New Alpkit Bikepacking Gear

[Lughnasadh]

I do not know if this has been posted yet but here is a link I got this morning;

https://www.alpkit.com/colab/notes/bike ... 20software

To summarize - Alpkit to be releasing a bar sling, seat bag and some other bits and bobs to utilize the space on the bike.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Much of it was on display at the WRT in May ... there's some nice bits. Should be a couple of pics on the BB blog.

[didnothingfatal]

Interesting the are making a seat bag shaped Drybag, I need a pattern for a Cuben one I want to make

[Kumquat]

Hmm, like the sound of the Holster as a cheaper alternative to a mountain feed bag......

[Hoojum]

I'm looking forward to seeing there finished seatpack. If it's anything like the quality and value of there Stingray frame bag, I just might get me one.

[Shalarim]

Looks like the double enders up.

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?tar ... ory_id=324

[restlessshawn]

I have ordered a 13l to try out with my sling. I really wanted a sweet roll so hoping this will work as a cheapo version.

[Bearbonesnorm]

New goodies now listed but not available until the middle of this month.

http://www.alpkit.com/shop/cart.php?tar ... ory_id=324

[barney]

couple of stem holsters look to be on my wishlist :D

[rudedog]

Bit gutted at the prices - £55 for the handlebar harness seems crazy for a piece of material with some straps sewn on.

[restlessshawn]

I'll be getting a stem holster if they don't sell out before I notice

[Bearbonesnorm]

Bit gutted at the prices - £55 for the handlebar harness seems crazy for a piece of material with some straps sewn on.

If they're that cheap and easy to make why not make your own? ... should only take a couple of minutes and cost a few quid.

[Ray Young]

Bit gutted at the prices - £55 for the handlebar harness seems crazy for a piece of material with some straps sewn on.

R&D + small market = higher costs. .

Fuel pod looks tempting, I bought a cheap version off eBay and it fell apart very quickly. A velcro tab running down from each side of the pod to attach to the sides of a frame bag would be a much more stable attachment system in my opinion. Also no strap around the stem to rub and less fiddly to mount. ( Mmm, I feel a project coming on).

[Lughnasadh]

I am excited about getting one of the Koala seat packs.
I have wanted a seat back for a while to replace my dry-bag and decided to wait for the alpkit offering when I heard they were going to release one.

[Eoghan]

Good prices compared to the competition, which isn't a surprise, except for the harness which is expensive.

Koala is straight away on my wishlist. The stem holsters look like winners too. The fuel pod is a good price but seems a bit small.

Wasn't there word of a stripped-down, budget version of the frame bag on the cards as well?

Nice work AK.

[Cheeky Monkey]

Good prices compared to the competition, which isn't a surprise, except for the harness which is expensive.

Are they? IIRC other's pricing of comparable kit they're dearer than Wildcat and Bikepak (though not by a lot) and probably a bit cheaper than Revelate (when bought in UK and ignoring the lottery of customs / importing yourself). IMO it looks like they've followed the general pricing level of other cottage manufacturers in the UK or Europe (which is what I'd count WC and Pavel as). Whether that's "right" given they aren't exactly a cottage industry could be debated but ho-hum. So long as no one tries to justify it too strongly I won't ask them to go open book to prove it

I'll be honest, I look at my (lovely) Wildcat gear and think the prices seem a bit high for what it is BUT I don't know enough about it (material costs, time, effort etc) so, as it works so great, I just accept what it costs. I'm not about to fanny around trying to make it myself either, but that in itself doesn't stop someone wondering about how things are prices. It's certainly not like some places rebranding the same gear and selling it for twice the price as you see elsewhere in the bike and outdoor gear industry.

The harness looks interesting but Wildcat's is so good and secure I'd be interested to see how it compares and surprised if it works better.

The saddle pack looks like a variation on the theme of Revelate / Bikepak, nothing that new or different about them so suspect choice'll come down to a few quid or the slight variations in build quality. Again though, Wildcat's take on it is the only real variation I've seen. Their seatpost attachment and choice of materials is really good and the concept of using stuff sacks is so sensible.

