With a resounding title, there should also be a resounding text, right? Now, I’m not the person who shouts out that everything is fantastic. After all, life is a heartbeat; if it’s a flat line…that’s not good. When I heard from Thule that Chasm duffel Having received the package, that wasn’t a reason to immediately get started writing. After all, until that moment it was just a bag. After that period, I used it several times for shorter and longer weekends, both for personal use and for cycling. You can already feel it coming: I really think this is such a great thing. Let me explain why.
Text and photos: Sander Kolsloot
What makes a nice bag?
Now I can call myself a real bike traveler. On average, I travel by bike 15-20 times a year. That’s not counting private vacations, weekend trips, and other day trips. With that, I can say that I know what a nice bag is for myself when traveling by bike. These are the most important points for me:
- Plenty of space: I myself am 1.93 meters tall, so all my clothes are by definition large. My shoes (I wear a size 47) are also large. Now I’m more into ‘litepacking’, but almost by definition I need the largest bag there is. My wife is 1.60 meters tall and with the same number of clothes I need 1.5 times as much space.
- Easy to get to your stuff: large opening, several compartments to put things in, good zipper.
- Easy to carry: so you can use it either in your hand or on your back (I have a love-hate relationship with rolling suitcases, even because of my height…those things are always too small/too short).
- Waterproof is a bonus; rugged is what I’m looking for, because it goes in an airplane, in a train rack, in the back of a van/car, from hotel to hotel. Heavy duty.
With that in mind, I started using the Thule and started forming an opinion about it.
Plenty of space
Here’s where such a photo should be taken with the bag and everything it can hold. That’s correct, but I couldn’t get all the things in one photo. So you’ll have to do it with my text. With 70 liters, this duffel bag is the size of my own backpack. That means I can fit a lot of stuff in here. For a weekend trip to Flanders, where the weather was unpredictable and I also had to take care of others, I had the following with me:
- Two pairs of cycling shoes (including these) Lake CX 177, Both wide and long: ideal)
- 5 sets of cycling clothing
- 3 long trousers
- 2 shorts (these Orhi is my favorite)
- 2 long-sleeved shirts
- 2 jackets (including this one) Technique of Etxeondo)
- Too many socks
- 2 helmets
- Brillendoos
- casual clothing
- 3 T-shirts
- underwear
- socks again
- sweater
- Of course, I also had a toilett bag with me.
- What sports nutrition is
Also always check what we bring on holiday on our Basic packing list for your cycling holiday
As you can see, especially with the helmets, you need a lot of space. And you can also feel it coming on: EVERYTHING PLACES THERE! That also means that for a long vacation, if I don't have to bring helmets and shoes for two people, I have more than enough space for all my bike gear and my regular clothes. Then when I follow the tips from Litepacking District I would even take it with me, then I would be a real happy camper. (pun intended).
Take along
If you’ve already packed all those things into your bag, here comes point two: you’ll be carrying your bag and your bike on the go. With a suitcase? Always a hassle. With a bag that you can only carry with one hand? Always a hassle. That’s why it’s nice that you can also carry this bag on your back. The straps are easy to remove and you can possibly store them away again if you want. See also in the photo below: this is still a great bag even for smaller people! The advantage is that you can use it on your back as well as with fishing rods. And for both options there are handy loops that you can then store away again.
Robust
The bag is truly impressive. It can withstand a good amount of water (ok, not tested under the shower), has already covered many kilometers in various trunks and trains, and has seen many hotel rooms inside. The bag stays nice and clean even after being in the water thanks to the waterproof material on the outside. You could also see in the photos that the bag has a spacious opening, where you can easily put your belongings. Since it’s not a backpack with just an open top, or a suitcase that you can’t carry on your back, I’m really obsessed with this thing.
Conclusion? BUY IT!
One thing I know for sure: unless I’m going on a long backpacking trip, I still take a real backpack (because of the hip support), but when I go on a weekend trip, for business, private, by bike, or with my family, this bag is a godsend. ‘But how much does that cost?’ you might already be asking. Well, for €169.95 I am You are the proud owner of this bag. Although you can still find a lower price by doing a bit of research at various online stores. The bag we had with us was therefore the 70L variant in the ‘olivine’ color.
The bag is also available in several other colors (black, autumn tan, blue) and in various sizes. The 40L variant is available from €139.95, the The 90L is available from €179.95 and 130 liters, for the many, start at €199.95
On the site of Thule You will find even more bags, roof boxes, roof racks, bike carriers and more useful things for your next cycling adventure.
For more tips, please read our tips page
Questions & tips
Do you have any questions about this route, or have you been there yourself? Share them here. We read everything and usually respond within a few days.