SPECIALIZED BURRA BURRA

From £23 › Say goodbye to pannier racks

NEXT TO SPECIALIZED’S Morgan Hill HQ, California, is Henry W. Coe State Park, the preferred test site for the company’s Adventure Gear Division, and location of Burra Burra Peak, from which these bags take their name. The range consists of several bags, all constructed from durable externally polyurethane-coated nylon.

If you want to dabble in bike packing with stays in a B&B maybe, a seat pack (not pictured) is the place to begin. Available in 10 or 20-litre volumes, we tried the 444g 10 (£110), which comes with a clever tubular aluminium stabiliser. With clamps for two seatpost diameters, the 103g arm is angle adjustable for the pack to slide over it and fix with seatpost and saddle rail straps for stability.

For camping, the Handlebar Harness (£35) and Drypack come in to their own for sleeping bags, clothes or tents. The weatherproof Drypack comes in 13 and 23-litres, the former is best suited to drop bars, whereas our larger model (£23) is ideal for flat-bar bikes. Both ends of the 158g water-resistant Cordura 100D ripstop nylon bag have central poppers and roll closures, with

WE SAY Whether you’re an old hand or new age traveller, the Burra Burra range has plenty to offer

a central 35cm waterproof zip permitting on-thefly access. The robust 372g Handlebar Harness fits via two aluminium clamps beside the stem that attach to a wide U-shaped tubular support. On a drop bar bike it lowers the load to allow room for hands and accessories on the tops. Compression straps hold the load in place while two more can be used to give the harness more support.

Frame packs are ideal for packing your heaviest items, and must fit snugly within your frame - this one comes in 3, 5 or 8 litres. Our 5-litre 269g example (£80) has twin waterproof-zipped small item pockets and an impressively-cowled zipped main compartment. Its six-point Velcro and rubber strap attachment is solid, and although the base could be stiffer, a daisy chain beneath provides further attachment options.

The 142g 0.75-litre top-tube pack (£35) is easily accessible on the move, and attaches via Velcro straps, but requires some steerer tube height for the front strap. Its padded main compartment has an internal mesh pocket to separate smaller items, plus an external zipped pocket for valuables.