ivan_yulaev

Thinking about picking this one up...

Just one question for current owners: how do you keep the attachment system from digging into your back? It seems like it would.

tajsss

It does not hit. The bag is designed not to. I found a picture on their site once but can't seem to find it now. It won't be a problem. I've had mine for about 2 weeks and it is really nice and well worth the money.

tajsss

Ok. Found the picture. Here it is. I checked in the mirror and it sits on my back the exact same way.

Tim

landstander

I had the same concern at first, but it turns out that it isn't an issue. I've been using mine regularly for a few months now, and this hasn't occurred even once.

Thomasd

same here. no problem. it doesn't hit. i tried loosening and tightening the straps through the full range and couldn't make it hit. go for it, it's a great bag.
TomD

Mehow

I've never felt the hooks while wearing my Arkel Bug. Even when it is "over-loaded" and you move around the hooks still won't come in contact with your back. BTW, my bug is GREAT!

Savas

Does the attachment method to racks that Arkel uses leave scratches on the rack? I like their designs but was wondering about that. Otherwise, it seems to be one of the more secure means, as it handles bumps the way it grabs the top and bottom of a rack rail.

Walkafire

would cost me over 200.00 to get this BUG

Longer Rear Rack
and The BUG itself

I have size 13.5 feet... would hit the heel

joejack951

Yes it does scratch the rack finish (at on my OMM rack). But, since the underlying material is aluminum in this case, it makes no difference other than aesthetics. And since I usually have a bag on my rack, it's no big deal to me. I guess if you were really concerned, some well placed eletrical tape could keep the scratching at bay.

landstander

The mounting system is very adjustable, and allows the Bug to be placed quite far back. Honestly, I doubt you'd have any trouble unless your rack is exceptionally short.

jhhall

I bought the bug a couple of months ago after reading various recommendations from many on this forum. I absolutely love the thing! I have never had it interfere while wearing it as a backpack. One recommendation I would make though - is ask to get longer straps for the backpack. I have a relatively larger upper body and asked for an extra 6" on my straps. They did it without any problem and no charge, since it appears they build the bags once they're ordered. I would have a hard time using it without the extra long straps.

Now for scratching the rack - heck yes it does. From my initial test install it scratched the rack. But it doesn't bother me and I haven't noticed any rusting.

hubcap

Yes, it does scratch the rack. I concerned myself with this for only a nanosecond before gleefully slapping it on my expensive (for me) OMM rack. If you are carrying around a pannier, you're probably more about utility than aesthetics anyway.

Savas

The Arkel mounting method is very flexible as well. They have photos showing how to mount a bag way back on the rack. The site is excellent in my humble opinion. It's got so many photos on any one product that you can get a reasonable feel for the product. Not quite like in a store, but way closer than competing sites.

Jarery

I second the motion that Arkel has one of the best web sites

As for scratching.....very annoying. But its a lesser of evils. Its scratching an aluminum part so its just athetics, and the rack is one of the least expensive additions on my bike.

beekay

I've used the bug for a few seasons now; It's comfortable even when filled with math textbooks. The only time I ever found it uncomfortable was when I tried to ride with it in backpack mode, (I was in a hurry.) It hit the back of my helmet and the metal plate squashed my back, as you'd expect.

p.s. If you intend on using it throught the winter, be sure to get the raincover. The zippers leak a little.

Walkafire

YES is does hit........... I had it adjusted all the way out.

Believe me, I wanted this little BUG! I have the Blackburn Expedition Rear Rack.
It is a NORMAL size rack.

I would need a LONGER rack, about 15-16 inches on the platform for "The BUG" to work.
I know this, cause I went up North (after talking with Arkel people in Canada) and tried it out on My Bike.

Longer Rack would cost about 75.00 to 90.00 (depending where I bought it)
Arkel Bug was about 125.00

The Panniers I have now work very well, Old Kirtland Panniers.

I have learned to live without this lil BUG.

BIG FOOT's Beware of the clearance issue

smssms

I also bought the Arkel Bug and tried to use it with the Blackburn Expedition Rack without success, and I only have size 11.5 feet.

There are actually quite a few suitable racks on the market that solve the heel clearance problem on the Bug, and that also have the "dogleg" style strut that keeps the bag from slamming into the rear wheel.

