Australian Hiker

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ROCKBROS Bike Rack Bag Review

When I was setting up my bikepacking kit I ended up with four seperate bags and given I already had an existing bike rack mounted on my bike that was designed to take a set of panniers, I decided to opt for a bag that could be mounted on this rear rack. There are any number of options available for this style of bag but after spending some time researching, I opted for this version from ROCKBROS for a few reasons. I liked the features that it had on offer, I liked the appearance, and I also liked the idea of staying with a single brand across my bags.

There are only real two negatives with this bag. Firstly, you do need a rear rack for mounting and if you need to purchase a rack for this style of bag then this will increase the installation price. The main negative without a doubt, is the price. When setting up my kit for bikepacking this bag much dearer but since then the prices have dropped now being AUD $149.99 RRP.

Having said all that this bag is highly versatile and for what it costs, it offers real value. This bag has a robust outer casing which provides plenty of protection for the bag and when you look inside there are some removable padded inserts and bottom layer that make this a great case for camera gear. In addition the hard side casings which provide protection open up and fold out into two soft panniers that more than double the carrying capacity. Both the pannier covers and the panniers themselves have reflective strips for when you are riding in low light conditions.

I must admit that I’m not a fan of panniers off-road as they hang a bit low and are prone to getting mud and water on them in some of the ares that I travel. If you aren’t going off-road or are sticking to dry management roads, then the panniers are a real option and may mean you can get away with one less bag somewhere else on the bike.

The rear of this bag has a water bottle holder and there is a rear light holder for when you are travelling at night. There is also a bright yellow rain cover that comes with this bag to protect everything during inclement weather. The top of this bag has a seperate expansion zip that allows the bag to expand and increase the size which is a great feature if you are using this for things other than camera equipment. In my case I use this bag for my puffy jacket, rain jacket and pants, first aid kit, voice recorder if I’m blogging, my small bike tool kit and glasses. I often dont use the expansion option but it does provide me with plenty of space if I ever need it.

In most case this bag will end up living on my bike between any bikepacking trips that I do as it sits out of the way and is highly versatile when traveling locally providing a great option for a picnic lunch if we opt away from using the car. As mentioned this isn’t a cheap bag but for the features that it offers, its very great value.

We Like

• Versatile bag option
• Robust construction protects your more fragile equipment such as camera gear
  • Padded main compartment with removable partitons
• The top opening lid expands to increase the capacity of the main compartment
• Foldable soft panniers that double the capacity of this bag
  • The pannier protection covers fold down keeping them away from the moving wheel
• Removable shoulder strap
• Rear drink bottle holder
• Loop for rear light
• Reflective strip on the outer side casings and reflective strips on the soft panniers
• Seperate rain cover

We Don't Like

• Not the cheapest bag around but great value for money
• Requires you to have a rear rack

Best Uses

• A highly versatile bag with lots of space options
• Ideal if travelling with camera equipment

Buy One

You can purchase the ROCKBROS Bike Rack Bag from Amazon Australia or from ROCKBROS

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD $149.99 RRP

ROCKBROS Bike Rack Bag

ROCKBROS Bike Rack Bag with removable shoulder strap attached. The strap can be removed if you don’t need it

ROCKBROS Bike Rack Bag on my bike. The opening expands out to provide more storage volume

Bike Rack Bag Case

ROCKBROS Bike Rack Bag fully expanded

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased by Australian Hiker

Last updated

8 July 2024

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