There have never been so many storage options for your bike — from saddlebags, bar bags and frame bags, to top tube storage, tailpacks and panniers. Bikepacking (touring for the old schooler among you), gravel and ultra-endurance events have all seen riders’ on-bike storage needs change, and thankfully there is no shortage of brands on hand to create great products to meet the demand.
For road cyclists, the humble saddlebag remains the most common of the many storage bags mentioned above; neatly tucked away behind you with enough room for tubes, levers, a multi-tool, keys and perhaps even an emergency snack. It’s no surprise these cheap, easy-to-fit packs are the go-to for many looking to free their back pockets of annoying spares. You might even have a rear light that clips on too, the bag fitted and forgotten about until your moment of roadside need.
But what if we told you there’s an “innovation-driven” cycling accessory brand over in the US that believes it has created “a breakthrough product that unites aerodynamic storage, high-visibility rear lighting, and brake-sensing safety technology in one sleek capsule”?
Well, that’s exactly what Oregon-based PakBrite has proposed. Calling traditional saddlebags “clunky” and frustrated with bags and lights “that never quite fit together”, PakBrite’s founder Tony Santorufo believes the new modular mounting system and storage capsule is “revolutionary” and goes beyond any other product on the market.
You’d expect it to if you’re shelling out the £149.87 asking price. The saddlebag and rear light combo currently on my bike cost something like a third of that figure, albeit with much more charging required and significantly fewer lumens that the 300 on offer here.
The Carbon Capsule Pro utilises PakBrite’s patented Tri-Fin Mount, a mounting system that allows riders to attach, stack and swap gear such as the storage capsule, rear light and mudguard. Essentially, every relevant accessory PakBrite makes is compatible with the mounting system, the brand saying units can be stacked or swapped out entirely “seamlessly” in seconds.
As you’d probably guessed, the Carbon Capsule Pro is, well, carbon — aerospace-grade carbon fibre, according to PakBrite. The website says that it is “ultra-light”, and that exact figure is 140g for the capsule and 90g for the mount, so 230g all in.
Talking of light, the rear light that sits at the back of the capsule is 300 lumens, but this can be adjusted and changed in the various display options. With 150 lumens and set to one flash per second, PakBrite says the light will last 37 hours and has “smart brake-sensing technology that alerts drivers instantly”.
With the light set to stay on, without flashing, the 100-lumen output should give you a battery life of 4.5 hours or 16.5 hours at 50 lumens.
Traditional storage, PakBrite says, “often blocks or lowers rear lights, but the Carbon Capsule Pro positions illumination high and unobstructed for superior safety. Combined with the Tri-Fin Mount, riders gain the dual benefit of aerodynamic efficiency and uncompromised visibility.”
But what about storage?
The Capsule is 15cm long and 7cm wide and tall, giving users 400ml of storage, which comparatively would put it at the smaller end of the saddlebag storage scale, although PakBrite is confident its product has got enough space for a tube, multi-tool, CO2 cartridge and CO2 head. Pump (electric or mini) and extra tubes may have to go in your back pockets then, but that’s the case for plenty of smaller traditional saddlebags too. Plus, if you don’t use CO2 then presumably you could get a second tube in there, your pump likely normally in a rear pocket anyway.
PakBrite says the mounting has a universal seat post fit and the capsule is IP67 waterproof and dustproof. The company’s rear mudguard is compatible with the modular system and can apparently be added or removed in seconds. It costs an additional £59.50, although PakBrite was offering it as a free gift with the purchase of a £149.87 Carbon Capsule Pro. The brand’s first drop sold out and the system is next available in November, according to the website.
The vision appears to be the creation of a growing ecosystem of cycling accessories, such as its mount, capsule, light and mudguard, all fitting together in a modular system.
“Cyclists should not have to sacrifice performance for safety, or safety for convenience,” said Tony Santorufo, founder of PakBrite. “The Carbon Capsule Pro delivers all three, and it is the Tri-Fin Mount that makes this possible. We designed it to be the backbone of a modular ecosystem so every rider can build their set-up around one secure, universal standard.
“This launch represents the culmination of years of rigorous development. PakBrite subjected the Carbon Capsule Pro and Tri-Fin Mount to simulated and real life vibration testing. The result is a system proven to withstand the toughest conditions while offering unmatched convenience.
“With the Carbon Capsule Pro and Tri-Fin Mount, PakBrite is ushering in a new era of modular cycling gear where safety and performance are built into every detail. This launch marks only the beginning of a growing ecosystem designed to give riders more freedom, more confidence, and more innovation on every ride.”
It’s not the first new rear storage design we’ve spotted this year, the SaddlePod attracting £20,000 in pledges from 331 backers on Kickstarter. More like a traditional saddlebag than the PakBrite capsule, the SaddlePod featured a quick-release mounting system and an integrated mount for accessories, but definitely looked right at the smallest end of the minimalist storage scale.
