Leaders in bikepacking equipment, Apidura, launch their Racing Series for riders who want to go far, fast.
Apidura joined cycling quietly a few years ago, but since then their bike-packing bags have created plenty of noise. They released the ever popular Saddle Pack, now known as the Backcountry Pack, and then created the waterproof Expedition range. Now the company is switching focus from large volume to a streamlined system — the Racing Series — which launches on 21 January 2019 and is designed for riders who want to race ultra distance events like the world famous Transcontinental.
The weight savings of the new Racing Series won't blow you away, but Apidura's M.O. has always been ultralight, with all their bags coming in at a lower weight compared with other manufacturers, the Racing Series is no exception.
The big news for Apidura is their new fabric, Hexalon. After testing fifteen commercial materials, which failed to meet their design brief, Apidura came up with their own waterproof laminate.
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Unlike the Backcountry bag range, the Racing Series is sealed, welded and bonded and has plenty of reflective detailing to keep riders visible when riding through the night. The packs offer a smaller capacity compared with others in Apidura's range — something that Lead Designer, Verity Copland, explained was vital to the design brief. "Riders will use these packs on challenging on-day events or in races where only emergency kit is needed because they don't plan on stopping often."
Each bag benefits from a system called integrated thermoset structure, which bonds directly to Hexalon and creates strength and structure. Instead of using plastic open-close valves to let air escape the bag, Apidura developed a labyrinthine hole system, a simpler lighter system that lets air escape but doesn't let water in.
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There are updates to the attachment points, too, which are laser-cut into the fabric and reinforced with Hypalon, a durable rubberised nylon.
There are three new bags in the range: a saddle pack, handlebar pack with tri-bar attachment, and a frame pack.