attaching the top “suitcase”, take the entire “bike pants”. The main disadvantage is, of course, that you cannot put a large thing, for example, a tent, and it will have to be attached to the outside of the bike backpack.

single-volume rack packs do not have this problem. The most common models have a volume of 60 to 80 liters, and even a rolled-up sleeping pad fits into many of them without any problems. Typically, such bicycle backpacks are also equipped with straps (like a regular backpack) for ease of carrying when boarding a vehicle or when overcoming difficult sections on difficult cycling trips. That is, they can be worn on the back. Also, “bike pants” are most often attached to the rack using one single belt or elastic band. This allows you to quickly remove them from the rack, which is again important on difficult bike trips with a lot of rough terrain. Three-section bike backpacks have numerous plastic latches that make the removal process much more tedious, and they are also less reliable (they can break).

For three-day hikes, almost any bike backpack on the rack is suitable. If you are going on a long trip that is not fully self-supported, we can recommend roomy three-section or medium-sized single-volume backpacks with a capacity of 50-60 liters. Well, for demanding self-supported trips, it is, of course, desirable to have a single-volume rack pack of 80-90 liters.

When choosing a bicycle backpack, do not forget about a special rain cover. For some reason, this absolutely necessary accessory on a hike can rarely be found in our stores.

Brief overview of the market

Below is a table with the most common rack packs on our market. The bicycle backpacks in the table are sorted by suitability for long cycling trips (our, purely subjective assessment): suitable at the beginning, crap at the end:)

The first two points are worth special mention: The Mirage models of the St. Petersburg company Snaryazhenie have proven themselves to be the best in the most difficult bicycle trips and expeditions for their practicality, ergonomics, and durability. And the rack packs of Oleksandr Volkov (website beskid.com.ua) are unrivaled in terms of price/quality ratio. We rent exactly these rack packs (Dakar model) to participants of our bike trips.