See https://nordicgroup.us/rearracks for details.

The Bug is a very wide pannier. While most new designs of panniers have gone to the narrow, more vertical style, the Bug, since it's also a backpack, is too wide for the shorter racks. Even for people with smaller feet, when using a short rack on one of the new style compact frames, there is a heel clearance issue.

worktheweb

As many have said before, the hooks don't hit your back. The old ones do scratch your rack (the bug I have) but they just changed their mounting system (I got a utility basket from them recently with the new hooks) and it has plastic under the hooks and does not scratch the rails. Both rail attachments are solid, the new one is a bit more automatic (rotating cams that lock as opposed to a rotating flange that must be manually rotated). Arkel's products can't be beat.

diesel_dad

Anyone carry a laptop in the Bug? Does it have a sleeve or do you use a separate neoprene sleeve?

Cyclist0383

I've used the Bug with the Blackburn Expedition Rack with absolutely no problems. It sounds to me like ether you have really short chainstays on your frame or you need to adjust the hooks on the Bug to sit further back.

I've also used it with a Tubus Cosmo rack with absolutely no problems at all. Between my wife and I we have used our Bug on four different bikes with no issues.

Cyclist0383

At least for the older models, you need a separate sleeve. I'm not sure about the newer owns. Call Arkel and ask, they have top notch customer service.

smssms

With the Blackburn Expedition Rack there were three issues with the Bug. First, the rack is too short. I had the Bug adjusted so it was as far back as possible, hanging way off the back, to avoid heel clearance issues (this was on an older, non-compact frame road bike, with long chainstays). Second, the original Expedition Rack lacks the "dogleg" strut. With the Bug mounted all the way to the rear of the rack, hanging way off, there is nothing that stops if from flopping into the wheel (and it does). Now Blackburn offers another version of the Expedition rack which has a dogleg. Third, there was nothing for the shock cord hook to attach to when you adjust the Bug so it sits so far back. The shock cord on the Bug has to come straight down (there is only one loop for it, which is centered); this is fine when the pannier is centered on the rack, but not fine when it's shifted as far as possible toward the rear.

When I called Arkel, they suggested the Jandd Expedition rack, as it's much longer than the Blackburn Expedition Rack, or the Old Man Mountain Red Rock. Looking at the two racks, the Jandd looks like it would work much better because a) it's longer, and b) it has the long level area of the rear strut (down at the bottom) for the shock cord to hook to, while the Old Man Mountain has the angled dogleg strut that the hook would just slide up on. Both of these racks are pretty expensive.

I tried the REI rack mentioned on https://nordicgroup.us/rearracks and this worked much better. The Bug still had to be mounted pretty far back, but not so far that it had nothing to prevent it from going into the wheel (about half of it is still supported in the back by the trapezoid of tubing attached to the struts). This rack is not all that long, but it mounts about two inches further back. I am going to try the method of moving it even further back. The good thing is that this rack is only $25.

The other problem with the Arkel Bug is that on many racks if you do adjust the top rail mounts so the pannier sits further back then there is nothing for the bottom hook to connect to. On their other designs, the shock cord can come down at an angle, through a choice of positions, to connect to the bottom of the rack at the point that the rack is bolted to the lower eyelet. This isn't the case with the Bug, you have to go straight down through the single loop (if you just don't use the loop, and go down at an angle, then the shock cord hook doesn't do anything for you). The mounting instructions that they included were for their other panniers that have the multiple positions for the shock cord, so I was looking for them on the Bug, but they were not there.

I like the Bug, but the retailers, and Arkel, should really make it clear up front, that for many buyers, their existing rack that works fine with other panniers, won't work with the Bug.

sfrider 

Easy. I put it on the rack.

sfrider 

I tried it with the Red Rock, but the rack was too short. I now use the Jandd Expedition, works great. It's a monster rack though. Soma Double Cross frame.

Highcyclist

I have the Arkel Commuter pannier, which has a removeable laptop sleeve. It hangs suspended and is secured into position with a vertical and a horizontal strap. It even fits my enormous 17" laptop. It doesn't have the backpack straps, but does come with a removeable shoulder strap. I use this pannier every day, and absolutely love it! As someone else mentioned, Arkel has great customer service, so don't hesitate to contact them.