Wiggle Lifeline Adventure Bikepacking Bags Review
When it comes to bikepacking bags, I am very particular about what I use. I recently came across the Lifeline adventure frame bag from Wiggle and thought Id give them a try on my new bike. I ordered the top tube bag and one of their medium frame bags to see if they were any good.
I have used a lot of different bike bags since I started ultra cycling, and in this article, I wanted to give you an honest, unbiased review of what I thought of these bags. I will tell you about everything I thought was excellent and what I didn't think was so good.
What We loved!
There's a lot we like about these bags. You could be here a while.
Price
The first thing to mention is the price, and these bags are incredibly cheap compared to the market leaders and even better value than sites such as Amazon. With a typical frame bag and top tube bag from the market leaders, you wouldn't see much change from £150, but these you are looking at only £25. That's a 6th of the cost and an incredible price.
Material
The bags are made of a 300D Polyester Ripstop with TPU Coating and have a fully welded construction. They feel incredibly waterproof and tough like they will be ok with taking a bit of abuse. What I like a lot about the bags it even with things in or not, they are excellent at holding their own structure and tend not to be too loose and flappy when it comes to windy days.
Design and Looks
I feel when it comes to bags, simplicity is key. They don't need to have wild colours or be anything outrageous to look at. With the Lifeline adventure frame bag, they have kept it super simple and just gone with plain black and their logo. I personally love the way it looks and goes with any bike in my collection.
Mounting
When it comes to mounting the bags, many companies get it wrong. Sometimes there are too many mounts, and although secure, they are a nightmare to get on and off. Then you have other bags with barely any mounts and flap about all over the place. Lifeline has got it spot on with their adventure frame bag mounts. There are not too many mounts, but the ones they do are extra large and have an amazing ability to grip the frame. It would be nice if they had a little more protection for your frame when mounting on places such as the down tube.
Size
When it comes to sizing, you have loads of options. On the top tube bag, you have a choice of two, and on the frame bags, you have three different sizes, a small frame bag, a large, and a medium. I think the depth is good, the width is great, and it has plenty of space for a few snacks, a rain jacket, and tools and spares.
Cable Hole
Another thing I liked about these bags was the fact you have a cable hole for charging. It's one of those bag features I didn't expect and makes life so easy if you need to charge your Garmin on a long trip or even for threading lighting cables. It's an excellent convivence which many companies overlook.
Things We Didn't Like!
As far as things we didn't like go, it's very little, if anything.
No Inside Pockets
Although this is something that I personally can take or leave, the bags don't have any inside pockets. A place for storing your keys or a bit of cash would have been awesome.
Mounts are Rough
Although the mounts are excellent, I feel after years of use on a frame, it is going to leave a few scratches. It's an easy fix with some insulation tape though.
Zips
Although there's nothing wrong with the zips, and they work fine, they do feel a little cheap, and I can see them being the first thing to go. I also feel they might not be waterproof as the main material.
Overall
I was very impressed with these bags, and they can't be beaten for such a sensible price. They will look fantastic on the bike, and I'm sure they will join me on many adventures in the future.
With the quality being so good, I am now going to invest in more of the lifeline adventure series because I really feel Wiggle and Lifeline have just nailed the design.
So handlebar bags and saddle bag will be next as I feel they will offer an ideal space for a sleeping bag on my gravel bike. There's very little I can fault if I'm honest and rate them very highly.
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