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Fjällräven/Specialized frame bag: first impressions
The Specialized/Fjällräven frame bag is one of the principle products from the brilliant bikepacking storage range that emerged from a creative collaboration between Sweden’s backpack and outdoor apparel specialists Fjällräven and Californian bike brand Specialized. It’s available in three sizes, so you can match it to the frame of your gravel or touring bike, though depending on the design of your frame, and whether your bike is a hardtail or a full-sus rig, people with mountain bikes might struggle a little bit more.
All three sizes offer a generous amount of storage space, positioned centrally on the frame in a place that won’t dangerously affect your center of gravity. This makes the Fjällräven/Specialized frame bag the ideal place to store the heaviest gear you’re planning on taking on your bikepacking escapade.
Fjällräven/Specialized frame bag: style and design
• List price (S; M; L): $80; $90; $100 (US) / £75; £80; £90 (UK) / €80; €90; €100 (EU)
• Materials: Vinylon & recycled polyamid
• Volume (S; M; L) : 2.3L; 3L; 5L
• Size (S; M; L / HxWxD): 10cm x 40cm x 6cm / 4in x 16in x 2.5in; 11cm x 47cm x 6cm / 4in x 18.5in x 2.5in / 14cm x 53cm x 6cm / 5.5in x 21in x 2.5in
• Empty Weight (S; M; L): 244g / 8.6oz; 297g / 10.5oz; 376g / 13oz
• Compatibility: Best suited for gravel bikes
• Colors: Black / Green
While some of the kit in the Fjällräven/Specialized collection (such as the large bike-basket-like handlebar bag, and the little snack pack) will divide opinion, I’m confident that this frame bag will be met with near-universal approval from the bikepacking community – we certainly reckon it’s one of the best bikepacking bags on the market. So long as you get the correct size bag for your bike, there is nothing to dislike about it (except, perhaps the price, but these are premium brands and you’re paying a bit for the logos, whether or not you like or admit it).
Although it can’t be adjusted, the fact that the Specialized/Fjällräven frame bag comes in three sizes should enable you to choose the right one for your bike and attach it very firmly to the front triangle of your frame. You mount it beneath the top tube, with multiple hoops and Velcro straps offering numerous ways to secure the bag to the bike in three separate directions: to the front (beneath the bars), to the rear (beneath the saddle) and directly above, along the top tube itself.
At least partly made from recycled fabrics, this bag’s outer material is robust, and the zip is excellent quality. While it can swallow a lot of gear the profile of the pack is slim, so it won’t rub against your legs while you pedal.
Fjällräven/Specialized frame bag: on the trails
I’ve been out and about on the tracks and trails, testing the Specialized/Fjällräven frame bag (along with the rest of the Fjällräven/Specialized bikepacking bag range), during a full season of pedal-powered adventures on Dartmoor, the Peak District and in the Yorkshire Dales. Once all the attachment points are secured on the frame, this bag is a rock solid and barely moves at all, even when you’re negotiating technical trails.
Access is easy while you’re riding, thanks to the double-action zipper with pull-tabs (ideal when you have gloves on), so you can use it to stash items that you might need to reach while cycling, such as a waterproof jacket, sunglasses or warmer gloves. However, as mentioned above, the central positioning of this pack and the generous volume it boasts (the largest version has an impressive 5L capacity) make it really ideal for carrying heavier kit. Personally, during testing, I found it was the perfect place to store weighty stuff such as tent pegs and poles, multitools, my trusty camping stove (plus fuel canisters and food supplies) and my sleeping mat.
The downside of this frame pack’s positioning is that it gets lots of muck and oil thrown at it from the drivechain while you’re riding, but fortunately the material it’s constructed from is both hardwearing and weatherproof, so you can simply wipe it down with a wet cloth immediately after your ride (if you let filth accumulate and dry, however, it will be much harder to clean – you have been warned).
As a lefty, my only real beef with this bag is that it favors right-handed people, because the zip is only on the right side.
