Tailfin Long Top Tube Bag: A Longing Fulfilled

After building a new gravel bike, my attention turned to what frame bag I wanted for daily riding and extended adventures. After collaborating with Julian at ShakaPacks we created a custom double-decker frame bag for my Kona Libre. With this setup, I could leave the top portion on my bike to hold any long items, such as my CrankBros pump and small tripod, plus a few extras, without giving up the option to carry water bottles. However, it only takes a few extra bits & bobs until the overflow quickly fills my top tube bag. I needed to expand my options.

I've wanted to try a long top tube bag for quite some time, and there's no shortage of options out there. I like the idea of the easily accessible, flexible storage space at my fingertips. I like a clean, simple setup that I don't have to change from day to day or month to month. So, when I picked up one of Tailfin's new Long Top Tube Bags, I was eager to figure out if this was the top tube bag I've been seeking all along.

I'm a big fan of Tailfin bags and gear. I've stuffed, soaked, thrashed and crashed their bags on many adventures, and they fare better than I do. Their flip-lid top tube bags are permanently mounted on all my bikes. I like the 100% waterproof construction and sturdy design that keeps my delicate butter tarts from getting crushed or soggy. However, it only takes a handful of essentials to fill these little bags—what about those of us who long for a storage that accommodates something special, such as a pump or small tripod? This is where a long top tube bag comes in.

The Story of Tailfin Cycling

Tailfin Cycling was founded by Cambridge University engineer Nick Broadbent, whose passion for cycling made his vision clear: create high-performance cycling equipment that enhances the riding experience without compromise. This ambition led to the birth of Tailfin in 2014, a brand dedicated to empowering cyclists to ride further and experience more. The company's commitment to meticulous design and engineering produces bags and equipment that always perform, even when you've reached your limit.

Their Research & Development (R&D) Team is not a couple of engineering nerds who like bags, but a global group of passionate cyclists, designers, and engineers who rigorously test and refine products to ensure they meet the highest standards. Their collective expertise drives the continuous improvement and innovation that Tailfin is known for.

Design & features

When I first unboxed the Tailfin Long Top Tube Bag, my immediate reaction was “Wow, that's... long.” It stretched the entire length of my frame, creating a sleek, elongated storage solution that looked like a scabbard. Tailfin has done what Tailfin does best: high-quality, weather-resistant materials that feel like they could withstand a toad-strangler of a rainstorm, a tumble down a rocky trail, or an encounter with an overzealous raccoon. While I haven't met such a raccoon, I can confirm all of my Tailfin bags hold up to my many misadventures.

All of Tailfin's top tube bags share similar design elements such as the durable welded 210D Hypalon/Diamond RipStop construction, the mounting methods, and internal stiffening design. The Hypalon seam-welded material is impervious to water, abrasion, rips, or tears. Similar to their frame packs, the internal skeleton-like structure provides shape-holding stiffness, yet is still flexible. Each top tube bag can be attached using the included Voile-style TPU straps or bolted directly to compatible frames with the provided T25 M2 bolts.

Given the length of the long bags, it should be apparent that only the front is affixed with two bolts, and the tail must be strapped down. All their top tube bags have an overlapping cable port at the front, which is still waterproof during real-world use. Every long bag comes with one removable fabric divider to keep the contents from shifting fore/aft, (2) mounting bolts, and (3) TPU straps matched for each bag size.

Size specific

Similar to their frame bags, Tailfin recognized that one bag would not be suitable for all bikes or cyclists, and offers three sizes ranging from 1.6L to 3.0L. This provides the right size option for those cyclists with small road bikes, right up to larger mountain bikes. Prices range from $120-$160 USD, putting them on par with most other quality bags on the market.

The two smaller sizes (1.6L / 2.2L) are 65mm wide and 105mm high, perfectly suited to road frames without compromising aerodynamics. The 1.6L is the shortest at 370mm and tips the scale at 229g. I have the 2.2L, which measures 470mm long and only 273g. This fits perfectly on my 52cm Kona Libre. If you have a larger frame, the 3.0L at 500mm long may easily fit the length; however, keep in mind it's 85mm wide and 115mm tall. This extra 1cm on each side may be enough to turn your gravel grinder legs into bag-grinders. I can tell you firsthand that the waterproof material on the Tailfin bags does not rub your inner thigh painlessly at 90 rpm.

