Let’s get one factor straight from the beginning: the Aero System from bikepacking specialists Apidura just isn’t made for carrying all of your belongings on a multi-day epic. It’d seem like a body bag and a prime tube bag, however its raison d’être just isn’t cargo hauling.
As a substitute, because the identify reasonably strongly suggests, the baggage are designed to offer an aerodynamic benefit to your gravel bike. If this sounds barely pointless for a style of biking that’s extra about having fun with the surroundings and exploring traffic-free trails, then you definitely haven’t been holding abreast of the most recent developments and outcomes.
For many people, gravel driving is concerning the view, not the pace
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
Gravel driving has a definite break up in it between the aforementioned leisure riders and the extra severe gravel racers. With professional riders and a few very severe equipment now concerned, gravel races are accomplished in mind-bending occasions and at warp pace. Cameron Jones accomplished the 200km 2025 Unbound course at a median of 37.8kph (23.5mph). At these sorts of speeds, aero issues, and Apidura claims a 5W saving from utilizing their system.
Whether or not it’s related to you or me is a distinct matter.
Development
The mix of body bag and prime tube bag collectively can solely carry 2.2 litres or 3.2 litres of cargo, so not an entire lot. And you buy the bag that’s the proper measurement to your body, NOT the capability you prefer to. There’s an internet Body Pack Sizing Instrument on Apidura’s web site that will help you get the appropriate measurement; it instructed that for my measurement 56cm Cannondale Topstone, I would wish the smaller system.
Or, as Apidura places it: ‘The Aero System is designed to combine together with your bike to ship an aerodynamic profit. As such, the accessible sizes relate to not the capability, however to the scale of motorbike that’s greatest suited to ship this profit.’
The small prime tub bag is a mere 6cm tall and 22cm lengthy, though 3 of these centimetres make up the ‘fairing’. These related flaps are designed to be pushed ahead comfortable in opposition to the headset to clean out the airflow behind the stem, however don’t connect to the stem in any approach.
Entry and closure are through a lengthwise magnetic slot designed to be opened with one hand. The underside of the bag is created from a vibrant yellow materials in order that the contents are extra seen.
The underside has a silicone gripper sample on it, as do the 2 Hypalon straps, for better safety on the body.
The highest tube bag is designed for simple entry to snacks
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
The bigger body bag has the identical fashion of straps with silicone grippers and extra silicone on the bag’s prime aspect, the place it contacts the underside of the highest tube. A small lip smooths this junction with the highest tube while two bigger flanges wrap across the sides of the top tube and are secured with two elastic bands – therefore the necessity for a precise match. These flanges prolong down the junction with the down tube, the place there’s a Velcro strap.
A single waterproof zip on the right-hand aspect provides entry to the bag’s contents, while a small, front-facing slot permits a cable to be run out of the bag to a gentle or pc. Inside, there’s a Velcro strap on the entrance of the bag, which I believe is for securing a charging financial institution, because it’s located beneath the egress slot.
Flaps and flanges combine the bag to the body for smoother airflow
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
Each baggage are created from the identical, very tough-looking black, ripstop material supported by an inside ‘HDPE thermoplastic body’. The upshot of that is that the baggage are very inflexible, whether or not full or empty.
Apidura claims that the S/M system weighs 305 grams and the L/XL 335g. My S/M weighed in at 301g.
The journey
On the within of the field, there are fairly detailed directions as to how one can match the baggage, in order that they combine with one another and the body in the absolute best approach, and as soon as secured, they do look fairly glossy. Nevertheless, they work greatest on bikes with inside cabling; my Cannondale Topstone has cables which enter the body close to the highest of the down tube, and this interfered with the flush match of the baggage. They labored significantly better on the Standert Pfadfinder and Big Revolt that I additionally used them on.
(Picture credit score: Tim Russon)
Clearly, the goal is to avoid the UCI rules relating to body and tube dimensions by successfully filling within the gaps behind the stem and head tube to scale back drag. At this level, I, and most different leisure gravel riders, ought to put our arms up and say ‘honest sufficient, however that’s not one thing I would like or need’.
Nevertheless, having spent a while with the baggage, I believe that they produce other worthwhile advantages too, so even in case you are not all concerning the watts, the Aero System may nonetheless be for you.
The first benefit of the system over many different prime tube and body baggage is their stability. Contemplating that the highest tube bag isn’t hooked up to the stem, it was completely rock strong and didn’t sag to both aspect. Equally, the down tube bag didn’t sway or bulge both, that means that there was no hazard of my catching my knees on them.
Partially, that is because of the rigidity of the development, and partly because of the glorious grip of the silicone coating on the straps and phone factors.
Silicone grippers on the straps and baggage hold them steady on the bike
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
The draw back to this building is that, coupled with their diminutive capability, they weren’t significantly straightforward to pack. The mix of stiffness, brief, waterproof zip and small measurement made the body bag a bit of awkward to make use of totally.
I used the baggage on a two-day journey across the Yorkshire Wolds, carrying minimal package within the baggage and a bigger saddle bag. They have been high-quality, however I simply carried a number of snacks within the prime tube bag and put my waterproof, arm heaters, gilet and multi-tool within the body bag, leaving the saddle bag to do many of the heavy lifting.
There is not a lot room for bikepacking package within the Apidura Aero System
(Picture credit score: Kim Russon)
I realised afterwards that I had been excited about the Aero System within the flawed approach. It isn’t designed for load hauling; as a substitute, for us mortals anyway, it makes an ideal alternative for a saddlebag on day rides. In case you wish to hold your pockets free and/or don’t like the texture of a saddle bag, then the Aero System has simply sufficient house to switch each of those, with the additional advantage that entry is far simpler.
The magnetic opening on the highest tube bag was easy and safe, and straightforward to make use of one-handed on the transfer, making it the best place to stash gels or a bag of Haribo. There isn’t sufficient room for a cellphone, although.
Equally, the body bag might be simpler to stuff a gilet or arm heaters into while driving than fidgeting with a rear pocket, and clearly extra simple than utilizing a saddle bag with out stopping. So, utilizing them for a bit of little bit of storage on shorter rides makes way more sense.
Thus, on day rides, I used them to retailer my common array of instruments, spares and snacks with the added benefit that on significantly iffy climate days I might carry a gilet and a waterproof and arm heaters with out having to decide on between them. For quick and light-weight native rides, I’ll most likely follow my software tub, however after I need to have a number of extra clothes choices, then I’ll be strapping on the Aero system reasonably than a big, ponderous saddlebag.
Worth and conclusion
If you’re available in the market for saving 5W and carrying a little bit of package, then I’m not conscious of any alternate options, however £188 for two.2 litres (or 3.2 litres for the bigger measurement) is sort of a bit of cash.
If saving power just isn’t a priority, then Apidura’s personal 3 litre Racing Saddle Pack is £115, while their 1 litre Expedition Prime Tube Bag is £49 and their Backcountry Body Pack provides one other 2 litres for £79. After all, there are a lot of inexpensive choices from different manufacturers, too.
The baggage make a very good different to a saddle bag
(Picture credit score: Andy Jones)
Nevertheless, I dislike saggy, wobbly baggage, and the Apidura Aero System is remarkably steady and neat-looking, making it a pleasure to make use of.
Good worth? Most likely not for almost all of us if checked out objectively, however fascinating? Positive. And who doesn’t like a number of additional watts, too?