By Robyn Furtado

Published: Wednesday, 29 December 2021 at 12:00 am


The last two years have seen a proliferation of interesting gravelly adventures in the UK, as Covid forced us all to stay local.

My picks for our 2021 Gear of the Year series  are therefore made up of what I found to be the most useful accessories for heading from the doorstep into all the joys bikepacking in England has to offer (mostly… rain).

2021 was a year of big rides for me. I completed my first century in June, a mega 135-mile dusk-til-dawn epic. Since then, I’ve achieved four other centuries, two of those off-road.

I didn’t think I was strong enough to ride a full 100 miles at the start of this year, but there is definitely something exciting about churning out such distances, and I’ll be hoping to do more of the same in 2022. 

 

Apidura bikepacking bags

"Apidura
Apidura’s seat, handlebar and frame bags are waterproof and durable.
Robyn Furtado / Immediate Media
  • Seat bag £118, handlebar bag £96, frame bag £76

If there’s one thing I found myself using over and over in 2021, it was these Apidura bikepacking bags. They really impressed and surprised me with how well they work.

I got them in May and they’ve accompanied me on various bikepacking trips away, not to mention all the times they’ve been up Dundry Hill on the way to the Mendips, near where I live in the South West of England. 

There is a lot to like about these bags; firstly, just how well they work. They’ve proved themselves to be very waterproof, hardy and durable, and are easy to use and swap between bikes. 

Unlike some bikepacking bags, these mostly forgo zips, which helps durability. The part of the bag that takes all the strain – where the straps join the main bag – has been doubly reinforced and hasn’t worn at all, despite being overloaded with stuff on occasion. 

 

It’s great to see Apidura offering resources and tutorials for repairing bags if they do break, as well as the option to buy cheaper, repaired older bags through its Revive programme as a way of reducing environmental waste. 

 

A particular shout-out goes to the seatbag, which fits the saddle snugly, and is balanced well enough to avoid much of the annoying sway that other bikepacking bags can bring. 

 

It’s hard to quantify why these bags are just so good, but perhaps the main thing is how easy it is to use them.

They fit well, keep everything dry and dirt-free, and work without fuss. Because of this, they have integrated themselves into my cycling kit seamlessly, and it’s rare that I don’t reach for them when I’m heading out for a ride.