I was glancing through a product release email from Alpkit (as you do) when I spotted that the Peak District-based brand had released a brand-new range of bikepacking bags. They are called ‘Deluge,’ for their fully waterproof taped ripstop fabric construction. Very new and shiny, except Alpkit have been making the same bags for years already, just under various other names. I’ve used a number of these products for years, so I thought now would be a great time to write a long-term review.
The products I had available for review were: the Gnaro 3.5L handlebar bag, the Tivaro 13L handlebar bag, the Fiana 13L seat pack, the Bato 0.5L seat pack for tools and the Tuoko 0.6L top tube bag. Even as I write these names out, I can immediately see why Alpkit chose to unite them all under a common brand - such a wide array of products is confusing. Now, we can just talk about the Deluge saddle bag, the Deluge top tube bag and so on.
It’s worth mentioning that Alpkit also sold the Anoloko frame bag (available in three sizes depending on frame size and top tube length) and the Lodo 1.4L stem-mounted bags, both made from the same black ripstop fabric. I haven’t purchased these products to review but can assume that the durability and construction of the other products will translate across. I know that each of these products have unique properties and construction suited to their purpose, but in my time using them I have noticed some trends that apply to all.
First Impressions
The first products I purchased from this range were the Gnaro handlebar bag and Bato tool seat pack. My immediate impressions of these two were - there is No way anything is leaking into them. The ripstop fabric was extremely waterproof; think of the top layer of a 3L waterproof jacket with a shiny polymer coating on top. I purchased them in May in the middle of a spate of torrential weather, but the clothes and small food items I carried to work in my bar bag, and the tools in my seat pack remained perfectly dry, even despite their locations directly in the line of wheel spray. I felt like I was carrying items in a very thick plastic shopping bag; no additional dry bags were needed.
Despite this exceptional waterproofing, the bags remained sufficiently pliable, very lightweight and easily took on varying shapes and loads of items.
Confusingly, I found that both bags struggled when they were loaded too lightly rather than overloaded.
I think the lightness of the material is to blame here. The handlebar bag, for instance, could not hold its shape at all when there wasn’t something pushing the material outwards into a full ‘roll.’ The saddle bag, too, ended up drooping awkwardly if I didn’t pack a spare tube to add some bulk (or, indeed, if the tube was used during the ride).
Another flaw became readily apparent within just a few months of regular use; the ripstop fabric had worn through almost completely in places. This was alternately due to cable rub and, most obviously, from friction with a front light I had fitted under my out-front Garmin mount. I think what exacerbated the latter was that the straps that were fitted to both products are really rather flimsy. The handlebar bag, in particular, just used friction-based buckles that, when the bag was loaded or any sway or bounce introduced from riding off-road, gradually came loose and progressively rubbed back and forth on the light. I’ve since used some rubber strap-keepers to hold them in place.
When I contacted Alpkit about potentially fixing this damage, their answer was beautifully simple - use duct tape! I suspect there were a few reasons for this advice, not least because the bags are relatively low-priced but also that, because the ripstop material is fully waterproof, sewing on a patch might have compromised this ability. I would suggest, though, that you use Gorilla tape instead of your supermarket’s own branded duct tape - the cheaper stuff didn’t stay stuck on after a few rides in the wet.
I mention the above qualities because they applied to all subsequent products I tried. When I purchased the Tuoko top-tub bag, the straps in particular were very sub-par. Indeed, they weren’t even built-in straps - rather, lengths of semi-rigid elastic strips that slotted into the bottom of the bag and wrapped around the bike’s top tube. However, they were difficult to cinch tight and the slots in the bag had a lot of slack, both of which resulted in a bag that flopped around everywhere, especially when it contained its typical load of phone and keys.
The Fiana seat pack, aka Goldilocks
When I finally purchased the Fiana 13L seat pack, I had the distinct impression of a product that was of higher quality overall than the rest of the range. There were still some similarities - the ripstop fabric was very similar and I found the bag to similarly be very lightweight and reasonably flexible. A number of small design touches existed, however, that addressed the shortcomings of the others. For instance, the bag had a built-in abrasion pad where it made contact with any of the hard parts of the bike (especially the seatpost) so has suffered no damage whatsoever through hard use. The straps are similarly made to the other bags - but have a plastic buckle with a clasp to stop the strap slipping. Additionally, the bag is compatible with Alpkit’s Exo-Rail stabiliser - something I speak of in a separate review. This gives another layer of stability and security.
I've used the Fiana for over a year and a half in a truly astonishing range of conditions, and can safely say - it's remarkably durable. Come rain, shine or mud, commuting or bikepacking, fully loaded off-road or poorly packed on road, it's been brilliant.
Writing this review, I couldn’t help but feel that this product range by Alpkit was slightly lost. It’s like they couldn’t make up their minds whether they wanted it to be a cheap, affordable, entry-level product range (as suggested by the quality of the Gnaro and Tuoko in particular); or a range with high quality products priced accessibly (as suggested by the quality of the Fiana). I think I would buy them again if they were the latter; I felt that at the ‘cheaper’ end, the products were too compromised and lacked the ultimate durability of regularly used bikepacking equipment. In sharp contrast, the Fiana attests to Alpkit’s prowess in making such high quality products at a reasonable price point.
Further swaying my argument is the competition existing at the lower price point. Wiggle’s Lifeline brand already make some excellent bags in their ‘Adventure’ range at the £10-£40 price range. Another hugely popular competitor is the PlanetX ‘Podsacs’ range, at a similar price point but with an arguably much bigger range of products, including dry bags and fork cage bags. While Alpkit has a greater ‘UK-developed’ pedigree and branding, and some might be swayed by their eco credentials, their Deluge products simply don’t stand out from other budget brands, at least at the lower price point of the Deluge range.
Final Thoughts
Honestly? I think the Alpkit Deluge range could fill a tremendous gap in the market between cheap items like Lifeline’s and Podsacs’, and those made by manufacturers such as Restrap and Apidura which tend to retail at £80-£90 upwards. For buyers looking for high-quality bags at a lower price point, but who still want better quality and eco credentials compared to the cheapest products available, the Deluge range could be exactly what they’re looking for.
Commentaires