Topeak DryBag MTX Trunk Bag

The Topeak DryBag MTX Trunk Bag is tough, waterproof, and delivers an impressively stable ride over even the toughest terrain.

It features the QuickTrack rail locking system that is compatible with a dedicated Topeak product; I used it with the MTX Beam Rack E Type I've also been reviewing. You slide the bag into place along the rails until its yellow plastic hook clicks securely onto the carrier. This ensures that it won't fly off mid-ride.

The Topeak Beam rack system makes it easy to switch between different bikes and that is a real plus. What's more, it means you can use this on almost any road and mountain bike that doesn't have fittings to attach a standard rack and panniers.

There's just enough room in this 12.1L bag for my bivvy, lightweight down sleeping bag and mini-stove. So if I was to couple this with a frame or handlebar bag it could be part of a solid bikepacking setup. Check out our guide to the best bikepacking bags for our favourites.

This is all topped off with reflective detailing on both the side pockets and at the rear to ensure that you light up well at night. And there's a handy shoulder strap, so you can strip all your valuables (computer, lights and so on), throw them into this bag and take them with you when you pull over for that essential coffee stop.

Robust and waterproof

Straight out of the box it feels relatively light but robust at 930g. The rigid design means it can be used to safely carry more fragile kit. EVA foam panels at the side and bottom offer extra protection, which is important if you're riding more rugged paths. And it comes with a Velcro divider to help organise your packing – it's the kind of feature you might have seen on a camera bag to separate camera and lenses.

I used it to keep food at one end, clothing at the other, and then I stashed spare inner-tubes and repair kits in one side pocket and a phone and extra battery and leads in the other. Most of my riding involves long day rides or multi-day audax rides and this offers plenty of capacity for that kind of distance.

The roll-top lid means you can open the bag right up to get easy access to kit and it ensures a waterproof seal when you roll it back down. The side pockets get an extra protective flap and water-resistant zip to ensure things really do stay dry.

This all comes in a shiny, wipe-clean PVC exterior that has been sonically welded with dry bag technology. And the performance here is impressive. We've had some really significant downpours in the last few weeks and not a drop got in when I was riding.

Super Shiny Animal

Audax is my main pursuit on a bike. So I tend to find myself in the company of riders on steel frames who carry their kit in weathered saddle bags. In terms of aesthetics, the MTX Trunk Bag is about as far as you can get from that.

'Oooh... that's shiny!' – was the response I got from multiple fellow riders. As one wag suggested, it's the kind of wipe-clean PVC material that wouldn't look out of place in an S&M dungeon.

And that's no bad thing. It has been through mud, hail, rain and slurry-covered country roads and it still looks impressively pristine. It might not offer scope for you to sew on cloth badges but it's going to look good and keep its shape for a long time to come.

And on the bike it performs brilliantly. Coupled with the MTX Beam Rack, it delivered an incredibly stable ride. There was no wobble, no vibration, not a hint of noise. I almost entirely forgot about it, even when I was riding my fixed gear bike and having to honk up some serious hills. I could easily be persuaded to ditch my old canvas Carradice and use this permanently.

The only problem that I encountered was trying to throw my leg over the saddle and negotiate the extra height that this bag presents. I was comically ungainly until I learned to tilt at an angle to get on the bike with a little more grace.

Fiddle-dee-dee

The rack I was using – the MTX Beam Rack E Type – is designed for medium sized frames, and on my 58cm Van Nicholas Yukon this meant the bag clicked into place right up against my saddle. On longer rides, that might well be an issue because there was some rubbing against the back of my shorts. It wasn't a big deal on a day ride, but I can imagine that causing problems on anything over 200km.

It also made it difficult to unclip one end of the roll-top when I stopped and needed to get quick access to something in the bag. My solution was to unclip the yellow hook and slide it back slightly on the QuickTrack rail to give me easier access.

In all honesty, I found both clips to be a bit fiddly, but I was using this on some really cold days when my fingers were feeling the chill and probably not as dexterous as they should be.

The roll-top does also put a limit on what you can stuff inside. Some saddle bags, like the Zefal Adventure R11 that I tested last year, have extra bungees on top that are really helpful if you are shedding a layer and need to stash a soggy waterproof or gilet. My usual Carradice Super C Audax Saddlebag makes it easy to do the same and stash wet kit under the lid.

And while the Topeak DryBag MTX offers a bigger carrying capacity than the 9L of my Carradice Super C, the roll-top closure makes it harder to find that extra capacity, or to separate wet gear from kit you need to keep dry.

> 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike

Side pockets are really useful, but here again I'd like to see a little more volume to offer the kind of flexibility you might need on bigger rides. That said, there was enough room on one side for a repair kit, small pump and inner tube, which isn't bad at all. And the fact that these are genuinely waterproof means I could trust the other side with phone, spare battery and paperwork for the ride, safe in the knowledge it wasn't going to get wet.

Value for money

If you already own a Topeak rack then you are locked into its luggage system, so that doesn't give you a lot of choice in terms of looking for better value for money. You've got to buy a bag that uses the QuickTrack system. Topeak trunk bags range from £57.99 to £124.99, for various styles and sizes.

Mike really liked the MTX TrunkBag DX he reviewed in 2020. It's smaller than this DryBag, with a capacity of 7.3L, and more expensive at £89.99, but has additional carrying options that allow you to stash wet kit away from the main compartment. Although Mike wasn't impressed with the rear bottle holder, he did rate the build quality of this bag.

> Cycling luggage for beginners

Compared with other trunk bags that will go on a standard pannier rack, its rrp of £84.99 is on the high side. The Carradice Super C Rackbag, for example, costs £74 and gives you 13L of storage, and a single rear pocket.

Or for an even more cost-effective approach that will fit to any bike, you could buy a rear saddle bag like the Zefal Z Adventure R11 that I mentioned earlier. It delivers a stable ride and great capacity that will deal with day rides and light bikepacking and costs £67.99.

There are more costly alternatives, though, such as the £159 Trunk Top Bag from Tailfin, and that's without the (cheapest) £140 rack... (we reviewed the Carbon Aeropack in 2022).

Conclusion

If you already own a Topeak rack or are considering buying one, the DryBag MTX is a durable, waterproof and impressively stable bag that can carry all you need for bigger days out and longer multi-day adventures.

It may not fit my aesthetic, but it's a great bag that sits aerodynamically behind you, offers plenty of carrying capacity and is reliably waterproof and hardwearing.

Verdict

Durable, waterproof and super stable – this is a very good way to carry kit over rough terrain on longer routes