Finding the right bag for wintercycling
It's December 2023, which is usually is a good time to look back on the past (cycling) year: 2023 has been full of many kilometers, many beautiful new routes and regions. This motivated me enough to tackle the Festive-500 from Rapha (again).
This year's principle: Complete the 500 kilometers in as few rides as possible. A few thoughts later, it was clear that the heart of this Festive-attempt would be a day trip of almost 320 kilometers from the Styrian city of Graz to Hungary and back.
Physically and mentally, I was prepared for the expected exertions. But what about the material? I checked all my bags and discovered a crucial flaw in all of them. The large front Ortlieb bag that I had on one of the bikes for a long time? Too much effort to fit it on the bike.
Rather the small bag from Miss.Grape? No, it's way too small and not enough to carry enough food for 300 kilometers.
I was saved when Max from gravgrav wrote to ask if I would like to test a new bag from fO.goods. That sounded too good! I didn't think twice - it got even better: I could chose between the all the products which are offered by the small-scale manufacturer from Stuttgart, Germany.
I was most attracted by the "Nummer 6" handlebar. It comes with a self-developed handlebar mount called "SIXTYSIX". The price for the bag and the handlebar mount is currently at 230€, which is kind of a bargain thinking that it's made individually by the owner, Florian Schuster. There is even the possibility to choose from different colors, so surely everyone finds their favourite (last time I checked, there were 10 different colours available on the homepage).
First impressions of the fO.goods Nummer 6 and SIXTY SIX bar mount
A few days later and the bag arrives. Just in time for Christmas and the start of the Festive-500. I'm surprised when I unpack it: only a small bracket, two small straps, that’s basically it. That should be enough to attach the bag to the bike.
Fortunately, mounting the bag is even easier than I initially thought. Thread the bracket underneath the handlebars, turn it around and voilà - the handlebar mount is ready. Now quickly apply a strip of adhesive tape around the fork and it hangs very securely.
Now the bag can be attached. There are several loops to hang the bag in according to taste and needs for the bike. Then add the two elastic bands and you're done.
I'm really not talented when it comes to mount something, but the bag from fO.goods is so easy that even I can do it in a few minutes without any problems.
I was a bit surprised with the amount of stuff I got into the bag. For my upcoming trip it was important to include as much as possible, so I took the most essential spareparts for the bike, my wallet, a light and a looot of food (Haribo, chocolate and bars, mainly). It could have even been more because there was still space left in the bag.
A nice feature: on the backside of the bag there is a hidden carrying strap which can be pulled out and in easily. That's very useful mainly because in bikepacking races/trips it's always important to get into the supermarket as comfortable as possible and this feature helps a lot.
Fast-forward to the 28th of December - the big "test" - ride
Early bird start at 4 a.m., over a few hills and then into the Hungarian lowlands to Zalaegerszeg. There on the "cycle highway" to Őrségi Nemzeti Park (highly recommended!) and back through the Raab Valley to Graz. Everything works the way it’s supposed to, no material breakdowns and the body responds the way I want it to.
The further one progresses along a 300k-route, the more tired your mind becomes, and you no longer feel like packing your shopping in an orderly fashion. Usually, that led to problems within my bag. But not this time. As there is so much space in the bag that it doesn't matter.
Despite the growing mess inside the bag and the weight, the bag fits perfectly on the bike - at all times, even during the short gravel sections.
The days are short in December, so the lights have to be switched on as early as 4pm. As I was riding the only bike that doesn't have a hub dynamo, that left me with no choice, but to plug-in the portable light – fortunately, this is also compatible with the bag without any problems and only disturbs the light cone slightly.
The last 80 kilometers home begin with the knowledge that I have enough provisions in my bag, which is crucial for the mind. Thanks to the bag it was possible to always carry enough food which was needed in order to do these last extreme monotonous and even painful kilometres.
The thermometer felt like it is dropping with every kilometer and at the same time the desire for a warm shower increases.
It is often said in ultracycling that the mindset is crucial, and this is just such a moment. Finally it's done, the last block before my house appears ... and finally the end has been reached after 18 wintry hours on the bike.
In the process, 316 kilometers and 2,300 meters of altitude have been mastered from Graz to Zalaegerszeg and back. In winter and within one day. It was one hell of a ride!
Conclusion on my tested fO.good-bag Nummer 6 and SIXTYSIX Barmount
The easy mounting system offered by fO.goods is the most impressive feature. The SIXTYSIX Handlebar mount is sold separately and strikingly simple and valuable. It only takes a few steps to fit and is suitable for all conceivable handlebars.
That's what I desperately needed - to be able to move the bag quickly and easily from one bike to another, and it does just that. I tested the bag primarily on my 300k trip, but also did some short everyday "supply-runs" for example when I went to the doctor carrying a vaccine inside the bag. All in all, I'd recommend this preferably for longer trips, but you can do whatever you want with it - it always fits perfectly! I really had no problems at all during my test run.
Sidenote: It is worth mentionable that I also used the bag for my daily activities and it always worked extremely well. Put in an heavy lock while maintaining stability? No problem! It was really a big pleasure to use the bag.
At the same time, I was impressed by the look, because the yellow color made it feel subjectively as if I could be seen by all drivers at all times anyway. The company philosophy regarding the production of the bags is worth mentioning: The bags are produced by fO.goods by hand in Germany and are produced sustainable as possible! This bag is the opposite of mass-produced goods, which makes it even more appealing.
fO.goods also offer repairs for their products. Naturally, he produced those bags in Stuttgart, if they break just send them back in and they will accompany you for even longer, if not a lifetime! Florian Schuster is a really nice guy who cares a lot for his customers - you can recognize that immediately! What you can feel too is his passion for bike and easy, yet durable solutions - best proof for me is this bag.
A bag from fO.goods relates to the idea of supporting a relatively smallsized company and to promote sustainability. It is a concept I really adore and which in my opinion is worth being mentioned within the cycling community as well as to anyone.
So if you're looking for a good and nice bike packing bag that is easy to assemble and sustainably produced, the bags from fO.goods can be highly recommended. I definitely enjoyed testing them and would like to thank Florian Schuster from fO.goods for the bags and Max for arranging them!
P.S. At the end, it took 4 rides to complete the Festive-500 and as I had one day left, there was time to add another 50k. All in all I tackled 547k with a total elevation of 3.830 vertical meters within a five day span, starting at the 26th of December.
