Rack-Top or Seat Mounted Bicycle Trunks

Getting Started:

Trunk bags should be considered by cyclists in two lights. The first light is utilizing trunk bags for their simple, do-it-all qualities. The second is as a bag that adds to the capacity of panniers when the load gets large.

Rack-top bags might be considered the most standard or traditional style of bike bag. As a do-it-all bag, trunk bags offer plenty of room, convenient accessibility and great usability both on and off the bike. Sitting squarely on top of the rear rack of a bicycle, trunk bags are well suited to transport items that are relatively bulky or heavy. The natural configuration of sitting on top of the rack allows for this, with the box shaped layout. This convenient shape lends well to an easy transformation from bike bag to should bag, perfect when jumping off the bike to pick up a few groceries, head into class or sneak a few treats into the movie theater.

When bike panniers come up a little bit short on capacity, trunk bags can fill in the need for capacity to store your things. Trunk bags are often utilized by cyclists who only have a rear bike rack and are looking to get the maximum capacity out of it. This approach has been taken one step further with an integrated bike panniers and trunk bag solution. The Vaude Karakorum is great example of this hybrid approach, which also includes an innovative top section that can be zipped off and used as a backpack.

Beyond augmenting the use of just a rear rack, expedition bike tours sometimes require a great deal of gear that involves loading up every available inch of real estate on the bike, especially when, lonely remote areas are a part of the route. A fully loads setup could include along with a trunk bag, front and rear panniers and a handlebar bag.

A popular touring setup when lots of storage capacity is required, is a medium Ortlieb Rack Pack in combination with any Ortlieb Back Roller or Bike Packer panniers. An Ortlieb Rack Pack is perfect for long items like tents, sleeping pads and sleeping bags, keeping them dry at the same time. The Rack Pack is also a convenient bag to use off the bike with it's duffel bag configuration. Ortlieb's small Rack Pack also works well for additional capacity and is small enough to be used on its own, placed parallel to the bike rack.

Bike Trunk Bag Styles:

• Rack-top Bags: Traditional rack-top bags such as those by Lone Peak have been used by cyclists for decades and are by far the most common and recognizable bike bags, perhaps even more so than bike panniers. This style of trunk bag is very useful for bike commuting, errands and simply adding basic cargo capacity to a bicycle and is many cyclists first bike bag. Over the years, features such as drop-down panniers, locks and integrated mounting systems have added to the utility and appeal of this abundantly useful style of bicycle bag.
• Rack-top Cases:
• Rack Packs:
• Seatpost Mounted Bags: This setup is an excellent solution when the benefits of a trunk bag are sought after without the requirement of mounting a bike rack. Limitations of this style include limited weight capacity and the inherent inability to increase capacity by adding bike panniers into the mix.

Methods for Mounting Trunk Bags to Your Bike:

• Rack-top/Strap Mounted: The most common method for mounting a bike trunk bag is to the top of a rack, utilizing the variety of straps built into the bag. Both Lone Peak and Vaude Rack-top bags have strap at the bottom that loop over the rack.
• Rack-top/Integrated Mounting: Rack-top bags that are designed to integrate with a specific rack and have interfaces on their bottom side for engaging these racks. Some rack-top bags have both rack engaging systems and standard straps for working with standard racks. Other rack-top bags, such as the Racktime lineup, are only compatible with racks with the engagement system built in.
• Rack-top/Mounting System: Some rack top bags are designed to work with a rack engagement system similar to the above mentioned rack integrated systems, however these systems offer a separated piece that can be mounted to the bike rack. This allows for the system to be more universal working with any bike rack. The Ortlieb lineup of rack-top bags and cases utilizes this type of system. The E159 Rack-Top Bag Mounting Set serves this purpose. Ortlieb bags can be setup for working with any bike with additional mounting sets. The E159 mounting set also offers a convenient rail for hanging panniers.
• Seat Post Mounted: What amounts to an integrated seat-post rack allows for this style of trunk bag to be used without a standard rear rack. The rack portion of the bag is clamped to the bicycle's seatpost. Most seatpost mounted bags, such as those by Vaude, can be removed with a push of a button, separating off the front portion of the rack's seatpost mounting clamp, allowing the bag to be removed for off the bike activities.
• Pannier Mounted: Bike trunk bags that are intended to add additional capacity to rear pannier setups often utilize the panniers for mounting. Ortlieb's Medium Rack Pack is best mounted by running its end buckles through the handles of the Ortlieb Panniers, A strap or bungee, such as the Tubus/Racktime Rack Straps
is run over the center of the bag and clipped to the front and rear of the rack.

Organizational Features:

• Side pockets
• Dividers
• Top Bungees:
• Drop-down Panniers
• Expandability:

Usage Features

• Expandability:
• Use off of the bike:
• Rain Protection:
• Locks
• Insulation:

Other Important Considerations:

• Size and Capacity:
• Load Balancing:
• Special Features:

*For further information on bike trunk bags, please review our Bike Bag FAQ's and our Bike Bag & Rack Comparison Chart.

Our Brands:

Ortlieb: Ortlieb offers a very innovative selection of rack-top bags and cases that are great for both touring an commuting. Additionally, Ortlieb's Rack Packs are great choices for easily increasing capacity on your bike touring rig.
Racktime: Featuring the Snap-It system, Racktime's lineup of rack-top bags are excellent choices for commuters. With their easy mounting on and off the rack, Racktime's Trunk-it Large and Small bags are perfect quickly removing your gear. Racktime even offers a bag specific to their front rack. the Trunk-It Front. This stylish bag looks great up front and is quite handy to get in and out of in this position.
Lone Peak: Don't forget to use the space on top of your favorite bike rack when you run out of room in your Lone Peak panniers. Lone Peak rack-top bags help you utilize all the empty space on your bike without getting in the way. All of the Lone Peak rack-top bags are padded for rigidity, shape, and insulation, in addition to being constructed from top-of-the-line Cordura fabric, which is made to withstand the elements.
Vaude: Vaude offers both rack-top bags and their innovative seatpost mounted bags. Vaude's range of racktop bag includes the basic Silk Road II, the roomier Silk Road Plus with drop-down panniers and the voluminous Karakorum integrated pannier, rack-top bag and backpack system.