I'm not quite sure why Alpkit's versions have generated so much interest when there's already something which I suspect is already out there already thata's cheaper or doing it a (bit) better. I suspect there might be a bit of the "Alpkit" effect to it, a bit like the "to-go-bike-packing-I-need a bikepacking-bike" attitude that crops up occassionally (not having a dig, just shooting the breeze).

Hey ho, will be good to hear back from the actual users once it's on the market.

Lastly, regarding pricing, doesn't the product info imply the current prices are cheaper because these are initial production batches with slight irregularities? It seemed to imply prices in the long run would be higher?

[restlessshawn]

By the time you allow for the postage with Wildcat and Bikepack the alpkit seatpack comes out cheaper and all the handlebar systems seem to work out about the same.

I'm only really interested in the stem holster anyway and that is a whole lot cheaper than a Revelate feedbag.

There does ofcourse seem to be an indication alpkit prices may rise.

Probably comes down to choosing based on either a specific design feature or whichever company you want to support. The only thing I have ever had from alpkit I didn't like was a hunka (during WRT 2012) but I seem to be the only one so maybe I should try another :?

[Cheeky Monkey]

Ah, P&P, hadn't factored that in, fair play 8-)

and all the handlebar systems seem to work out about the same

Not IMO. I've used Bikepak's double twist and whilst it's not bad the harness and stuff sack type set up and particularly the way it's attached to the bars and fork crown that Wildcat use is significantly better. It holds a wider variety of load sizes and is more effective at preventing random bouncing and bobbing.

Be good to hear what the Alpkit stuff is like after people have used it.

[restlessshawn]

Not IMO.

I just meant price wise.

[rudedog]

Bit gutted at the prices - £55 for the handlebar harness seems crazy for a piece of material with some straps sewn on.

If they're that cheap and easy to make why not make your own? ... should only take a couple of minutes and cost a few quid.

I'll probably just keep using an airlok xtra strapped to the bars to be honest, its worked OK for me in the past (but can be a faff to get it set up initiailly). I just think that the harness is a lot of money for what it is, especially when compared to a custom 'made-to-order' frame bag from them which is only £10 more.

I guess I was just hoping that Alpkit would be coming in with prices that I could justify paying the extra for over my current simple drybag/strap system - sadly it seems not and they are pricing these at what people are currently prepared to pay from the existing suppliers.

[Cheeky Monkey]

By the time you allow for the postage with Wildcat and Bikepack the alpkit seatpack comes out cheaper and all the handlebar systems seem to work out about the same.

Just checking websites - Wildcat harness is £48 + £4 p&p (from when I bought), Alpkit's "roughcut" (i.e. cheap version) is £55 inc p&p, so a touch more expensive.

Seatpaks - Wildcat £60 plus p&p, Alpkit £55 (but for the roughcut) Bikepack equivalent is £56.80 plus p&p.

Still in a similar ball park to the cottagers generally. Will be interesting to see what the cost is when the stop doing "roughcut" (actually, it won't be because I'm sticking with my Wildcat stuff ).

edit: slow typing, overly geeking, time-killing Friday posts. I'll stop now otherwise I might just as well be baiting people on STW 8-)

[Bearbonesnorm]

Still in a similar ball park to the cottagers generally

Perhaps this implys something different where I'm from

[Cheeky Monkey]

I've seen your taste in saddles / headgear. I think it's a perfect term to use on your site

[Hoojum]

I'm pleased Alpkit are widening there bikepacking range and I did fancy getting a Koala seat pack but at that price I'd rather have a Tiger which IMO offers more flexibility.

Now I'm interested in seeing the shaped AirLock bags they mentioned they'd been working on.

"We have also developed a seat pack shaped Airlok Xtra which will fit inside most seat packs eliminated voids and reducing wobble". https://www.alpkit.com/colab/notes/bike ... velopments

The shaped Airlok Xtra might make a great MYOG seat pack with a little bit of work. I hope they offer them in black and in a few different sizes.

[Lughnasadh]

The shaped Airlok Xtra might make a great MYOG seat pack with a little bit of work. I hope they offer them in black and in a few different sizes.

Have you seen the alpkit bikepack luggage video?
They show a prototype of the shaped dry bag and it has the same rubber loops on it as the others in the range.
The bloke in the video said it was designed to allow minimalists to mount it directly.