Review: Ortlieb Fuel-Pack & Toptube-Bag

 Note: Ortleib sent over their Fuel-Pack and Toptube-Bag for test and review at no charge to Guitar Ted Productions. I am not being paid, nor bribed, for this review and I will always strive to give you my honest thoughts and opinions throughout. 

There are a lot of bag makers out there these days ranging from small, home-based makers all the way through to big factory-made products sold with other company's branding. What bag is best? Where do you go to find the best features and construction for a good value on the dollar spent? 

Maybe I am like you and I see all these bags and get kind of paralyzed by all the ways to go. A sort of Tyranny of Choice, as it were. I guess that is why I was a bit surprised that this press release I received recently spurred my attention and interest in Ortlieb's bags for touring and bikepacking. Of course, the Ortlieb brand is synonymous with high-quality, dependable touring gear. And as I wasn't really interested in panniers or the like, I wasn't expecting to find anything there that I would want to review, but these two top tube mounted bags I have in hand now did pique my interest. 

Ironically the press release wasn't about any specific Ortlieb product. It was a message pointing out the company's efforts in sustainability. Now, generally this can be a somewhat confusing subject and often claims are made that are not verified or even understandable. But Ortlieb owns their own manufacturing plants, and since that is the case, they can verify the carbon footprint of every one of their bags. So, if you go to any Ortlieb bag page on the Ortlieb website, you can see a little green box, (natch) down in the right hand lower corner and it tells you how far you'd have to cycle to offset the carbon footprint for that particular product. 

Now if you know Ortlieb, you know that their products are very durable, well designed, and even repairable, so from that standpoint you have a leg up on many company's bags that aren't made as well, repairable, or both. Another hallmark of Ortleib products is their waterproofness, and these two bags I have should be excellent in that regard. So, enough said about all the sustainability and whatnot. What do I have here anyway?

What It Is: These are two of Ortlieb's top-tube mounted bags from their Bikepacking collection. the first bag here will be the Fuel-Pack. This is a new bag in Ortlieb's Bike-packing range. This bag has a 1L capacity, a magnetic closure "flap" style lid, and attaches via either a top tube boss set, (if your bike is so equipped) or via a two-strap perforated rubber system. If your bike has the two-bolt bosses on the top tube, you can use the rubber straps and included plates to mount a water bottle to a frame member, or use the plates to offset the placement of the Fuel-Pack on a set of top tube bosses if necessary. 

The Fuel-Pack has PU-coated Nylon fabric construction with an outer mesh pocket. There is also an integrated cable port for the recharging of devices. 

The Fuel-Pack weighs in at 110gm for the bag alone and the hardware weighs in at 43gm (rubber straps are included in that) Dimensions of the bag are 8.3"L x 4.7"H x 3.3"W. The Fuel-Pack is available via Ortlieb's website for $75.00. 

The Toptube-Bag is similarly featured when it comes to pockets and the magnetic closure, but it is larger.  9.1"L x 4.7"H x 3.3"W. The weight of the Toptube-Bag with the clip-on rail attached is 194 grams while the hardware weighs in at 53 grams . The Toptube-Bag is $95.00USD.

The Toptube-Bag has a unique rail attachment which allows the Toptube-Bag to be clipped off the bike. More on that in a bit.

The Ortlieb Fuel-Pack

First Impressions: When talking with the representative for Ortlieb I was a bit torn between this Fuel-Pack and the following Top-Tube Bag for a choice. I was wondering if 1 liter was too small but 1.5L sounded huge. Fortunately, for you and I, Ortlieb was okay with sending both bags out for this review. This way we can compare and contrast easily, and hopefully you can be better informed as to which one is right for you. 

The two pockets that receive the magnets can clearly be seen here.

I do know that both are impeccably made and the quality of construction looks top-notch. There are two very strong, I assume neodymium, magnets inserted into the flap-style lids of both bags, which protrude from the lid. But unlike many other magnetic closures I have seen on bags, these have matching pockets to land in which are molded/held in place by the bag fabric. When the magnets land in these plastic pockets the resulting 'snap' heard is satisfyingly loud enough that I think you won't wonder if the bag is closed or not while riding. I have had instances with other magnetic closures where I thought the bag was closed but the wind had actually lifted the top up and everything inside was in danger of being lost. I don't see this as an issue with either of these two bags, but we will see. 

