VeloPac RidePac Echelon

The VeloPac RidePac Echelon is essentially a simple travel wallet that has become more and more useful the more I’ve used it. It keeps everything important securely in one place, has useful compartments to keep everything organised, and is weatherproof.

Ever forget where you've put your bank cards, phone, keys while out on the bike? You know they're there somewhere, but after riding around for a few hours you can't remember where... keys might be in your right jersey pocket, cards in the left, phone in the saddle bag... maybe... And if you do find what you want and pull it out, what else comes out too? In the past few years I’ve managed to lose two debit cards and smashed a phone screen when pulling stuff out of jersey pockets.

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VeloPac's RidePac aims to fix all that – a cycling travel case that keeps everything safe in one soft, weatherproof and protective package.

We've tested a few RidePacs on road.cc – most recently the RidePac Lite – a cheaper, if not lighter, model. RidePacs come in various different designs, fabrics and sizes, ranging from Lite and Mini cases at £20 to leather ones at £50.

Echelon refers to the print on this particular RidePac. It's made with a robust softshell material which both protects what's inside and also reduces any chance of awkward shaped keys or coins jabbing into your back when riding.

Around half of the edges of the pack VeloPac has used a highly grippy material which helps to stop the pack from flying out of a jersey pocket, and the other half is a zip with bound seams, which provides a decent barrier to water. The zip has a large and easy-to-grip tag, making it simple to use even with full-finger winter gloves.

Inside, there's a zip-pocket, a small pouch, a larger main compartment and a phone slip. The inside of the phone slip and zip-pocket are lined with a fleecy material which protects the contents from getting damaged or scratched.

The most that I managed to fit inside was three cards, an iPhone, portable charger, charging cable, keys, £5 in coins, and a spare CO2 canister. Being able to fit this much in, while also keeping it well separated and organised, is really useful.

On the road I didn't find a jersey pocket that it didn't fit in comfortably, including lightweight jerseys with smaller pockets. Putting it away and taking it out was easy, despite the edges being designed to minimise the risk of accidentally losing it; it doesn't impact on taking it out of the pocket.

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Having the ability to only open the case halfway is also a surprisingly good design decision, as it means things can't fall out easily, like Neil found with the Altuvita Elements case last year.

Value

The RidePac is a great solution to a problem that a lot of cyclists have, and although the £33 RRP is a bit steep, compared to some competitors it's not bad value. The Altuvita Elements case promises broadly the same qualities at £5 more, and as Neil mentions in his review, some of the claims are not necessarily accurate. And Silca's Borsa Americano, which also seems to offer the same qualities, is £45.

You can spend less: the See.Sense Phone Pouch is £10 cheaper, but it isn't as large and doesn't offer the same level of waterproofing; Muc-Off's Essentials Case is £15, but Pat was concerned about the zip damaging his phone.

A Sticky Pod is less than half the price, though, at £15.99. 

Conclusion

When I first started using this pack I thought it would just be an expensive version of a plastic bag, but in reality I now wouldn't go back. Its weatherproofing has kept everything well protected and dry, the ability to organise your stuff is really useful, and there's no danger of losing anything. It's great!

Verdict

Impressive piece of kit that allows you to carry all valuables in one place securely and protected against the elements