PakBrite Carbon Capsule Pro Waterproof Storage and Integrated Taillight

The PakBrite Carbon Capsule Pro Waterproof Storage and Integrated Taillight is intended to combine the storage of a saddle bag or tool caddy with the visibility of a rear light. It works well, it’s very stable on the bike and the light is very bright, but it’s very expensive for what it offers and I’m not convinced of its looks either.

Built around a Tri-Fin mount, which comes with adaptors for any kind of seatpost, PakBrite’s modular system enables you to fit the Carbon Capsule and Integrated Taillight reviewed here. In addition to these, you can fit a rear mudguard and run a rear light (reviews of both of these are coming up) either with or without the mudguard.

While I wouldn’t go quite as far as the Pakbrite founder in calling this system ‘revolutionary’ (you’ve been able to clip a light to the saddle bag for year), I was surprised how well it performed. The catches are the near £150 cost of the mount, capsule and light – and I personally find the aesthetics challenging.

Installation

However you intend to use the PakBrite system, the first step is to install the Tri-Fin mount.

You have to pick the correct rubber inserts for your seatpost and place them into the two halves of the clamp. Then you put them either side of the seatpost – the half with the clamp falling backwards. PakBrite supplies the Allen keys to tighten the bolts that secure the parts together, while a side bolt allows you to adjust the Tri-Fin’s angle.

From there you slot the end of the capsule onto the mount and twist to secure.

Not having to loop straps around your saddle rails makes the Capsule quicker to get on and off your bike than a saddle bag, though it’s much the same as a tool caddy.

Capacity

The 400ml capacity of the capsule is comparable to a medium-sized tool caddy. It comes with a cloth bag to hold its contents.

I fitted a TPU inner tube, one tyre lever, a multi tool, a Peaty’s tubeless repair kit, a CO2 canister and head, as Pakbrite claims. In lieu of the last two items, I could fit a small electric pump such as the Fumpa NanoFumpa. But larger mini pumps and bigger electric pumps will have to go elsewhere.

The light doubles as the lid of the capsule, so to access the contents you have to remove the light, which clicks on and off in seconds.

Taillight performance

It’s a bright rear light with a high 300-lumen claimed maximum output. You get a couple of smart features besides the now almost standard battery life indicator and low power mode.

In the one-flash-per second mode it has smart-braking tech. As you slow it flashes quicker to alert other road users. You can also activate an auto on/off mode, which senses when you stop and start.

PakBrite’s claimed run time of 37 hours in the 150-lumen flash setting is huge. While I haven’t been able to verify that, I can vouch for having a long runtime, having not had to recharge in my test period.

Some of the best rear lights are more powerful than PakBrite, with the Cateye Viz 450 going up to 450 lumens

However, PakBrite claims consumer testing and safety guidance recommends a rear light in the region of 150-300 lumens for day and night riding subject to conditions.

I’m minded to agree that it’s bright enough, seeing as the beam of the four LEDs is very focused. Side visibility is also excellent. The lens extends backwards for one centimetre, so the light body doesn’t cut off too much of the lateral beam.

In motion

The material of the Carbon Capsule doesn’t make it lighter than a plastic tool keg – my bog-standard Zefal weighs 16g less than the Capsule minus its light/lid. With the light included it’s 149g on my scales.

Small to medium-sized saddle bags will be lighter too. They usually don’t require a mount either, which adds about 180g to the PakBrite system.

The reason for carbon then is rigidity, according to PakBrite, which stops the Capsule from rocking and rattling.

This was my experience even on a gravel bike over rough tracks in the Peak District where suspension would have been welcome. The system was so quiet I forgot it was there.

Such solidity coupled with the protective rubber inserts should stop the Tri-Fin mount from damaging your seatpost in the long term.

What also gave me peace of mind for its contents is the Carbon Capsule Pro’s IP67 waterproof rating. I rode in the rain and washed the bike with it attached without water permeating through.

I can’t verify PakBrite’s claim that the Carbon Capsule Pro is an aerodynamic storage solution. From my limited understanding of drag, almost anything is going to be better than a bar bag. But I don’t imagine there’s much between the Capsule and a saddle bag. In that area of the bike, air is likely to be turbulent anyway.

The only thing I disliked about the PakBrite Carbon Capsule Pro – other than the price – is its look. Having a water-bottle sized object – a riding friend amusingly likened it to a rocket booster – protruding horizontally from the seatpost looks odd to me.

I could just about put up with it on a gravel bike, but I’d much rather use its integrated frame storage if it had any.

I couldn’t bring myself to attach it to either of my road bikes, whose elegance I like to preserve. When I need more than will fit in my pockets, I can’t see any reason to change from running a small saddle bag or tool caddy and a separate seatpost-mounted or dynamo rear light. Increasingly endurance, all-road and gravel bikes have bottle cage bolts underneath the down tube, so you don’t need to sacrifice a water bottle to carry a tool keg.

Value

The value of the PakBrite Carbon Capsule Pro Waterproof Storage and Integrated Taillight is tricky to assess because it’s a distinct product.

The closest alternative is a separate rear light and saddle bag. Even if you went high-end for both items, for example the Silca Mattone Grande and Exposure Boost-R with ReAKT and Peloton, you’d have change left over (£10 or so) from the Pakbrite’s asking price.

While the capsule and light work well together, you can’t use the light on its own. Whereas you can use a standard rear light without a saddle bag.

For alternative rear lights check out our best rear lights buyer’s guide, while our best bikepacking bags buyer’s guide rounds up our favourite on-the-bike storage options.

Conclusion

PakBrite’s capsule and light combo is impressive in use and cleverly integrated, but I feel it’s trying to solve a problem few cyclists have. For most the existing storage and illumination solutions work fine and more flexibly at lower cost while looking neater.

Verdict

Cleverly thought out and it works well – but an expensive and unsightly solution in search of a problem

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