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With no trunk, truck bed or passenger seat, storage space is often limited on electric bikes. That’s why a good set of bags are so important.
In this review of Two Wheel Gear’s offering of e-bike bags, we take a close look at a number of bags from the Canada-based company’s ecosystem of on-bike storage. We walk through their convertible pannier backpack, the large trunk bag and even some of their smaller bags to see how they work together and their usefulness in the real world.
Good looks and functionality are hallmarks of the Two Wheel Gear bags.
Two Wheel Gear’s innovative bags have earned the company lots of accolades in recent years and, after reviewing their lineup, we think those accolades are well deserved. They’re impeccably designed, thoughtfully appointed and incredibly useful. If you’re in the market for a set of e-bike bags, these are definitely worth a look.
Two Wheel Gear Pannier Backpack Convertible 2.0 Plus
The convertible pannier backpack from Two Wheel Gear is probably the smartest convertible bag we’ve used.
A pannier bag that quickly converts to a backpack, the Two Wheel Gear Convertible Pannier Backpack 2.0 is a smartly designed commuting bag with a padded laptop sleeve and enough room for much anything else you’d want to carry.
Two Wheel Gear sent us the larger 30L Plus version of their pannier backpack, but it’s also sold in a smaller 22L version for lighter loads. In backpack mode, the bag features two heavily padded shoulder straps with a sternum buckle.
A hidden zipper just above where the straps attach unzips to reveal the bag’s true pièce de résistance — it’s quick-attach pannier latches. Simply unbuckle the straps, tuck them inside the pouch concealing the pannier latches, fold the back of the bag into itself to reveal the latches and attach the bag to your bike. Boom — your backpack is now a pannier bag. It’s a conversion system I’ve found to work remarkably well.
The pannier latch is hidden underneath a zippered back flap. Fold the straps inside and boom, the backpack is now a pannier bag.
It does take some practice to get the hang of converting the bag quickly, but it’s about the best and cleanest solution I’ve used for a bag that converts from pannier to backpack and back again.
For storage, the 30L version of the bag we reviewed boasts a huge inner pocket large enough to easily stow shoes, a lunchbox and a change of clothes or, if you’ve already arrived at your destination, it’s large enough to carry a mountain bike-style helmet with a visor. That main compartment zippers almost entirely open for easy access, and there’s a small mesh organizer pocket for small items.
Inside another large zippered compartment is a heavily padded storage sleeve large enough for a 15-inch laptop. That compartment is backed by a semi-rigid back panel that not only protects your computer, but helps the bag hold its shape even if it’s not stuffed full.
There’s a number of other small compartments on the bag, including a soft-lined glasses compartment and another containing a bright yellow rain cover for foul weather. The bag itself is also built of waterproof-backed 600D polyester, so getting caught in the rain shouldn’t be a big issue.
The main compartment of the 30L bag is cavernous — large enough to fit a mountain bike helmet with a visor plus spare clothes.
This is the first time I’ve used a convertible pannier backpack where I didn’t feel like I had to make some sort of compromise between which worked better — the bag in backpack form or in pannier form. In pannier mode, the bag attaches to the bike quickly (once you get it down) and securely. And in backpack mode, it looks and feels like a normal high-end commuting bag. The inside compartment is huge and the organization thoughtful, the back panel of the bag is even padded so you can’t feel the pannier latches on your back.
I’ve also been really impressed with how well it works with the other bags in Two Wheel Gear’s lineup. We tested the bags on a 2022 Rad Power Bikes RadCity 5 Plus, and I was easily able to attach the pannier and Dayliner Box Bag onto the same rack with room to spare. Two Wheel Gear even made special attachment points so you can secure smaller bags to the outside of the backpack, bags like the Commute Seat Bag I’ll dive into further down in this review.
Two Wheel Gear Dayliner Box Bag
The Dayliner Box Bag attaches easily to a rear or front rack, and even has a handlebar attachment.
The Two Wheel Gear Dayliner Box Bag is a 20L weatherproof bike commuting bag designed to attach to your bike’s front rack, rear rack or handlebars, depending on your setup.
Like everything we’ve reviewed from Two Wheel Gear, the Dayliner Box Bag is a thoughtful marrying of form and function. From the outside, it’s a very clean design that looks like a cross between a large lunchbox and a nice tote bag. There’s a shoulder strap for off-bike carrying and a pair of handles should you choose to cart it around like an old-school suitcase.
Inside, nearly all of its 20L capacity is courtesy to its cavernous main compartment. Semi-rigid walls help the bag keep its shape (nobody likes a floppy bag) and there’s a few organization pockets lining the sides, including a mesh pocket, a zippered pocket and a pair of open elastic pockets I used to carry the shoes I wear when not riding.
The 20L main compartment is spacious and has a handful of mesh or elastic organizer pockets.
We attached the Dayliner bag to the rear rack of the RadCity 5 Plus, which worked really well. The attachment mechanism is simply a foolproof set of sturdy velcro straps that wrap around the rack’s top deck. I was easily able to use the Dayliner bag in conjunction with the convertible pannier backpack, but note that the RadCity comes with a very wide rear pannier rack. Had it been narrower, it may have been a hair cumbersome to use the two bags on the same rack.
But there’s a solution to this — the Dayliner bag can also attach to a front rack if you have one. If you don’t, the bag actually comes with a set of handlebar straps hidden underneath a flap.
Two Wheel Gear Dayliner Mini Handlebar Bag
Just large enough for a six-pack, the Dayliner Mini handlebar bag attaches securely to handlebars.
For smaller items, the Two Wheel Gear Dayliner Mini Handlebar Bag is an expandable roll-top 3L bag that mounts to your bike’s handlebars.
We say small because it’s one of the smaller bags we reviewed from Two Wheel Gear, but it really punches above its paygrade in the carrying capacity department. It’s designed to carry things like a phone, wallet and other accessories in an easy-to-reach location on the bike, but its roll-top design helps it carry much more.
Most notably, it’s at least large enough to fit a six pack of cans plus a few other items.
Like its larger counterparts, it’s made of TPR waterproof backed 600D polyester and uses a set of quick release straps to mount to your handlebars. Inside, there’s a pair of mesh elastic pockets and the roll top opening also features a zipper, so it can still securely close even if you jam it so full it won’t roll.
Two Wheel Gear Commute Seat Pack 1.5L
A fairly standard looking seat bag, the Two Wheel Gear version is large, full of pockets and weatherproof.
The Two Wheel Gear Commute 1.5L Seat Pack is an oversize saddle bag not quite of bikepacking proportions, but large enough to carry tools, a tube, a pump and even a light jacket or your phone.
It’s the pretty typical seat bag design — a zippered and weatherproofed main compartment with mesh organizers and a key clip — but the Commute Seat Pack has a few additional features that make it cooler than some of its competitors. In addition to its main compartment, there’s also a zippered side pocket large enough for some cash or cards and the buckled attachment that holds the bag onto your seat rails is adjustable backwards and forwards, making it compatible with a broad range of seats.
But perhaps the coolest feature is that you don’t have to attach it to your seat at all. There’s a second set of attachment points designed specifically to piggyback onto the convertible pannier backpack.
Probably the coolest feature of the seat bag is its ability to not be a seat bag. Special attachment points on the convertible backpack turn it into a piggyback bag with extra storage space.
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