Arkel’s Rollpacker Front: Breaking with Touring Tradition

The humble handlebar bag dates back almost as far as the bicycle itself, and is often the first port of call for wide-eyed, fresh-faced bikepackers preparing for their first night under the stars. Its near-universal use by bike travellers encourages brands to focus on innovation and creativity to set their product apart from the overwhelming number of designs on the market. I recently put the Arkel Rollpacker Front through its paces in the Irish countryside and came away pleasantly surprised.

Proudly Canadian

Founded in Montréal in 1988 by Serge Vigeant and Paul McKenzie, Arkel has earned a worldwide reputation for rugged, beautifully crafted panniers. Now based in Sherbrooke, Québec, most bags are still made locally with tough Cordura, YKK zippers, and their signature Cam-Lock® hooks. They partnered with CRDITED Estrie, a local social service organization, around 2003 to employ individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in the final assembly and finishing of their panniers. This initiative underscores a deep commitment to a community-first approach embedded in their company values.

In 2022, Quebec entrepreneur Marc Desrosiers took the reins to continue the Canadian-made tradition. Favoured by touring cyclists for bombproof reliability and thoughtful design, Arkel bags embody Québec's cycling spirit and a passion for adventure.

An Uphill Battle

While being well-known amongst cyclists for their touring panniers, pivoting into new markets can be quite a challenge. That's the issue Arkel is facing. Brands known for touring, which is seen by some as the uncool cousin of bikepacking, run the risk of being dismissed from the outset by the community they're trying to win over. This may explain why I knew relatively little about Arkel despite being immersed in cycling for over three decades. I naturally gloss over traditional touring manufacturers, safe in the knowledge that I'm unlikely to ever pedal around the world.

Also, my lack of familiarity with Arkel likely comes from living in Ireland. It's fair to say the brand's underrepresented on this side of the pond, with only five dealers in the UK, and none in Ireland.

Design & Construction

I would describe Arkel's Rollpacker bag and cradle system as reassuringly sturdy, which I prefer over lightweight and flimsy when it comes to bikepacking gear. The bag has two main compartments: a large, double-ended rolled dry bag and a front roll-top pouch for quick access to gear. There's also a slim slip pocket hidden behind the front pouch that can be easy to overlook.

Weighing in at 628g for the 15L version, the Rollpacker is hand-sewn in Canada using Xpac RX30—a fully waterproof fabric made in the USA from recycled and carbon-neutral materials. This durable, abrasion-resistant outer inspires confidence and should have no trouble in brushing off bumps and knocks on the trail for many years. Nylon liners with taped seams protect gear from the elements in both compartments.

The central portion of the main bag is reinforced with an additional layer of material on top of the Xpac to accommodate the cradle pouch and provide extra wear resistance against inadvertent tyre buzz or trail impacts, should they ever happen.

The high-quality stitching ensures that you can stuff this bag to full capacity and beyond without hesitation. Pulling hard on the webbing straps when securing the bag to the hanger or looped handlebars didn't produce any worrying sounds, either.

Finishing touches include an integrated webbing carry handle and front-facing reflective details for added visibility on the road. The large Arkel branding on the front can be a little much compared with more subtle offerings on the market.

The aluminum hanger weighs 316g and is the only part of the system manufactured overseas. The quality and finish are similar to other racks, and it feels more than capable of handling the recommended 7kg payload.

Two Ways To Install

There are two options for mounting the Rollpacker to your bike, depending on your handlebar style. Using the included aluminium hanger, the bag can be installed on road or gravel drop bars and flat MTB bars. Alternatively, by skipping the hanger and mounting directly using the two main straps, the bag can also be fitted to hooped alt-bars such as the Jones H-Bars.

The aluminium hanger/cradle attaches to the handlebars via two flexible thermoformed plastic brackets and a series of straps spaced 5cm apart, and is compatible with bar diameters 22.2mm and over. The brackets fit snugly on either side of the stem's faceplate and are held in place with velcro straps. To prevent the hanger from rotating downwards under the weight of the bag, a heavy-duty webbing strap is hooked over the top of the plastic clamps and underneath the stem. A thin stabilizing strap is then passed behind the steerer tube to control bounce on rough terrain further.

With the hanger in place, the bag simply slides onto the frame using the dedicated reinforced upper sleeve and secures in place with two thick straps. It's a slick, well-thought-out system.

Three lengths of stem straps are included with the bag, and I found the shortest strap worked best for my particular setup (60mm stem and 31.8mm bars), but it's good to know that the longer straps will accommodate longer stems or slightly wider clamping positions.

Mounting the bag on looped alt-bars without the hanger is an easy, speedy affair. The two main body straps simply pass over both sections of the handlebars and tighten down, nestling the bag neatly into the loop for stability. It's worth noting that this method can interfere with brake and gear cables, though it shouldn't be a problem if there's enough slack to work with.

