The Velomacchi 50L Hybrid Duffle Pack Is The Overbuilt Bag Of Our Dreams

Yes, the Velomacchi 50 Liter Hybrid Duffle is hip. The 1,000 denier "competition" fabric is thick and textured, which gives the bag a modern and fashionable feel, but it's burly and industrial like luggage should be. It's also versatile. It has a shoulder strap for short hauls as well as sternum-clip backpack straps if you need to lug it for long periods. Mostly, I've used it as a tail bag, stuffing the main compartment with 42 liters of gear and using the four anchor points on the bottom of the bag to lash it to the subframe of a bike.

I haven’t been kind to the anchors either. I use the provided straps and cinch mercilessly to make sure the bag stays in place. It’s held on for hundreds of miles of dirt and a thousand or so on asphalt so far, and I haven’t torn any seams or damaged the straps.

Simple as a bag is, this one has a couple tricks. An extended flap on one end of the main zipper provides an extra triangle of material that unfolds to make the compartment easier to access. The straps around the width have built-in cam buckles to adjust its girth and keep cargo tight, plus the straps don’t flail in the wind. Two small pockets adorn the sides for smaller items (that’s where my first-aid kit lives).

This Velomacchi bag is waterproof, made from stronger materials than a lot of jackets and riding pants, and it can be carried four ways. I'd like to knock it for the $400 price tag, but the truth is, it feels overbuilt—even for the money. If you can stand how cool it looks, you'll probably be impressed.