The Acid Pack Pro 6 is an impressively well-made and feature-packed saddle bag that stands up well to the elements and can pack away an impressive amount of kit without taking up a huge amount of space.
For more options, check out our guide to the best bikepacking bags.
> Buy now: Acid Pack Pro 6 for £69.95 from Cube
Although this summer has been pretty awful, it has made testing the Pack Pro 6 from Acid – German bike company Cube's accessory brand – a little more pleasant. Using it instead of my regular smaller saddle bag for almost every ride meant I could easily fit in a bunch of waterproof gear, and it could also act as a pseudo-mudguard given its size.
Away from just offering more protection from spray up my back and allowing me to chuck in a load of waterproof kit, it is a very impressive saddle bag whether it's part of a full frame setup for multi-day rides or just taking enough stuff on a long single-dayer.
As you can probably tell from the name, it officially has a capacity of 6 litres, but its roll-top construction offers plenty of flexibility in what can be fitted inside: if you've got lots in there you can get away with a single roll before using the clips to seal it up, or if you're carrying less just roll it more to reduce its size.
Helping with this is an air valve that allows air to be squeezed out of the bag to effectively shrinkwrap it around whatever is inside.
Attachment to the bike is through two straps that thread through the saddle rails and another that wraps around the seatpost. The saddle rail straps are soft, so unlikely to mark the rails, and there's a soft silicone grip pad inside the seatpost strap which prevents rubbing on the seatpost – a nice touch.
Once on the bike I had no problems at all with it getting in the way of a pedal stroke, with the traditional wedge design keeping the slimmest part of the bag nearest the seatpost and unlikely to get in the way of your legs. The strength of the attachment also meant there was hardly any sway; there might be an issue if you're packing very heavy objects, but it was fine for everything I carried in it.
As I mentioned, I had a lot of opportunity to test the weatherproofing of the bag this summer, and I am yet to see any water ingress, which, given the amount of water that's been chucked at it, is very impressive. It has an IP64 rating, the same as a typical rolltop bag from the likes of Ortlieb, and while water might get in if it was submerged, everything stayed nice and dry on all my rides.
There are some useful safety aspects included too – for instance, a thick reflective band running across the middle of the bag that a driver would struggle to not catch in their headlights in the dark, along with a light mount on the roll-top area. There are two positions to mount it, depending on how rolled the bag is – a small design element, but one that works surprisingly well.
The bag also feels like it has been designed to last, with a reinforced bottom that keeps its shape, so there's no unnecessary pressure on seams if an odd shape is inside it, and it is also protected from things being thrown up from the tyres.
Value
At £69.95 this isn't the cheapest saddle bag on the market, but for something of this size and quality it's not badly priced. It's a little more than similar to bags from Zefal – the Z Adventure R11 is a couple of quid less, and offers an additional 5L of capacity, while the 5L Z Adventure R5 is £56.99 – but neither of these has the very useful air release valve, though Matt was impressed with the R11's durability.
Topeak's Backloader 6L is the same size and a fiver less, but it's a slightly different design, with a drybag inside, and Emma found the 10L version could swing a little when riding out of the saddle or on rough terrain.
While the Lomo 13L Bikepacking Seat Pack Dry Bag is less than half the price and has more than double the official capacity, it has fewer features.
Conclusion
Overall I was really impressed with this bag – the thick material used in the most important areas means it's likely to prove very durable, it offers a good amount of storage space for a variety of rides, and has some really useful features like the air release valve and multiple light mounting points. It's very good.
> Buy now: Acid Pack Pro 6 for £69.95 from Cube
Verdict
High-quality, robust and innovatively designed saddle bag
Make and model: Acid Saddle Bag pack PRO 6
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
From Cube: "From micro adventures to multi-day or -week bikepacking tours: the ACID PACK PRO 6 saddle bag was developed in conjunction with experienced bikepackers. This compact bag attaches quickly and easily to the saddle rails and seatpost, and is suitable for more ambitious off-road riding just check you have enough clearance to the back wheel first. Large reflective details improve visibility in low-light conditions. There's also an attachment for mounting a tail light and an air valve that allows the contents to compress down further. For dropper post compatibility, use the ACID seatpost adapter."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Cube lists these details:
- Waterproof bag with vent valve
- Tested to IP 64
- Welded construction
- Abrasion-resistant outer material
- Textile reinforcement in high demanded areas
- PVC-free
- Large reflective elements
- Molle attachments
- Rear light attachment option
- Suitable for off-road riding
- Compatible with the ACID seat post adapter
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Very well made with intelligently placed reinforcement in key areas, but still retaining malleability for effective use of the roll top.
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Did exactly what I needed it to do, kept everything inside dry and could pack down small enough to stop anything rattling around inside.
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Good material choice throughout,combined with reinforcement in key areas means this is likely to last a long time.
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
7/10
Rate the product for value:
5/10
You can get bigger and cheaper saddle bags but with fewer features; to my mind it's decent value for something of this quality.
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It performed very well. I could fit a load of kit inside, which stayed dry even when I chucked a British summer at it.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
The air valve – a small feature that makes it so simple to use.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Nothing.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
The Lomo 13L Bikepacking Seat Pack Dry Bag is less than half the price and has more than double the official capacity, but it has fewer features. It's a couple of quid more than the Zefal Z Adventure R11, which also offers an additional 5 litres of capacity, while the 5L version is £56.99; neither has the useful air release valve though. Topeak's Backloader 6L is the same size and a fiver less, but it's a slightly different design, with a drybag inside, and Emma found the 10L version could swing a little when riding out of the saddle or on rough terrain. Ortlieb's 4.1L Saddle-Bag is £53, but obviously a little smaller.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
It's very good: a robust, innovative and well-designed bag that could fit in everything I wanted, but also pack down to stop things rattling around if not completely full.
Age: 35 Height: 6 ft Weight:
I usually ride: CAAD13 My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: Every day I would class myself as: Expert
I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed,
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