Oxford Aqua Evo Adventure Handlebar Pack

The Oxford Aqua Evo Adventure Handlebar Pack is a well-made, impressively waterproof and attractively priced bar bag. If you're looking to go bikepacking on a budget or just want to add extra storage for day-to-day riding or commute, it's a very good choice, and it held up well – and kept my kit dry – on both road and off-road trips.

The bag's design is similar to that of a lot of its competitors, with a roll-up dry bag main section, and straps to mount it to the bar and around the head tube.

My gravel bike's handlebar is only 38cm wide and I found I had to roll up the bag a lot to fit it, so if you're looking to fill the bag, it's probably best paired with a flat mountain bike bar or a bar with wider drops.

I found its nine-litre volume plenty to store a full change of kit, some food and other overnight bikepacking essentials.

> An introduction to bikepacking – three ways to try it and what to pack

It proved pleasingly easy to mount the bag – you just wrap the two top straps around the bar, one each side of the stem, and then tighten their clips. The third strap wraps around the head tube.

But you do have to make sure your wrap the straps around the bar tightly. I didn't do it up tightly enough at first on my gravel bike, which led to the buckle rubbing away some of the bar tape. This was a little annoying, but entirely preventable. The head tube strap is more of a support and doesn't need to be done up so tightly.

On my initial rides I found the straps came loose occasionally, but after a few hours they settled in and didn't require any more adjusting.

While I like the bag's bright orange colour, which adds to your visibility, there's also a black option.

Once set-up and with the bag packed reasonably full, there were no issues with the bag rubbing the front tyre. But if your handlebar is on the low side, you could run into issues, which may require fitting a few spacers under your stem to make things fit.

The bag is constructed from 400D ripstop TPU material, which in my experience is a tough material and should shrug off grazes. And I appreciated the inclusion of elasticated webbing at the front, allowing you quick and easy access to things like gloves, snoods and extra layers.

The neat waterproof zipped top pocket is another nice addition. It's not huge, but is big enough for keys, money and a passport if you're feeling adventurous.

The bag's claimed weight is 450g, though somewhat surprisingly the actual weight is just 300g – fully a third lighter. This puts it at the lighter end of things, and is an added bonus for weight-weenie bikepackers.

Value

At just £29.99 the Oxford represents tremendous value. For example, the similar Bontrager Adventure Handlebar Bag is a much saltier £99.99, though the Bontrager is designed to accommodate a hydration reservoir within it.

Alpkit offer its smaller, 4-litre, Toploader bag for a much pricier £63.99, which Steve liked, though he didn't find it totally waterproof.

Check out our best bikepacking bags buyer's guide for all sorts of luggage options from £32 to £299.

Conclusion

Impressively waterproof and with a good capacity, Oxford has delivered a quality product at a very appealing price – and without cutting any serious corners. The bright orange colour is handy for increasing your visibility too.

Verdict

Bright, waterproof, tough and big enough to take bikepacking