Easy to Mount

Every Tailfin product I own is quick & painless to mount. The same goes for their long top tube bags. The TPU straps are grippy, preventing any twist, and the 3.0L bag comes with longer straps to accommodate girthy MTB and Fatbike frames. Mounting with bolts is straightforward and secure; however, I wish they supplied larger washers for this. On my first (regular) Tailfin top tube bag, both bolt heads seated deep past the interior plastic skeleton frame directly on the fabric and mounting foot. Out of habit, I did the same with my long top tube bag without even thinking twice. Did I need to do this? Maybe not. However, it provided me with some peace of mind should I twist or grab the bag during an ill-timed dismount. The rubber covers on the hard plastic bottom mounts grip and protect the most finely finished carbon fibre frames.

The Accessory Pack goes for an additional $30

Getting Organized

All this space presents a problem for things to slosh around like ice cubes in a jug of Sangria on a sailboat. Tailfin has already thought of this with their Accessory Pack ($30 USD), which includes an extra divider, two different-sized pockets, and two loops designed to keep a pump neatly stuck inside. For a bag design with such packing flexibility, I'm a bit disappointed these added dividers aren't included right from the get-go.

In for the Long Haul

I stood back and admired the sleek torpedo perched on my frame. It gave me the sense that I was about to embark on a fast 24-hour challenge. What would I bring on such a long-haul adventure? Moments later, I was back at my workbench with an armload of my favourite Hornby Organic energy bars and started stuffing them. 16 bars later, I had 6000 calories neatly tucked away with room for my wallet. Interesting as that exercise was, I wasn't planning to go for a two-hour afternoon ride with three days' worth of calories and proceeded to pull all but a few out and repack with more realistic items. The slender bag was deceiving as it kept swallowing things—my Crank Bros pump, small tripod, bike tools, batteries, phone, and wallet disappeared inside. A little Tetris skills and a few more things dropped into every nook and cranny.

Out on the Road

During bikepacking adventures or gravel racing, the venerable top tube bag becomes the instant grab bag for calories. Most are reasonably effortless to get into, but not all are easy to close up. Even regular bags are a pain to zip up while jiggling down a gravel road. This is where a flip-lid design shines, but what about on a long bag? I have a few friends with custom long bags who complain about fighting to close the long zipper; however, the combination of Tailfin's stiffening internal design and dual-pull zipper works like a team. I can access items from either end of the bag and zip it back up one-handed. If I segment the storage with a divider, I don't have to dig through everything—I just zip open the right section and grab what I need. I found that by strategically placing a divider near each end, I can keep my tripod in the mid-section, and small items like GoPro batteries at either end. When I open the zip, they are always where I put them.

Long top tube bags offer great packing options and access while in motion, but once at a standstill, they come up a little short by reducing your standover height. For some, this compromise could be a mere inconvenience and for others, a complete deal breaker—especially for smaller riders, or when dismounting on uneven ground. Long top tube bags were created for the long haul; anything shorter could rub you the wrong way. I can't say I'd be too thrilled to have repeated bag interactions while commuting in a busy city, however, I'm lucky to have only four stops during my 58-minute ride to work. That's a number I can live with.

I recently found myself standing outside a favourite bakery, looking at a gloriously crusty French loaf. Glancing at my bike and back at the baguette, I couldn't resist the temptation to put the bag through another pain-full test. A correctly-sized baguette fits into the Tailfin with no awkward bending, or tragic bread breakage—a flawless, baguette-friendly storage solution with room for pâté.

While the Tailfin bag checks nearly every box, some things gave me pause. The inside fabric, while nice, seems a bit delicate. If you frequently reconfigure the dividers and pockets, the strong Velcro-like tape could stretch or rip the fabric at some point. While I haven't experienced this issue yet, I am ultra-careful when removing dividers. Then there are the small mounting bolt washers. Again, not a failure, but a concern as I've not had any bolt heads pull completely through, but I do notice added lateral stability when using large-diameter washers. It's peace of mind.

Wrap Up

Tailfin's long top tube bag rises to the top with its sleek design and rugged construction. This is the bag I've been longing for. The two-way zippers can be opened and closed one-handed while riding, and the dividers keep items from moving about, eliminating any awkward rummaging around. I can live with the reduced standover height that any long top tube bag would deliver, but you'll need to make that call yourself. The price is at the upper end of what's on the market, but Tailfin's durability wins me over. This bag is the final piece in the puzzle for my everyday bag setup, but as I ride past the local deli, I wonder if a charcuterie bag might be possible or just the next step in bag evolution?