Not all duffel bags are created equal. Some are cavernous black holes that hold a tonne of stuff, but good luck finding anything, while others have well laid out dividers, pockets and secret stash spots. The latest gear bag from Albek is the latter, with well thought out pockets to keep your tools easily accessible, and your muddy riding shoes away from your clean clothes.
Designed in Newcastle specifically for mountain bikers, the Skytrail 51 has a, you guessed it, 51-litre capacity. It’s one of the most over-engineered duffle bags we have ever seen — which is a good thing — with dividers and mesh pouches everywhere to prevent the gear inside from becoming a jumbled mess. On the side is a dedicated tool pocket, that also has pouches and elastic straps galore to keep you organised, and the shoe compartment is lined with water-resistant material to keep that muddy foot funk contained.
The bottom of the bag is made from reinforced material, that won’t wet through if it’s put down in wet grass, but also serves double duty hiding a set of backpack straps for easy carry.
Once you have a helmet and shoes inside the bag is pretty full, so it’s unlikely to be the go-too for a two-week road trip, but is well suited for a weekend riding getaway, or keeping you organised on race day.
