Fjällräven/Specialized Top Tube Bag review: a bijou bikepacking bag with a lot to offer

The rugged and versatile little Fjällräven/Specialized Top Tube Bag even has a weatherpoof portal for cables to run through

Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag
(Image: © Pat Kinsella)

Advnture Verdict

Smartly designed, weatherproof in all but the most biblical downpours and easy to firmly fit on a multitude of bikes, this versatile top tube pack from the Fjällräven/Specialized range of bikepacking bags belies its small size to offer a fantastic degree of functionality when you’re exploring tracks, trails and lanes on pedal-powered escapades. The two-way double zip provides excellent and easy access, making this the ideal storage place for everything from snacks and tools to smartphones during day rides, or as part of a more comprehensive bikepacking setup for multi-day adventures.

Pros

  • +

    Easily accessible with double zip and pull-cords

  • +

    Versatile

  • +

    Internal mesh pockets

  • +

    Weather resistant

  • +

    Protective semi-rigid construction

  • +

    Good range of colors

Cons

  • -

    Small volume

  • -

    Seams aren’t taped

  • -

    Zip pulls could be larger

You can trust Advnture Our expert reviewers spend days testing and comparing gear so you know how it will perform out in the real world. Find out more about how we test and compare products.

Meet the reviewer

best fleece jackets: Artilect Halfmoon Bio Pullover
Pat Kinsella

Pat has hiked all over the world, his adventures taking him to Mont Blanc, the roof of Western Europe; the Norwegian Alps; the highest peaks on Australia; and New Zealand’s Great Walks – among others. He’s an experienced tester of hiking footwear and gives each pair a thorough thrashing before reviewing.

Fjällräven/Specialized Top Tube Bag: first impressions

Available in a range of attractive, earthy colors, the compact Fjällräven/Specialized Top Tube Bag is part of the range of bikepacking bags produced by Swedish pack and outdoor apparel specialists Fjällräven in collaboration with Californian bike brand Specialized, which includes an amazingly spacious handlebar bag.

Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag on bike

The Fjällräven/Specialized Top Tube Bag secures to your bike frame using three Velcro strips: two that loop around the top tube and one that loops around either your bar stem or seat post, depending on whether you’re mounting it front or back (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)
Specifications

• List price: $55 (US) / £55 (UK) / €57 (EU)
• Materials: outer: 100% vinylal; lining: 100% polyamide 210D
• Volume: 0.8L
• Size (HxWxD): 10cm x 26cm x 6cm / 4in x 10in x 2.5in
• Weight (empty): 139g / 5oz
• Compatibility: Can be used on most mountain and gravel bikes
• Colors: Ochre / Red / Black / Green

This bag is capacity-challenged compared to some of the more capacious members of its family, but what the Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag lacks in size it makes up for in versatility and ease of access.

And when used in combination with the larger packs in the range – such as the frame bag which extends along the full length of the top tube, but is positioned underneath, enabling you use both bags simultaneously – it can be a really useful piece of kit.

To find out just how functional it is, and how it compares to the best bikepacking bags on the market, I’ve been testing this top tube pack out on the trails during a plethora of pedal-powered trail outings and multi-day rides.

Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag and Snack Bag

The Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag mounted at the front of the tube alongside the same range’s snack bag (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)

Fjällräven/Specialized Top Tube Bag: style and design

With an excellent-quality two-way zip, and an aerodynamic design, this little pack can be positioned at either end of a gravel or mountain-bike’s top tube, either snug up against the stem of your handlebars or placed under the seat post. Two Velcro strips loop around the top tube and a rear Velcro strip goes around the bar stem or seat post (depending on your preference) to hold the pack in place. Once these three points of contact are secured, the bag is very firmly held in place.

This is a semi-rigid bag, with an outer made from hardwearing, weather-resistant Vinylon F material (waterproof in all but the most torrential rain), backed by a stiff casing and a 100% recycled polyamide lining.

Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag

The rugged, two-way zip is convenient and built to withstand lots of rough on-trail yanking (Image credit: Fjällräven/Specialized)

I’ve been testing an early model of this pack, but the latest iteration has a weatherproof portal that allows you to run a cable out of the bag to and from a digital device – very handy if you have a phone, GPS navigating unit or bike computer mounted on your bars, for example.

Both of the zips boast color-coordinated cord pull loops, which make them easy to use even if you’re wearing gloves. The interior of the pack features mesh pockets on either side of the main compartment, which are excellent for organization, providing the perfect place for storing small items you might want to quickly lay your hands on, including your phone, credit cards and cash.

Fjällräven/Specialized Top Tube Bag: on the trails

Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag

Out on the trails with the Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag positioned to rear of the bike and not looking phallic at all (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)

I’ve been using the Fjällräven/Specialized range of bikepacking bags during a range of pedal-powered escapades over the last 12 months, including a great gravel-bike gallivant through the Yorkshire Dales to England’s highest pub, (where you can semi wild camp on the moor nearby), and during multi-day trips though the Peak District and across Dartmoor. 

I love the fact that you can mount this tidy top tube bag at the front or the rear of the frame. With a sleek, narrow profile, it doesn’t rub on your legs while you’re pedalling if you do locate it beneath the saddle, but personally I prefer to positions it at the front, by my bars, where I reach in and easily grab snacks or check my phone.

Fjällräven/Specialized top tube bag

A bike featuring a while suite of Fjällräven/Specialized bikepacking bags, all complementing one another (Image credit: Pat Kinsella)

The build quality is superb – the tough outer material is hardwearing and very easy to wipe down if (OK, when) it gets mucky. The zips are fantastic – very robust, they’re effectively weatherproof and the fact there are two zips offers you easy access with either hand, and allows you to keep most of the bag shut while you reach in and get what you need.

Pat Kinsella

Author of Caving, Canyoning, Coasteering…, a recently released book about all kinds of outdoor adventures around Britain, Pat has spent 20 years pursuing stories involving boots, bikes, boats, beers and bruises. En route he’s canoed Canada’s Yukon River, climbed Mont Blanc and Kilimanjaro, skied and mountain biked through the Norwegian Alps, run an ultra across the roof of Mauritius, and set short-lived records for trail-running Australia’s highest peaks and New Zealand’s Great Walks. He’s authored walking guides to Devon and Dorset, and once wrote a whole book about Toilets for Lonely Planet. Follow Pat’s escapades on Strava here and Instagram here.