Bikepacking bags for road and gravel bikes

Which bags you need for an overnight trip or a weekend, what goes in each one, and what to do when your bike has few mounting points.

For a weekend of bikepacking on a road or gravel bike you need four or five small bags instead of a rack with large panniers: a saddle bag for clothes, a handlebar bag for things you want during the day, a frame bag and a top tube bag for tools and food, and fork bags if you carry cooking or sleeping gear.

Small bags keep the bike narrow and the weight close to the frame, so it still rides like your own bike. Below we go through the setup bag by bag.

This guide is written by Maikel, founder of The Pack and a rider himself. Last updated on 11 November 2026.

The setup at a glance

Saddle bag, 4 litres: spare clothes and a rain jacket
Handlebar bag, 2 to 2.5 litres: phone, wallet, food for the day
Frame bag: tools, tubes, power bank
Top tube bag: bars and gels, within reach while riding
Fork bags, 4 or 5 litres each: cooking gear or extra clothing

You do not need everything at once. For a night in a hotel or B&B, a saddle bag and a handlebar bag are enough. Fork bags come in when you bring your own sleeping or cooking gear.

Saddle bag: clothes and layers

Soft, light things go under the saddle: a change of clothes and an extra layer. The Saddle Bag 4L, from €39.99, is waterproof and attaches with two clips under the saddle, which limits swaying.

If you only want tools and a tube there, a smaller bag is enough. Our saddle bag guide compares the sizes.

Handlebar, frame and top tube: what you need during the day

Everything you want to grab without unpacking goes at the front and in the frame.

The AWG Handlebar Bag holds 2.5 litres in two zipped compartments, with a separate phone compartment and a key ring. It is made of waterproof material with taped seams. The AWG Frame Bag takes tools, tubes and a wallet, and the AWG Top Tube Bag keeps food right behind the stem. It can be bolted on or strapped, and both are supplied.

We wrote separate guides on choosing a handlebar bag, a frame bag and a top tube bag.

Fork bags: the extra litres

Fork bags add volume low on the bike without making it wide. Both of ours have a waterproof, removable pouch, so you take the contents inside in one go.

The 4L Pannier, from €39.99, is made of Cordura 1000D and mounts on the front fork or on your handlebars. The AWG 5L Pannier, from €49.99, mounts on the front fork or on a rack and comes in a strapped and a FidLock version. Both use universal cages or brackets: ours, the Pannier Mounting Cage, or your own.

Road bike or gravel bike: check your mounting points

Gravel bikes often have bolt mounts on the fork and the top tube. Many road bikes do not. Look at your fork before you order fork bags: without mounts, the 4L Pannier can go on the handlebars instead, and the top tube bags attach with the supplied straps.

On a small frame, measure the space inside the frame triangle first and check that your bottles still fit next to a frame bag.

Pack heavy things low and close to the frame, and keep light, bulky things for the saddle bag. Ride a short test loop with the loaded bike before you leave.

Frequently asked questions

Can you go bikepacking on a road bike?

Yes. A saddle bag, a handlebar bag and a top tube bag attach with clips and straps and need no mounting points. That is enough for a trip where you sleep indoors.

How many litres do I need for a weekend?

If you sleep in a hotel or B&B, a saddle bag of 4 litres plus a handlebar bag of 2 to 2.5 litres covers clothes and daily items. With sleeping or cooking gear, add fork bags of 4 or 5 litres each.

Do bikepacking bags need to be waterproof?

For anything that must stay dry, such as clothes and electronics, yes. Our AWG bags use waterproof material, taped seams and waterproof closures, and the fork bags have a waterproof removable pouch.

What is the difference between a pannier and a fork bag?

A classic pannier hangs on the side of a rack and is large. Our 4L and 5L Panniers are compact bags that sit in a cage on the front fork; the 5L also fits on a rack and the 4L on the handlebars.