Long term review of the first gen Apidura 14L saddle bag
After many long and short on- and off-road tours I still happily depend my trusty old saddle bag. It is outdated for sure but still just gets the job done.
Tested over fifty plus nights in rain and shine
I got into bilepacking quite some time ago when there were just a few boutique manufacturers of saddle and frame bags. One of the earliest to market was Apidura, who are still in the game.
I bought their standard saddle bag that uses a quite basic attachment system and made from non-waterproof X-pack. Over the years designs have improved (more rigid construction, waterproof materials, dropper post compatibility etc.) and many more players entered the market (form big names like Ortlieb to discounters like Decathlon) - but I kept running the same beaten up but still completely functional bag.
Two weeks of Swedish gravel.
It has been my companion on road trips over the Alps, gravel adventures in Sweden and a recent ride through much of Germany plus many more smaller overnight rides.
9 days through the west of Germany.
There is not much to say about the design itself (which again is outdated) however the build quality has definitely stood out over the years of all kinds of weather, bad surfaces and uncountable times of putting it on ans off the bike. The only thing that broke in all this time was one of the attachment buckles (which was repairable on the road with a strap and later with a bit of bent metal - thanks for Sebastian!).
One of many shorter trips. This one from Munich to the cycling worlds in Innsbruck.
Anybody reading the few reviews on this website already knows that I do love my a bombproof, no fuss piece of gear. And this one fits the bill. I can only hope that Apidura still puts out the same level of quality today - as I do plan to be a repeat customer if the old bag ever gives up.
PS: As with other reviews, I have paid for the product in full and am not affiliated with the brand.