Shedding Weight

Arkel's relatively large front Rollpacker forced a change in my original setup, with unexpectedly positive results. It led me to finally ditch my small panniers in favour of a single rear dry bag, which in turn encouraged a simplified packing list and a reduction in the number of “just in case” items on the bike.

The result was weight savings across the board. The swap shed 980g when using the aluminium hanger setup on the gravel bike and 1.3kg when the bag was paired with looped bars. Those are significant numbers. While the above example is specific to my situation, I think it's worth sharing. It shows that even with the Rollpacker's above-average weight, it can still be used to transform the bikepacking experience compared to other setups.

Rolling ‘n' Packing On The Trail

I tested the Rollpacker mostly with its cradle on a medium Sonder Camino gravel bike with 42cm bars featuring 20deg sweep, a 60mm reach stem, and 40mm of stem spacers (these measurements are important).

The main compartment was packed with a Snugpak 2-season synthetic sleeping bag, Therm-a-Rest Prolite Apex sleeping mat and an Alpkit inflatable pillow. The front pouch held a few electronics and a Leatherman. The total weight of the contents was 3kg, which felt like a sensible number to avoid affecting the bike's handling too much.

When heading out on my first overnighter with my new setup, I only made it 100 metres down the road to learn an important lesson, the two main bag straps needed to be very tight to prevent tyre rub. Although there was clearance of 40mm between the bag and the tyre, the small amount of slack in the straps, coupled with a curb drop, was enough to buzz the bag against my Maxxis Rambler up front. A quick stop to adjust and fully tighten the straps solved the problem, and I haven't experienced tyre rub since then.

This first test ride to a forest campsite (a Game of Thrones filming location, no less) consisted of a mix of smooth roads, chunky gravel tracks and some overgrown natural trails. I found the system handled rough terrain well, thanks to the cantilevered cradle and use of webbing straps to suspend it in place. The slight up-and-down flex allowed by the tensioned webbing dampened vertical movements, with zero side-to-side sway, even when pedalling hard out of the saddle. Compared to other cradles that clamp tightly onto the handlebars to eliminate movement or play, I feel Arkel's design reduces component failure in the field.

At camp, the top carry handle proved invaluable when carrying the fully loaded bag from bike to tent spot. It was as simple as undoing two clips and sliding it from the cradle like a small holdall.

The wide openings at either end of the main compartment made unpacking and packing as easy as any pannier. Stuffing in a bulky synthetic bag after a poor night's sleep was no trouble at all. I originally thought the lack of a compression air valve would be a concern; however, I never found it to be an issue during my time with the bag.

With the 15L Rollpacker well stuffed and each end triple-rolled, it fitted comfortably between the hoods on my 42cm bars with extra room to spare. Running such narrow bars does mean less space for gadgets, and the cradle's chunky plastic brackets forced the removal of my Quadlock phone holder to make way. That's something to keep in mind if you rely on bar-mounted GPS and lights.

The front pouch is held closed by a Fidlock magnetic latch, which makes for easy access to electronics or emergency rain layers. On future versions of the bag, it would be nice to see a way to remove the pouch from the rest of the bag for shorter trips or to use at resupply points.

Let's talk about clearances. With a 60mm stem, the shortest stem strap and all support straps tightened as much as possible, the Rollpacker still rested lightly on my headtube and cables. Having damaged paintwork in similar situations in the past, I was a little disappointed by this. It's also important to mention that the Rollpacker would most likely have interfered with the front tyre more if it weren't for the 40mm of installed stem spacers.

I test-fitted the Rollpacker on two other bikes—A 26” On-One Inbred with On-One Geoff looped Alt bars (similar to the Jones H-Bars) and an extra-small Vitus gravel bike.

Mounted to the On-One, with the straps passed round both sections of the looped bars and tightened down the loaded Rollpacker snugly under the bars and stayed very stable during test rides. Without the cradle, I was able to keep the Quadlock phone mount in place, and tyre clearance was excellent. The two nylon webbing straps provided little friction with the anodized aluminium handlebars, which allowed for a slight side-to-side wiggle when steering sharply. This minor issue could be solved by wrapping the bars with bar tape, which many alt bar riders do by default anyway.

Unfortunately, the test on the Vitus gravel bike was a non-starter. Its extra-small frame and narrow bars meant the Rollpacker was simply too big for the small 21cm gap between bar and tyre. Smaller riders should keep this limitation in mind.

Wrap Up

Like most bags on the market, Arkel's Rollpacker is not a one-size-fits-all design. At $249 USD for the 15L option, it's a significant investment, especially when compared to more affordable alternatives out there. That said, its limitations and price are balanced by excellent craftsmanship and durability. This is a very well-made bikepacking bag that deserves serious consideration. I can honestly see it lasting a lifetime.