Cycling is an all-around superb activity, whether it's a hobby, a sport, or you use it for commuting, it's a fantastic way to work up a sweat and get the blood pumping.
Whether you are a road cyclist, commuter, or mountain biker, heading out on a bike is a healthy, environmentally friendly, and rewarding way of exploring cities and the countryside.
However, for you to have a truly seamless and enjoyable bike ride, you're going to need to ensure you have the proper cycling accessories, and this includes a backpack or rucksack.
Backpacks are a sure and easy way to carry all of your cycling equipment, such as cycling water bottles, your laptop, packed food, and any other essentials you may need throughout the day.
The only issue is they can weigh you down, if the backpack isn't compact or lightweight it can add to the weight of your supplies.
This is why we've searched far and wide to round up the best cycling backpacks for everyone, commuters, mountain bikers, road cyclists, and much more. So whatever you're looking for, you'll be sure to find it in our guide.
What to look for in a cycling backpack
This will completely depend on your reason for taking a bike ride, if you're a commuter you're going to want it to have a large capacity, so it has lots of storage space for your work tools, as well as food and water. Whereas if you're searching for a road cycle backpack, you'll need a product with a smaller capacity so you can pack only the essentials and ensure the weight is kept as low as possible.
Either way these are the main components to consider when buying a cycling backpack:
Capacity - this depends on why you're cycling.
Waterproof - no matter what reason for your bike ride, always ensure the backpack is waterproof, this ensures that even if you're caught off guard with the weather, your valuables will remain safe.
Reflective - even if cycling during the day, reflectors ensure that you're seen by other road users, it's an important safety feature.
Stow packets - ideal for any mountain bikers, it allows you to store rehydration sachets, snacks, GPS and waterproof layers.
The best cycling backpacks
Just so you know, while we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this page, we never allow this to influence product selections. Why trust us?
Editor's pick
An excellent backpack, best suited for commuters. Inside, thereu2019s plenty of room for clothes, as well as work materials. We love that it features a sleeve for laptops up to 15-inches, and a small zip pocket and key anchor for valuables. The shoulder straps are fully adjustable and externally, it boasts a waterproof rating of IPX6, so don't worry if you get caught in the rain, it won't get your valuables wet.
Size: 30L
Weight: 600g
Reflective details: Yes
Best for commuters
Environmentally friendly, made from 100% recycled materials, this fantastic roll-top backpack, has a compartment for laptops up to 15.6-inches, as well as separate pockets for your valuables. It's also available in five different colours, so you've got a lot of options.
Size: 15.5L
Weight: n/a
Reflective details: No
Best for road cycling
www.wiggle.co.uk
With reflectors in the front, side, and back, as well as ergonomic shoulder straps and an adjustable chest strap, the Deuter rucksack is everything a road cyclist needs. It's also compact and impeccably lightweight, so it won't weigh you down during your bike rides. It comes in two different colours and even comes with a reflective rain cover for when things get damp.
Size: 8L
Weight: 530g
Reflective details: Yes
Best budget cycling backpack
You don't need to go way over budget to bag yourself a brilliant cycling backpack. Made from nylon breathable fabric, this backpack is compact, lightweight, and waterproof, so you won't need to worry about your valuables if you get caught in the rain.
Size: 15L
Weight: 575g
Reflective details: Yes
The Osprey Sirrus 26 backpack is a highly versatile backpack, offering ample storage space for work equipment, clothes, food, water, and whatever else you may need. Featuring stow pockets, a bucket lid zipper as well as an integrated rain cover, there's very little this backpack isn't suited for.
Size: 26L
Weight: Sirrus 1.2kg
Reflective detail: No
Best for mountain biking
Designed for mountain biking, this excellent backpack has a 17-litre capacity, a separate hydration pocket as well as specialised helmet-carrying buckles. Everything you'll need for a day of mountain biking can easily be stowed away in this backpack.