Bikepacking is as popular as ever. It is usually done on a road or gravel bike, but it is also a serious option on a mountain bike. Especially hut tours attract, and we got to try this is one night. Of course, you then have to carry gear, but a large saddlebag quickly causes problems with the dropper post. So soon you end up with a handlebar bag: in our case, the AGU Venture Extreme pro 9.6L.
This is a bag for the true adventure enthusiast. Whatever the weather forecast looks like, the bag is completely waterproof. The waterproof Drybag protects your belongings during your ride. This is reinforced by the choice of a roll closure, which prevents rainwater from entering the bag. With its 9.6L capacity, it is also big enough to carry a mat and sleeping bag. If the Drybag is not completely full, you can easily squeeze the excess air out of the bag via the valve to optimise storage space. Another good thing is that the bag is made of recycled polyester. Truly sustainable!
Simple to install
You install the Drybag on your bicycle with a sturdy aluminium holster. This is super easy because it means you can easily detach the bag by means of two rubber bands and take it with you without having to remove the whole construction from the bicycle. Big advantage is that the bag does not rattle and cannot damage the paint on the bike. However, due to the many, in my case, integrated cables on the MTB, I did have trouble mounting it correctly. Normally the bag should point downwards but for me the only option was to do it the other way round. This caused the bag to be further forward and up, which is also clearly visible in the photos. On my gravel bike, by the way, this is not a problem, and I also expect that with other ways of cable integration or a wireless electronic system this will be less of a problem.
How does it drive?
But how was the experience while cycling? The bag was put through its paces, as it was allowed to go straight into the bike park of Les 3Vallees. Rocky enduro trails were not shunned either. The bag sits very securely in place, and does not rattle or move in technical sections. This gives confidence! You do notice clearly that the front is heavier. After half an hour, I had sore muscles in my arms from the change in balance of the bike. Especially with technical and very steep climbs, where the front wheel tends to sway a lot, this cost me a lot of extra energy. In general, the extra weight at the front took some getting used to, but I hardly noticed this after a while.
Valuable addition to my hut trip
All in all, I found the bag a good addition to my hut tour, and it saved me a lot of weight on my back. I would recommend not overloading the handlebar bag on any kind of bike so as not to affect handling too much. Other than that, I was very satisfied! The stuff in the bag is well protected, the use is simple and the construction feels very solid. Highly recommended for any offroad bikepacker who wants to bang across trails confidently without worrying about luggage!
The Agu Venture Extreme Pro handlebar bag costs 180EUR and can be ordered from Handlebar bag Venture Extreme Pro - AGU
EN 
NL 
DE 