What's The Right Cycling Bag For You?

by Preeti Viswanathan

Every pot has its lid, every dog has its day, and every biker needs a bag to elevate their adventures. 

A bag can transform a ride by offering solutions for packing extra layers, protecting technology, or transitioning seamlessly from home to the office. We’ve compiled some of our favorite bags for whatever kind of biker you are. 

With the proliferation of bike sharing systems such as Citi Bike, you can find easily rentable bikes in virtually any city in the country—but they don’t usually have storage. If you’re using these bikes to explore a city or to get to meetings, you may be looking for a bag that you can easily carry through an airport and attach to any bike you use. The Urban Tourist Kulie 2L is the ideal traveler’s companion—it can be mounted on any bike’s handlebars, and is a stylish cross body bag off the bike. 

Kulie’s Convertible Backpack Pannier is made for those on the run. It clips onto a bike’s rear rack, but seamlessly converts to a backpack when off the bike. It can fit a laptop, spare clothes, and whatever else you may need for your day. 

For the commuter with the need to bring a suit or dress to the office, the Henty Wingman Two-Piece Travel and Suit Bag allows you to roll your clothes neatly into the bag, and still to easily bike with it. 

Long bike touring trips are becoming increasingly common. Kulie’s 38L Box Top Panniers (see Blog lead image) provides everything a bike tourist might need. Its capacity and durability makes it the perfect companion.  

Bike packing is bike touring’s scrappier younger cousin--many bike packing routes include gravel and dirt roads, or even single track. They require light bags and elegant packing solutions so as not to interfere with navigating technical terrain. Here are a few options: 

The 8L Daytripper handlebar bag is perfect for the day trip or long adventure. It’s handlebar mounting provides easy access, and it’s hardshell case protects anything inside. It has expandable and zippered pockets, a removable interior purse for off-bike excursions, and a side waterbottle holder. It’s also ideal for off-road bike packing. 

For riders that want to match panniers with a triangular frame bag, try Ortlieb’s Frame-Pack.

Kulie’s AllSport Trunk Bag 38L bag is built for rugged, all weather use, and comes with a dirt cover for added protection. The expandable panniers leave ample room for whatever you might need. It also has a removable shoulder strap to make for easy off-bike carrying. Perfect for mixed-surface conditions and long adventures. 

For a large, light under the seat back, try the 10L Spinelock Relevate Bag. 

For road bikers, weight can really matter. You want to be able to carry everything you need in as compact a bag as possible. In the Phone Carrier Kulie, you can fit your tire irons and spare tube, as well as your ID and credit card, which are too often shoved in jersey pockets and at risk for falling out. It also makes carrying a phone a breeze. For the road rider who needs to follow a route, stay in touch with family, or watch Strava live-segments, this is ideal. 

Every road rider struggles to find a saddle bag big enough to fit the necessities but compact enough to not cause drag or look bulky. Kulie’s saddle bags come in two sizes. The JumboSaddle Kulie is larger and ideal for the casual rider. The smaller Tool&Tube Kulie is ideal for the more serious rider--lightweight, tucked under the seat, yet with plenty of room for a multi-tool, tire lever, and extra tube. 

For the biking family seeking picnic adventures, farmers market outings, or planning a long day trip, the AllSport Kulie is your bag. It can be a picnic basket, diaper bag, or library-visit basket. It can sit either on the front or rear rack, and holds up to 38L. It has removable shoulder straps to help you get to your destination off bike, too. 

Kulie’s Kid’s Bike Bag allows younger riders to carry their own snacks, water, and toys. It attaches to any bike or scooter, but is easy for a kid to carry of the bike with the shoulder strap. 

For a rider looking to get out for a social ride, run errands, or visit a friend, the ClutchPurse Kulie is a stylish, simple bag--on the bag, it straps easily onto the handlebars. Off the bag, it serves as a clutch with room for whatever you may need for your outing. 

For a longer ride, the DayTripper Kulie is an 8L hardcase that attaches to handlebars with a handlebar adapter. It’s ideal to carry camera equipment, groceries, or beverages. 

Kulie’s Top Tube Frame Bag is perfect bag for any bike with limited frame triangle space, like a full suspension mountain bike. If you’re planning long excursions on your mountain bike and need to carry extra food or layers, a frame bag is a great alternative to carrying everything on your back. This bag is also ideal for day-to-day...the perfect bag to put on your bike and not worry about again, there to carry whatever you might need each day. 

Sometimes, a mountain biker might prefer a classic backpack because of space for hydration packs, The Osprey Packs Raptor Backpack has 14L of storage space, along with a 2.5L hydration receptacle.