Hey all,

I'm currently a full time student, commuting 7 miles each way to school. I carry two panniers, one for school stuff (laptop, folder, calculator, pens, etc.), and the other for workout/school clothes after commuting.

All I'm looking for now is a trunk bag that'll fit lunch. I show up to school and hit the gym locker where I stow my clothes (pannier) and lunch (trunk bag), go to class, come back for either food or workout or both, and that's my day. Pretty simple.

Here's the current rig:



I'm looking at the Arkel Tailrider:

Arkel TailRider Trunk Bag from Bike Bling

or the Axiom

Axiom Randonnee Trunk 12-liter Rack Bag: Black/Gray from Bike Bling

Being new to trunk bags, I'm not sure what to look for in the way of value. Here's some things I'm looking for:

- Ideally some place to stow my U-Lock with a key holder to make locking up fluid and easy
- Maybe some extra pockets to hold my bottle (although I can always just place it inside the trunk bag when unloading)
- INSULATED. This is to hold lunch mainly, so I'd really like this feature.
- Aesthetics. Because that's always nice. As you can see, there's a lot of black there, so I'd like to keep to that theme.
- Other cool features... not that this is necessary, but as a consumer, I'm always intrigued with features that stand out from others.
- Easy to carry. When I'm fully loaded, I'll have two Thule panniers (both have shoulder straps/handles), and I'd like to have a system that's easy to carry, considering.

I live in Arizona so rain-proof isn't much of an issue.

Next semester, I'm commuting 12.5 miles each way, and will do so for two more years. So this is an investment; I want something that will be durable enough to last me a while, for at least that long.

Thanks for any and all help! Please let me know what your thoughts are, but I'm definitely looking for personal experience and even if you have different suggestions. I tried a backpack last semester (44L) and hated it; even with a big bag, I still couldn't fit all I needed. And I hated lugging that thing when trying to go fast in the drops. The panniers so far have been really enjoyable.

The only trunk bag I have any experience with would be one from nashbar that has been discontinued. The closest bag they now have is this one, though mine didn't have the side pockets, was in hi-vis yellow/green and was insulated. Great bag, wish I still had it. Heck, if they still offered it I'd buy it again. It got stolen along with my last bike and I've since been using a fridge pak soft cooler bag thrown in my handlebar basket.

I have the insulated Nashbar back you speak of. Mine looks like a big cooler

Thule actually makes a bag specifically for the rear rack you have and that MIGHT be the only option since I am unaware of how many holes or mounting options that rack has. I would also say is if you need something insulated, get a cooler a nice one. I have not seen too many great rack top bags with insulation that are actually good at keeping things really cool.

At this point I use a Stanley Food jar with usually liquid lunches but have put many many other items inside of it.

Is a trunk bag going to fit and be easy-on/easy-off with that pannier in place? On many trunk bags (except some Topeaks) you need to wrap a Velcro strap around the sides to hold it on. Also, I know you say you usually take off both the pannier and the trunk bag, but in cases where you only want to remove one or the other, you might have some hassles. Just sayin'.

I've been looking at the Topeak MTX, EX, and DX combination trunk bag/panniers that slide on and off a Topeak rack. The panniers are smaller and more lightweight than what you have, but there are two instead of one. These may be worth checking out. (I know...I don't like to replace things I already have, either!)

I have a Jannd that has served me well. It’s big enough that I can pack a lunch and a change of clothes with plenty of room left over, and the zipped pocket on the top is roomy enough to hold a rain jacket or cape. A U-lock might fit in there, but I’ve never tried it — one would certainly fit in the main compartment, or hung on the side with the Velcro loops. It has D-rings for a shoulder strap, which is a great thing to have. And it’s nice to have the optional extra capacity when it’s needed.

My Jannd does have thick padded walls, but they don’t make any claims about it being useful as a cooler (though they do say it will hold “an eight-pack of soda”). I see that Avenir does advertise their bag as having a fully-insulated main compartment, though.

I really like the Topeak MTX trunk bag. It is insulated and just about the right size for lunch on other items, such as tools, spare tubes, etc. One problem with a lot of trunk bags is the dreaded "flop," that is, they tend to lean to one side or the other after a while. The Topeak bag does not do that. Make sure you get the one that attaches with Velcro straps if you do not have a Topeak rack.

BTW, I have at least 4 trunk bags. The Topeak is not the roomiest but the nicest of the lot and most expensive. I mostly use a Louis Garneau trunk for commuting because it holds more gear, but it flops a little. I also have Banjo Brothers, Performance, Rivendell Lil' Loafer and a no-name brand.

Good option, thanks for the recommendation. I like that it's insulated, though it didn't seem to explicitly say so in the advert. Price is certainly nice as well.

A cooler is a good consideration. I haven't gone down that route yet. Pic of rack holes here:



Quick-release would be awesome, but I don't know any other options aside from Topeak MTX models. I have no problems selling the current rack if that's the case. Good point on keeping one pannier on to save from the hassle. I'll probably just keep the school stuff on the rack while taking my clothes pannier and trunk bag to the locker. Only concern is theft, as I have my laptop in the other pannier. If I did decide to go with the MTX trunk, I likely wouldn't need the pannier sides, as it wouldn't suit my setup needs.

