Cyclite in a practical test: Lightweight bikepacking bags for adventurers on two wheels

Last year, Cyclite, a new manufacturer of bikepacking bags, spilled onto the market. The first range consisted of a saddle bag, frame bag, top tube bag, handlebar roll and aero handlebar bag. These were joined by a hydration pack and the Ski Rack - a system for transporting skis on the bike. The brand from near Rosenheim has expanded its range again for 2023.

>> First presentation of Cyclite bags

Cyclite - Who is behind it?

Behind Cyclite are the company founders Christoph Kirsch and Max Barnsteiner. Both have many years of experience in the outdoor industry - especially in the backpack and bag sector as well as in aviation. Lightweight construction and suitable fabrics were just as important there as they are now at Cyclite. The two bike enthusiasts say about the creation of their own brand that they themselves were not convinced by many products on the market: too heavy, unfunctional, impractical. So the motto was to make it themselves.

The Cyclite bikepacking bags in the test

For our test, we opted for the light-coloured version of the Cyclite bikepacking bags because their light-coloured material is so striking and we naturally also asked ourselves the dirt question: Are the bags forever dirty after a very short time? Or can mud and dust really just be washed off, as promised by the manufacturer? "The PU-coated outside of the bags prevents dirt from penetrating the fibres of the fabric, so the light grey bags are sparkling clean again," says the website. More on this later ...

The first impression

Our first impression was "classy, classy", as the bags each came in a high-quality cardboard box in Cyclite design. The bags themselves were also wrapped in tissue paper. Each box also contained a manual. For bags with different strap length options, the additional Velcro or webbing straps were wrapped in paper. There was also frame protection film to protect the bike frame where the straps were attached.

Handling

Cyclite bags are attached to the bike in a similar way to many other bikepacking bags. The straps are narrower, the buckles more delicate. Anyone who has already used other bikepacking bags will quickly familiarise themselves with them. Nevertheless, we recommend reading the instructions and watching the videos for the individual bags on Cyclite's YouTube channel. Here you will find valuable tips on packing and mounting the bags.

During the journey

When riding in the dark, we noticed how much better the bike with the light-coloured bags is seen compared to a bike with dark bags. The light-coloured material reflects significantly more light: a plus for safety. In addition, each bag is fitted with reflective strips.

Material, zips, straps and buckles

The material from which the bags are made is light and thin but robust at the same time. You won't find any seams on the Cyclite bags: the material is high-frequency welded.

Zips are located on the aero handlebar bag and on the frame bag. They are waterproof and easy to open - even while riding. When closing our bag, we occasionally had to push the grip tape forwards as it was jammed at the back, making it difficult to close. Once we got the hang of it, it worked very well.

All straps, bands and buckles on the bags are delicate but robust and of high quality. This is how the manufacturer has saved weight. Although we have already tested, assembled and disassembled countless bikepacking bags, we first had to get an overview of the filigree straps of the handlebar roll and the saddle bag. Then the use was self-explanatory. Nevertheless, we recommend taking a look at the manual, as it contains a few more tips and tricks.

The saddle bag in the test - Saddle Bag / 01

When using it for the first time, you first have to get your head round all the filigree straps and straps. Once you have done this, it is easy to assemble the bag. Opening and closing the small buckles can be difficult when your fingers are cold. We particularly liked the fact that there is no need to thread a thick buckle under the saddle, just a strap. Nothing gets caught here. The saddle bag is available at Cyclite available.

With small frame sizes, the bag sometimes has to be packed very accurately to avoid hitting the tyre on every bump. It didn't work as shown in the picture below. The minimum vertical distance between the saddle frame and the rear tyre is 23 centimetres. In addition, the extension of the seat post or the seat post length up to the base of the seat stays must be at least 15 centimetres. For small bikes, we recommend measuring before buying.

On a bike of a similar size, there were no problems with the bag and there was a larger gap between the bag and the tyre.

details

• Weight: 318 grammes
• Reweighed: 344 grams, 261 grams with plastic reinforcement removed
• Volume: 12.9 litres
• Price: 179,90 Euro >> available here

Conclusion

Solid bag with many well thought-out details. It may take a few seconds longer than usual to understand the strap guide on the bag. Once understood, the assembly is quick and easy.

The Cyclite frame bag in test - Frame Bag / 01

"I think this is the first non-specialised frame bag that I can fit two bottles in the frame triangle of my gravel bike (size S)" was the feedback from one tester.

Numerous details

The frame bag is attached to the top tube with three narrow Velcro straps. Another Velcro strap is placed around the down tube to stabilise the bag in position. Two different strap lengths are included for different tube diameters. For a perfect fit, the straps can then be perfectly adjusted to your own bike with a pair of scissors. The bag has a pocket on the left-hand side for small items such as a small wallet, train tickets or a bank card. The large compartment also keeps things organised. Small pockets and a key ring keep important items in place. No more searching for keys at the front door. The bag also has a cable entry on the head tube. Very practical if the front light has an external battery or if the sat nav is to be charged while riding with a power bank in the frame bag.

