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10 Best Bike Frame Bags for Every Type of Cyclist
Frame bags are designed to fit inside your bike’s triangle, providing a streamlined way to hold gear, repair kits, food, and layers. These are the 10 best frame bags for all types of riding.
Frame bags aren’t just for bikepacking. Commuters, gravel riders, and mountain bikers of all skill levels swear by the convenience of a sleek, sturdy frame bag to carry extra items instead of a worn pack.
In contrast to other attachment packs like panniers, seat bags, or handlebar bags, frame bags are dimension-dependent, as they sit inside the triangle of your bike. Your bike’s geometry and tube length will determine which pack works best. Below, we've rounded up the best bike frame bags for a variety of different riding styles, bike sizes, and storage needs.
Best Bike Frame Bags
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What to Consider
Material
Most bags are built using some type of nylon, though there are also some hard-sided bags out there. Nylon bags are more flexible than their hard-sided counterparts and allow you to pack in more items, though each bag’s specifications will have different deniers for increased durability or weight savings. It's wise to check on whether or not a bag you're eyeing is fully waterproof before you make your purchase. Even a PU-coated nylon bag won’t be fully watertight if the zippers and/or openings aren’t built to be waterproof.
Dimensions
The dimensions of a frame bag matter more than volume. Since this bag fits inside the triangle of your bike—and there are so many variations on these sizes—it’s critical to know every dimension of your bike frame before committing to a bag. Some brands, like Salsa, will tell you exactly what bike each frame bag fits, and with others you’ll have to take measurements.
You want the frame bag to fit securely between the top tube and down tube. Larger frame bags will also reach all the way to the seatpost, creating a secure triangle usually held in place with webbing or hook-and-loop closures. Road-style commuter bikes or gravel bikes will usually have the widest triangles, with full-suspension mountain bikes typically requiring specifically fitted bags to accommodate for rear suspension.
Capacity
What type of riding will you be doing? Bikepackers or riders on extended tours will want a frame bag with a 6- to 10-liter capacity. These larger bags will naturally fit better on touring or gravel bikes, which have larger front triangles to accommodate frame bags. These bags can fit layers, snacks, water reservoirs, and quick-grab repair tools.
Commuters or day-riders will likely be fine with a smaller bag with a 1- to 4-liter capacity. These riders might have bikes with a smaller triangle, and will only need to stash snacks, a lock, phone, wallet, and a small repair kit in their bag.
How We Evaluated
We considered a long list of available bike frame bags, narrowing our selections to include models of various shapes and sizes that fit a variety of bike dimensions.
These bags were chosen for their measurements, volume, and intended use. We found bags for commuting, bike touring, and mountain biking, and chatted with industry experts, local bike shops, and first-hand users to come up with our final picks.
Maggie Slepian is a full-time freelance writer in the outdoor industry and has tested gear professionally for almost ten years—she is an avid backpacker, trail runner, bikepacker, and horseback rider and has thru-hiked thousands of miles on the Appalachian, Colorado, and Ouachita trails, along with backcountry travel on terrain including coastal trails, the desert, and high alpine peaks. Maggie has written for New York Magazine, Huffington Post, REI, and Outside. She is a columnist with Backpacker Magazine and is the co-founder of BackpackingRoutes.com. Contact her at MaggieSlepian.com.
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