I don't like the idea of velcro, but that might be a good portion of options I'm supposing? If that velcro goes, then so does the bag, and I'm considering taking the bag off and on maybe 4 times per day. That's a ton of usage over a couple years.

Will look into those two options, thanks! And thanks for the review, much appreciated.

VERY nice to hear the comparisons. I haven't considered the "flop" but definitely don't want too much of that. I also saw some nice looking LG ones, good information to know.

Will probably end up making a decision by tomorrow/Saturday. Thanks again!

if you want a BIG one, you might like the Timbuk2 Hunchback Rack Trunk

it's the big one with the helmet

Robot Check

Trunk bags are a pain in the arse to put on and take off - unless you get one with a quick-release that mates with a specific rack. This one is from Ibera.

The Ibera trunk bags with fold down panniers, hard bottom and quick release look pretty good and not too expensive although getting it shipped to Canada and paying in Canadian dollars might be a different story. One of my requirements is tha ability to hold a u-lock on the top just by sliding it in. Any experience with these?
Products | Ibera ? The Cycling Life

https://bikepakmart.com/ib-ba1-ra4.html


-- of course as I was typing this the last post came in....

You want Insulated? Buy a soft Cooler and then turn IT into your rack top bag ..

It'll be Cheaper !!

Use a Little Creative Needle and Thread Sewing.

Or Hard Plastic cooler-Lunch Box and Modify It.

Student Or Staff at school ?

I've got that same bag and it's awesome. The top isn't insulated though that hasn't affected my needs when I take off for a ride to the forest preserve with lunch in the bag.

I disagree with this. Trunk bags (even without a quick release) aren't always a PITA to get on and off. I have both the big Performance bag and the big JANDD bag. Both have a Velcro attachment in each corner while many other brands have two straps that have to be threaded under the rack. Easy peasy. Both can be expanded to hold extra cargo. Think expandable briefcase or expandable luggage. The Performance bag is most likely very similar to the Nashbar bag. Quite frankly, I kind of like the Performance bag better even though it was more than half the price of the JANDD because it's stiffer at the top and easier to zip. JANDD will probably last longer though.

OP here... so I ended up getting the Arkel Tailrider. Looked up a local retailer and found a 10% discount on the normal price. Of course, I share the same sympathies of some here who think it's a tad on the pricier side, but after having looked and felt the bag, and with the lifetime, no receipt, transferrable warranty, I just felt I couldn't go wrong here.

Some pics of the new setup:



With the bag, I can fit two meals, padlock for locker, bike repair tools, lights, garage door opener, spare tube, and a spork lol.

Really looking forward to starting this full day setup on Monday, along with some meal prep to boot.

Thanks for all the help everyone

cool! if it's the right bag for you, then it's worth the $$

Our go-to bag for our tandem is a 13-year-old Tailrider. Meets our needs quite nicely and shows no wear in spite of it's age.

Here is the Banjo Bros model I got my wife for Christmas. We have not installed it yet but it looks like it will do the job pretty well! I got it from our lbs for under $50 including tax. https://www.biketiresdirect.com/prod...FYRDaQodAfYFrA

I agree that using a trunk bag and panniers is often difficult. But there are other options out there than the Topeak system. Ortlieb makes a bag with a quick release system that is very secure and far superior to velcro. Rixen Kaul (Klickfix) makes the Rackpack 1 and 2 which use a quick release system that attaches to the rack without extra hardware. Those bags aren't cheap ($100 to $145 for the Ortlieb and $80 to $110 for the Klickfix) but I've found that mine has lasted much longer than previous velcro attached bags I've owned. I have an Ortlieb mount that I've use regularly (4 to 7 times per week) for about 10 years now and it's not showing any signs of wearing out. I've never been able to get more than a couple of years out of a velcro bag before the velcro loses its grip.

That's great to hear. The bag definitely feels amazing, the cordura fabric sample showed that this is made of some rugged material. Really thought I could rip into it with no luck (fortunately). Seems like a great investment for sure.

Maybe post a link so we'll know where we can buy your bag.

Hi, I am late to this post but do have an Arkel Tailrider for sale it's yellow.
Right now brand new it's going for $120.00 I would be willing to selling it for $100.00 that would include shipping let me know if you are interested?

44L back pack? wow thats a lot of stuff you carrying with you for an ordinaty work day,

consider reducing load and travelin ligh man, think of things that you cant absolutely do without, ike repair stuff, lunch and a very small change of otheshes and maybe a lighter Tablet or IPad instead of a Laptop.

my commute is 25 miles for 12 hour work days, a 20L liter back pack, plus sometimes rare ocassions a fanny bag maybe

I second the Timbuk2 hunchback.

Iberra trunk bag with drop down panniers. It mounts to a plate that attaches to your rack. Clicks in. Solid once in place. Comes with a bag of fiddley bits, but 4 8" zip ties works just as well. Best of both worlds. They're a little pricey, but worth every cent.