Arkel's Rack bag | Trunk bag

TailRider Trunk Bag

A sleek trunk bag that doesn't look like a shoe box
Weight: 0,5 kg / 1,1 lbs (unit)
Volume: 11 l. / 700 cu. in. (unit)
Detailed measurements

114.95 $ US (unit)

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Attaching the Tail Rider: Step 1
The thick side of the Tail Rider should face forward. Open the velcro bands and wrap under and around the side tubes of your rack.

Attaching the Tail Rider: Step 2
Pull the velcros® evenly and tightly on each side of the bag, press to make sure they engage firmly.

Attaching the Tail Rider: Step 3
Repeat the process with the rear bands, as with the front velcros®. Open the bands and wrap under and around the side tubes of your rack.

Attaching the Tail Rider: Step 4
Pull the velcros® evenly and tightly on each side of the bag, press to make sure they engage firmly.

Voilà!
Not very complicated, is it? Don't worry, it holds very tight. If you want to carry side panniers with the Tail Rider, it's better to hook the panniers first, or to loosen the velcros® before hand.

Integrated rain cover
The Tail Rider comes with an integrated rain cover incase you're caught under hard rain. By itself the bag will easily resist the rain a few hours, but for longer rides a rain cover will also keep the Tail Rider clean and dry!

Easy to pull over!
The rain cover is sewn in into its own pocket. Just grab under the front flap and pull it out and over the Tail Rider. There's also some reflective material for night riding!

Padded handle
Find a nicely neoprene padded handle, centered on the bag. The handle is attached on 2 compression straps to keep the bag tight, and we designed the whole system so that it's not in the way when you open the bag!

Tab for a LED rear light
Not only does the Tail Rider feature a lot of reflective bands everywhere, there's also a tab at the rear to hook a flashing LED light. Safety has no price.

D-rings for a shoulder strap
At the rear of the bag we located 2 D-Rings so you can clip a shoulder strap for easy carrying when off the bike.
(Shoulder strap is optional and is not included with the TailRider)

Vertical shape
It might seem weird at a first glance that the bag is being carried vertically, but if you think about it for a second it makes sense. It's close to your body and will not keep hitting everything or turn over by itself.
(Shoulder strap is optional and is not included with the TailRider)

Expansion bellow
We though about trunk bags a long time before coming up with this expansion bellow. Most bags expand like a tower and the bags end collapsing sideways. We rather made the expansion sideways! It is in fact such a natural process when the bag is "over stuffed"!

How much can you stuff?
How many trunk bag do you know that can swallow a whole helmet - and not even talking about still having space for more?! Since the Arkel Tail Rider expands sideways it can do just that, and more! The use the side pockets to carry still even more, and if push comes to shove, use the compression straps on top to cinch that extra thing. The Tail Rider may look small, but it isn't!

Side pockets
Two side pockets are incredibly handy for small items like keys, glasses, wallet, cell phone, suntan lotion or anything else you need in a jiffy. The zip is l-o-n-g so it's easy to access the content!

Taller than it looks
The inside of the Tail Rider is much bigger than the outside leads to believe. It's actually taller than most beverage cans and there's a divider to keep items from moving.

Internal divider
There's an internal divider attached with velcros®. More than a gizmo, it helps separate cold from hot items as it is insulated just like the rest of the bag.

Removable divider
If what you carry needs a bigger, all encompassing volume, just remove the divider. It's so simple¡ leave it in the Tail Rider for the next time you need it.

Multiple mesh pockets
The inside of the Tail Rider is an organizer's dream. Every side of the bag has multiple mesh pockets, even the divider has one! It helps a lot in keeping small items from jumping and bouncing all around.

Wide and long
The Tail Rider is wider and longer than most trunk bag, allowing to put a lot of items side-by side instead of stacked all over the other - who likes a pressed-to-a-pulp sandwich?

Will always take that "one more" item
Even when it seems full, the Tail Rider can accept more. Just by looking at that picture you'd believe that there's no way to close the flap of the bag. Wrong - it will!

The bellow will expand
You can see the overstuffed jacket with al the rest inside the Tail Rider, and with that view you realize how easy it'll be to close the zipper as the central bellow will expand. Why arkel was the first one to figure that out, it beats us.

Carry more outside
There are many ways to use the external compression straps, like for attaching a jacket, but the best we found so far is to carry extra water. You can also open the bellow an push the bottle inside the opening (look at the picture at the bottom of the main page). Very sleek.