The waterproof zips can also be easily operated while travelling. Occasionally, the grip tape of the zip at the back of our test bag got caught on the zip. This meant that the bag could only be closed with a great deal of effort. It was easier if we first pushed the zip tape forwards with our fingertips and only then closed the bag.

If you want to save weight, you can remove the plastic reinforcement from the bag, but then the frame bag is less dimensionally stable.

details

• Weight: 148 grams, 98 grams without reinforcement
• Weighed: 150 grams; without plastic reinforcement 109 grams
• Volume: 2.8 litres
• Price: 119,90 Euro >> available here

Conclusion

Designed with attention to detail, the frame bag can be quickly and securely attached to the frame - provided that the Velcro straps of the correct length are used. The bag retains its shape and does not bulge. We have seen this differently with other bags.

The Cyclite top tube bag in test - Top Tube Bag / 01

Unfortunately, the Velcro strap that is placed around the head tube is quite long - too long for the pink steel bike. As a result, the bag sat very loosely and tilted to one side (see photo). On bikes with a more voluminous head tube, the bag wobbles and tilts less. Thanks to the magnetic fastener, the bag is easy to access with one hand.

The bag stays closed during the journey, even on rough terrain. As the bag is quite long and wide, it can happen that you open it with your pelvis when you stop at traffic lights. Simply check briefly that the bag is closed and then you can carry on. For our test subjects, the bag was a little too wide at the back, so that their knees often bumped into the bag. This criticism is already known and the second-generation top tube bag is designed to be slightly narrower.

details

• Weight (manufacturer's specification): 112 grams
• Weighed: 111 grammes
• Volume: 1.3 litres
• Price: 89,90 Euro >> available here

Conclusion

Large bag (easily holds eight or more muesli bars) for people with space between their knees. If you pedal narrowly, you will often bump into the rear end of the bag. Snacks and other things that you want to get to quickly while riding are well stored here and a small zip compartment can be used to keep a bank card safe, for example.

The handlebar roller in the test - Handle Bar Roll Bag / 01

The basic principle of the Cyclite handlebar bag is similar to that of many other manufacturers such as Ortlieb or Apidura. Two straps are placed around the handlebars and an additional attachment is made in the area of the fork or the head tube. Straps in various lengths are included for this purpose. Plastic blocks provide the necessary distance between the handlebars and the bag. The bag itself has roller fasteners on the left and right, making it variable in volume and suitable for different handlebar widths. The Cyclite highlight: either each side can be closed separately or, particularly important for dropbar bikes, the bag can be compressed even further with the help of cross straps.

We also liked the well thought-out design here. When packing the bag, we noticed that the material inside is sticky and therefore the contents don't slip in so easily. If you want to use the cross straps to close the bag, you will find that it is not so easy to roll up both roll fasteners at the same time to close them. It helps to close one side first and then roll up the other side. Now open the first side again and close the left and right sides of the bag with the cross strap. What may sound confusing now makes sense as soon as the bag is in front of you.

It is somewhat more complicated to correctly adjust the straps that are placed around the fork or head tube. They should not be too loose in order to stabilise the bag. At the same time, they must reach as far as the buckles on the handlebar roller. Try-and-error is the correct procedure here: Adjust, click on, click off again, adjust, click on, ... This is time-consuming the first time, but once the right strap and the right length have been found, nothing needs to be adjusted and it will still fit the next time you use it.

Where to put the front light?

One aspect that comes up with handlebar bags is the front headlight. The setup shown in the picture below is not ideal, it is better if the headlight is mounted above the handlebars. Firstly, parts of the bag are in the light cone and secondly, the lamp increases the distance between the bag and the handlebars.

Another alternative is to mount the Aero handlebar bag in front of this handlebar roller and attach the Cyclite Aero-Mount to it. The Aero-Mount can be used to attach a light or a navigation device to the Aero handlebar bag.

With less luggage, the aero handlebar bag alone can also be sufficient.

The distance between the (upper) handlebar and the tyre must be at least 21 cm. People with small wheels should definitely measure this distance beforehand to avoid any nasty surprises, as it is annoying if the bag drags on the tyre.

• Weight (manufacturer's specification): 198 grams
• Reweighed: 225 grams
• Volume: 12.6 litres
• Price: 124,90 Euro >> available here

The Cyclite Aero handlebar bag - Handle Bar Aero Bag / 01

The Aero Bag from Cyclite can be attached to the handlebars with or without aerobars. It can also be combined with the handlebar roller for maximum packing volume or used individually. There is a concealed cable entry on the back of the bag. This means that if the power bank is stowed in the aero handlebar bag, the cable can run out of the bag and into the sat nav.

