Alpkit Glider Bikepacking Bag Review

The Alpkit Glider bag is designed to fit inside the front triangle of road and gravel bike frames, offering welcomed extra storage on longer rides. Alpkit has developed a reputation for designing top notch kit at a reasonable price; the Glider retails for £84.99 which is in line with bags from other brands.

 5/5

 £89.99 | Buy from Alpkit

Highs

-       Sturdy, fully waterproof construction

-       Adds extra capacity to a bikepacking setup

-       Wide compatibility

Lows

-       None

The exterior of the bag is made from X-PAC X11 which is a three-layer laminate material consisting of recycled materials as well as Cordura 1100D nylon and Hypalon which I found to be very sturdy throughout testing and I had no concerns over its long term durability. The main body of the bag is split into two compartments, each accessible via a dedicated YKK Aquagaurd  zip. I found this to be a really handy feature as I could keep my kit a little bit more organised rather than having to sift through one large compartment.

It's clear that the Glider bag has been designed by people who actually ride bikes; there is a small opening at the front of the bag to allow cables for lights and GPS units to pass through and loops on the exterior of the ag to strap tent poles to.

 Capacities vary depending on the size of the bag which is dictated by the size of the frame. I ride a 58cm frame to opted for the ‘50’ which offers 2.6 litres of storage. The ‘48’ and ‘46’ offer 2.1 and 1.7 litres of space respectively. The bag is only half depth to allow access to the bottles cages on the bike. Full frame bags are available if you need all the storage you can get.

 Fitting the Glider to my frame was a doddle, the bag includes a long roll of Velcro which you need to trim to length depending on the design and diameter of the tubes on your frame. The bag is covered in loops to pas the Velcro through so I had no issues getting a good fit on the bike and assuming the bag is the correct size for the frame, I foresee compatibility issues to be scarce.

 The Glider is a very well throught through bag that has a host of handy features to make on the road easier and is backed by Alpkit’s 25 year warranty.