Padding between the compartments
A not obvious trait of the design is that all pockets are separated by a foam insulated wall. It means that if you carry tools in the pocket it won't damage your cell phone display inside the main compartment.

Abrasion resistant rubber bottom
The bottom sides are made of a highly abrasion resistant rubber, so if you like to hooks panniers on your rack the hooks will not wear through the Tail Rider fabric. That's seeing forward.

Water proof zippers
All the zippers are top-of-the-line waterproof YKK's®. The overall design is also very sleek and water shedding. Of course there's an integrated rain cover, but even as it is the Tail Rider will easily shed rain for a few hours. No more panicking necessary.

15 Review(s)

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Customer Reviews

Fully loaded Review by Tom

For this afternoon's return home, my Tailrider gobbled up sunglasses case, winter tights, jacket sleeves, t-shirt, keys, extra socks, tube, CO2 cartriidge, tire levers, iPhone, iPad, and a fleece strapped to top. Look Ma, no backpack!

(Posted on 11/29/11)

Terrific Design Review by Bob

I've owned and constantly used this great rack bag for more than a year. I've always used and appreciated the unique horizontal stretch that is built into the design. And then today I discovered that the bag, in effect, flexes vertically as well. Simply brilliant. This bag has all the storage you need for an all day adventure. When combined with a backpack or a small pannier, you're set for the weekend. Accept no substitute.

(Posted on 9/3/11)

Excellent and stylish - Highly recommended Review by MdPCabal

Excelent product. I bought it together with the randonneur rack. I use both items with my Cervélo S2. I just returned from my 1,200Km PBP brevet. I used the rack and bag all the time. They worked perfectly through sunny and rainy days, through day and night, and through a million of rolling hills and different types of pavement. It was always very easy to find what I needed inside the bag because of its design. Thank you to Arkel for these products and for their extraordinary personalized customer service.

(Posted on 8/31/11)

Love it every day Review by Andy

I use this bag as my every day commute bag. I keep waterproofs, tools and spare tubes in the side pockets and just stuff everything else in the main part. Its wonderfully expandable to cope with clothes you don't need on the way home or pressies from amazon. Holding up very well to hard daily use.

(Posted on 8/25/11)

Excellent Kit Review by Buzz Lightyear

I've commuted with this bag every day for the last year. It easily holds everything I need for the day, including lunch and a layer or two. At the end of the day it can stretch to hold a dirty Army uniform and a few other items. Sheds rain and snow with ease, no real need for the rain cover. Overall it's just a great piece of kit and the company has been a pleasure to work with.

(Posted on 5/4/11)

Great bag Review by Patrick

I've had it for a year. It's the perfect bag for me!

(Posted on 4/26/11)

Excellent tail bag! Review by Frank

I've loved this bag ever since I got it, one of those pieces of equipment that are in regular use. I use it on my touring bike when doing long rides and running errands. Today it carried home way more food than I thought it would fit, along with a full tool kit and sunglasses case while I had an enclosed clipboard (1.5" tall by 12" x 9") and a rain jacket snugged in the strap on top! A very versatile bag. My only suggestions for improvement would be to make the handle straps longer and add buckles so I can strap more stuff in there when I need to. And I would prefer it came without the rain fly to save weight. In the three years I have owned the bag, I've used the rain fly twice, and the nylon is already fairly water resistant.

(Posted on 4/11/11)

Amazing Trunk Bag Review by vorticity

My wife and I decided at the last minute to buy this bag with the associated Randonneur rack. We did a 400+ mile tandem bike tour of New Zealand. It was much colder than we expected with about the rain we expected. Nevertheless, this bag supported us throughout every mile. It is sleek when it needs to be sleek. It expands when you need it to expand. While outside Picton, New Zealand, we stopped at the MOA Brewery (one of NZ's micro brews). We were so impressed with the spirits, we were able to fit a 4-pack in the bag for the 20 mile trip back to the hotel. That trip, by itself, showed me the utility of the bag. It fits well on the rack and does not impede the riders' legs. I cannot have higher praise.

(Posted on 3/12/11)

Works like a champ! Review by SalsaLaCruz

Banging around Boulder Colorado for 30 years finally found a bag that really works. I can load it up with Disk Drives, CDs and other IT gear an call on clients on the Bike. Great Job!

(Posted on 3/3/11)

Great bag! Review by myrridin

Easy attachment to rack. Plenty of room for basic tools, spare tire, patch kit, lunch, and DSLR. Easy to carry off bike as well. Very well designed product!

(Posted on 1/27/11)

TailRider Trunk Bag

Customer Reviews

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