Ultimately, that product never made it into the real world, its makers cancelling the campaign as, despite reaching its Kickstarter goal, they did not reach their internal goal to ensure it “could confidently move into production”.
The PakBrite capsule has made it to the real world, if you’re interested all the details and spec are on the brand’s website.
19 thoughts on ““We believe it’s the future of cycling gear”: Modular carbon storage system hopes to replace “clunky saddlebags” with £150 “aerodynamic capsule” featuring 300-lumen brake-sensing rear light”
Oi mate why’s your rear light
Oi mate why’s your rear light so massive
Didn’t fancy carrying the CO2
Didn’t fancy carrying the CO2 canister in my prison pocket … OTOH for those *really* concerned about aero and weight 🤔…
Interested. £150 interested?
Interested. £150 interested? I guess if I allow 70 for the light and that leaves 80 for the ‘bag’.
Hmmm. At that price I’d want to have more storage I think.
But it’s a neat idea
They think saddlebags are
They think saddlebags are “clunky” yet this is their solution
I haven’t used a saddle bag
I haven’t used a saddle bag in years, they’d always break for me or damage their contents. I prefer a bottle cage tool holder for most rides, a tool wallet for longer rides or on my longest ride a top tube bag. I can’t see me desiring this pod even if it was a third of the price :-/
Is it me or is this like
Is it me or is this like trying to loose weight by replacing toast with baguette? Super expensive baguette that is…
There are only two things that can really beat a small saddle bag and that is frame storage and bespoke 3D printed boxes that mimic frame storage. Both will take a little time to become widespread and until then I will happily use my small and unobtrusive saddle bag.
And beeing the old, stubborn pervert I am I will also continue to use front deraileurs.
have used a frog sticky pod
have used a frog sticky pod(discontinued) pack for years, everything i need and moves between pannier, back pocket and different bikes with ease. Fold opens and can hold phone, spares, minpump, tools, cards etc. tried so many saddlebags that all feel like a cave or faff to use. this tube thing is not different – tipping everything out in a dark lane in the rain isnt the best way to find something.
For non-hardcore roadies, I
For non-hardcore roadies, I feel like the third set of bottle cage bolts under the downtube is the best solution. I’ve been using an old planetX glasses case (bottle-shaped) as a tool/spares case tucked away under the downtube, but an old bottle would do just as well. The bag came free with some glasses and a fully waterproof sandwich bag keeps everything clean and dry for about £0.01. Total cost £2.99 for a bottle cage. And then the back light can go wherever I want it on the seat post, my tools are always on my bike, and my pockets are empty.
Totally style over substance,
Totally style over substance, a flexible fabric saddlebag is much better for squashing in as many necessaries as possible. This one might suit a very organised person who carefully selects tools and extras that will fit inside a hard cylinder with geometric efficiency, for those of us rushing around last thing on a Sunday morning grabbing tyre levers, inner tubes, sweets et cetera from various jackets and bags used during the week to cram in the saddlebag, not so much. Additionally, I can’t believe that having a whacking great protuberance like that sticking out from your seat post is more aerodynamic than having a saddlebag neatly strapped in right under the saddle. Finally, it weighs twice as much as a fabric bag of double the capacity. And all this for a mere £150!
Seems to be a choice between
Seems to be a choice between mudguard or storage.
There’s no picture showing the storage and mudguard being used together.
At least with a traditional, under-seat pack, you can use both.
Oldfatgit wrote:
mdavidford wrote:
I got that … I expected an image to go with it, confirming the statement.
Although, I guess if I had been interested, I’d have gone looking for it.
Thank you for doing so, so that I didn’t have to. 😊
This will certainly improve
This will certainly improve airflow under the saddle.
£150 for a light and a small
£150 for a light and a small carbon fiber storage tube, having experienced no major issues with snug wedge shaped saddle bags holding tube, multi tool, inflator etc and costing under a tenth of this pricey trinket, I’ll pass.
Let’s see… Contents of
Let’s see… Contents of saddlebag for commuting / touring (the latter apparently one of the use cases):
And still got spare room for a faddy new storage “system” I’m bringing back from the bike shop for a gullible friend. 🙂
* an oily rag, and a rag I put in there four years ago because the other one (at that time just “the rag”) was so oily. I call it the “clean rag”. Now only distinguishable from the other in that it was never a pair of underpants.
Absolutely hideous, like
Absolutely hideous, like those novely light-up knackers that were around a few years ago. And the mounting is an absolute bodge job like I’d do at home:
Aside from anything else it
Aside from anything else it looks absolutely ridiculous so is surely destined to be a flop.
This is a stupid product.
This is a stupid product.
Veloism wrote:
“Four stars.”