It becomes difficult with the front light, especially when the aero handlebar bag is attached in front of the handlebar roller. Why? The bags are in the light cone of the lamp and so visibility is restricted. But the tinkerers from Grassau have come up with a solution for this too: The separately available Aero Mount / 01 solves precisely this problem. It can be used to attach a front light or sat nav to the top of the bag.

details

• Weight (manufacturer's specification): 208 grams; 139 grams with stiffener removed
• Weighed: 212 grams; 149 without plastic reinforcement
• Volume: 4.9 litres
• Price: 149,90 Euro >> available here

Conclusion

A unique bag that is second to none. The adjustment of the straps, which are placed around the fork or head tube, is, as with the handlebar roller, a little fiddly. You should take some time to do this. Then the bag is stable and holds many essentials, which you can access quickly thanks to the zip. In our test, we always stopped to do this.

Do the Cyclite bikepacking bags get clean again?

In response to the question of whether the bags can be cleaned again, Cyclite writes that the PU coating on the outside of the bags ensures that no dirt penetrates the fabric. This means that the light grey bags are quickly clean again.

The theory: How to clean the bags

Coarse dirt can be quickly removed with water and a brush. The manufacturer states that heavily soiled bags can be rinsed directly on the bike with a jet of water. A soft brush can help to loosen dirt. However, it is also important to regularly remove the panniers from the bike to remove the dirt between the bike and the panniers. Mild soapy water can also be used for this purpose.

And what does that look like in practice?

We didn't miss the opportunity to get the frame bag properly soiled on several gravel tours. Then we gave the dirt a few days to really settle until it finally got to the bottom.

Armed with a brush and washing-up liquid, we went under the water jet. First, the bag was rinsed with lukewarm water and roughly brushed with the soft brush. Then we added some washing-up liquid and carefully scrubbed the bag from all sides with the brush. The dirt soon came off. After brushing for about a minute, we rinsed the bag and documented the result.

Then it was time for the second round. This time we left everything to soak for a few more minutes.

Are Cyclite bikepacking bags really that light?

As we did not have a comprehensive range of bags from different manufacturers at the time of testing, the Weights specified by the manufacturers for comparison. In addition to Cyclite, we used bag sets from the three well-known bikepacking bag manufacturers Apidura, Ortlieb and Restrap for the comparison.

Cyclite in comparison with Apidura, Ortlieb and Restrap

We wanted to obtain comparable values. That's why we opted for a set of four bags each: Saddlebag, Frame bag, Top tube bag and Swivel castor.

The first generation #01 bags from Cyclite were used. At Apidura we chose an expedition set with Cyclite-like volumes and a race set. And from Ortlieb we put together a smaller packing volume and a larger packing volume; for the frame bag we chose the one with a zip and not with a roll-top closure, as this is lighter. The selection of Restrap bags for the comparison was the same as for Apidura: a race set and a classic bikepacking set.

The comparison in figures: Weight

The weights per bag and for the complete bag set are listed in detail in the table. With a total weight of 726 grams, the Cyclite bags after removal of the reinforcement are lighter than all the bag sets listed.

The comparison in figures: Volume

The largest volume can be achieved with large bags from Ortlieb. However, with just under 30 litres, the Cyclite bag set is definitely one of the best.

The comparison in figures: Prices

And what do the prices say? Just over 500 euros - exactly 514.60 euros is the price of the Cyclite bag set, which puts it at the top of the list. The Restrap set is a good 100 euros cheaper: 401.96 euros.

Conclusion on the Cyclite bikepacking bags

The Cyclite bikepacking bags are well thought out down to the smallest detail. From the option of neatly stowing the ends of the straps, to the pockets for valuables and the reflective elements integrated into the design. Improvements could still be made in some areasfor example, the very short Velcro strap on the saddle bag to attach it to the seat post. Improvements have already been made here and in other areas in the second generation of bags.

The material of the bags looks light but at the same time very robust. We never had any concerns that anything could break. The buckles and straps are also all robust, even though they are so delicate. During the test, the small buckles used to attach the handlebar pulley to the head tube or fork were not always easy to operate. In muddy conditions, the buckles and their pressure points had to be felt. Even with frozen fingers, it was not easy to feel and operate the buckles.

Especially when you consider that this is the first generation of bikepacking bags after the prototype phase, the bags are really good and we are excited to see what else the company founders between Chiemsee and the Chiemgau Alps come up with to convince bikepackers of their products. The second generation of Cyclite bikepacking bags and eight new products offer a little taste of what's to come.

Good bags for people who pay attention to every gram. In some places, the well thought-out bags are not yet perfect - but this has not been the case with any of the bags we have tested so far. And it can't be, because demands are different.