 Ortlieb says there is an "external mesh pocket" here on the Fuel-Pack, but it isn't really external. It is essentially between the flap on its "hinged side" and the reinforced inner space. There is also another inner pocket inside. Interestingly, Ortlieb cautions against putting a bank card in this bag unless it is in that "outer" mesh pocket, furthest away from the magnets. This is due to the detrimental effects that a magnet can have on a chip card or a magnetic strip card. The interior is a plush, fleeced type of fabric that should keep noise to a minimum but could prove to be an issue with gooey gel packets and melted chocolate covered energy bars. 

The Ortlieb Top-Tube Bag

The Top-Tube Bag is similar in design, but obviously larger. It also has a unique rail attachment that allows you to quick-release this bag from your bike. You don't have to use this feature, but it could be a handy way to turn your Top-Tube bag into a convenient carry-in bag for safe-keeping of valuables or just so you don't buy so much stuff that it won't fit in the bag!

A look at the interior of the Toptube-Bag

 I decided to go with the Fuel-Pack on my Honeman Flyer while the Noble GX5 is getting the Toptube-Bag. The Honeman Flyer is a steel framed bike with relatively small diameter tubing compared to most bikes seen today for gravel. Think "classic road bike" steel tubes and this bike is closer to that sort of tube diameter than not. Meanwhile the Noble has standard, for today, larger cross-section carbon fiber frame design. This is important to remember here as it pertains to the fit of these Ortlieb bags. 

Overall, the set up was easy using the included instructions. It's kind of "Ikea-like", but there are clear images and instructions to follow, so give it some patience and I think most folks can do this assembly with no problem. That said, a traditional hook and loop strapped-on top tube bag is pretty easy to mount. Much easier than these bags were to mount, so as far as installation goes, the Ortlieb's score low on the scale compared to the competition.

The Ortlieb Fuel-Pack

Note how the straps are forced into a very sharp angle over the buckle on this narrow steel tubing.

Fuel-Pack: I was a bit disappointed in the results I saw with the combination of the steel frame and the Fuel-Pack. The straps were forced into a sharper bend onto the hook which secures the bag to the bike because of the narrow steel tubing. This, in turn, allowed the strap to pop off easily if you touched the straps. So, a slight brush from a leg, let's say, while standing and pedaling could cause this. That was unacceptable. 

Furthermore; due to the narrow stance of the plastic standoffs for the attachment of the bag, it was most difficult to find the hook to attach the silicone rubber strap. I managed to do it, but a wider stance in regard to the mounts would have alleviated this frustration to a great degree. 

I think what I need to do next is to mount this bag to one of my bikes that has a wider cross-section top tube to see how it will go there. The way the Toptube-Bag mounted to the Noble bike gives me hope in that regard. But as for my steel framed gravel bikes? I am afraid this Fuel-Pack is no good as a match for them. 

The Ortlieb Toptube-Bag

Toptube Bag: This was a complete 180° experience. The removable Toptube-Bag mount is separate from the bag, so strapping it on was super-easy. Plus the bag is far more stable on a wider top tubed bike as well as being a good foundation for the base plate. This allows super-easy removal and replacement of the bag using the release on the base plate. 

The Toptube-Bag, while dimensionally only slightly bigger according to Ortlieb's specs, is far larger in reality than the Fuel-Pack. The Fuel-Pack tapers to the rear of the bike, is slimmer in the rear, and it also slopes to the rear in profile. The Toptube-Bag, in contrast, is much more a "box" and has copious amounts of room inside the bag. 

So Far... I am reserving any judgement on the Fuel-Pack until I try it on a different bike. Meanwhile, I am very impressed with the Toptube-Bag with its removable feature. However; there is also the function of its flap-style, magnetic closure top that is superior to the Fuel-Pack's, despite the similarities. The Fuel-Pack's lid has a weird fold in the front which sometimes does not allow the lid to fully close. A slight tap on the lid usually does the trick, but still.... 

Stay tuned for an update coming soon.