10 of the best bikepacking frame bags for gravel bikes - tried and tested packs that are the best you can buy
Tried and tested frame packs that are the best you can buy
Updated March 23, 2021
Frame bags are a super useful piece of kit, not just for bike packing trips they are also a great way of carrying tools, food and other ride essentials on gravel, road and mountain bikes. Here are the best ones we've tested that you can buy in 2021
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10 of the best bike packing frame bags
The best packs made to carry gear inside your frame are here. All these bags have been tried, tested and reviewed by us and our mates over at road.cc and have all scored over four stars out of five. Scroll down for the full list of click on one of the links below to jump straight to that bag.
- Evoc Multi Frame Pack —£30.00
- Ortlieb Frame-Pack Toptube – £84.99
- BBB Middle Mate frame bag – £28.99
- Polaris Ventura Frame Bag Max – £55.00
- Vaude Trailframe frame bag – £70.00
- Bontrager Adventure frame bag – £68.99 - £78.99
- Alpkit Possum frame bag – £59.99
- Restrap Race frame bag – £74.99
- LifeLine Adventure frame bag – £15.99
- Topeak Midloader frame bag – £34
Evoc Multi Frame Pack —£30.00
The Evoc Multi Frame Pack is useful 1L frame bag with just enough space for a tube, tools and snacks. It fits a variety of frame shapes across gravel and mountain bikes, and while it's a little pricey it's tough, well stitched and even comes with frame saver tape.
Ortlieb Frame-Pack Toptube – £84.99
The Frame-Pack Toptube offers four litres of space and the high quality, fully waterproof design you expect from Ortlieb. It has lots of adjustment for fitting and makes a good option for riders looking to keep their bottle cages accessible.
BBB Middle Mate frame bag – £28.99
BBB's Middle Mate frame bag is great value if it fits your frame. It’s not the most robust frame bag out there but it has two pockets, a bright internal colour divider and five straps to fix it to your frame. It also only costs £35 which makes it a bit of a bargain.
Polaris Ventura Frame Bag Max – £55.00
The Ventura Frame Bag Max is a waterproof bikepacking bag at a keen price point, offering five litres of carrying space in one main compartment and two smaller zipped ones, solidly built and at a price point that is seriously competitive.
Vaude Trailframe frame bag – £70.00
Vaude's Trailframe bag is a tough and waterproof roll top bag, with a side access zipper that keeps your gear easily accessible. It's a simple design that's stable, functional and easy to fit and remove, though the straps can be a bit of a faff.
Bontrager Adventure frame bag – £68.99 - £78.99
The Bontrager Adventure Frame Bag is really well thought-out, offering plenty of useful features without being fussy or pointless. It’s also properly waterproof, impressively rugged and hardwearing, and stable no matter how hard you ride or how rough the terrain. Only its dark fabric and lack of reflective parts let it down.
Alpkit Possum frame bag – £59.99
The Alpkit Possum is a half-sized frame bag, meaning it leaves space for easy access to water bottles on both mountain and gravel bikes. It’s stable, fits a lot of different frames easily and is ideal for carrying tools and spares. It really doesn't carry very much, however, and it’s a tad pricey considering it isn’t waterproof and has a rather basic system securing it to the frame.
Restrap Race frame bag – £74.99
The Restrap Adventure Race Frame Bag is a tough, lightweight choice for fast-and-light adventures. Fitting most frames because of its shorter cut and generous mounting straps, it goes on and off bikes quickly. Although not 100 per cent waterproof, it's good enough to shrug off showers and looks sharp too.
LifeLine Adventure frame bag – £15.99
The Lifeline Adventure frame bag fits 2.1 litres of storage beneath the top tube. It's a simple design with a single zip and one large storage area, while its 300D ripstop nylon fabric and welded seams mean it's both light and impressively waterproof. It might not be a looker, but it's cheap, simple and effective.
Topeak Midloader frame bag – £34
While the notion of carrying luggage on your bike for adventures has long been the norm the traditional panniers and saddle bags are being replaced with frame packs like this Topeak Midloader, a well built, sensibly designed load carrier.
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2 comments
You've really made that Alpkit bag look rubbish.
there are mounting loops all the way along the top if you can be bothered to use them.
replaceable Velcro are also brilliant, so the bag isn't trashed when the Velcro gets worn.
They fit really securely and don't swing when you're out of the saddle.
Anyone used PlanetX's podsacs range? Have a set I've not used (coz lockdown) but seems a good budget option. Looks most like the Lifeline option.