The VeloPac RidePac Max Slim mostly does what you want: keeps your phone, cards and other stuff protected from showers and knocks. It organises it all neatly, too. The quality feels high and it's easy to pocket, but if you want serious protection from heavy rain or heavy impacts, it's best to look elsewhere. We've tried out a number over the years, which you'll find in the Bags section of our reviews.
If you ride with a phone and don't want/need to see the screen, this is an excellent way to keep it safe. While it's not 100-per-cent, take-it-diving-to-the-wreck-of-the-Andrea-Doria waterproof, it's resistant enough to deal with showers, especially if it's inside a jersey pocket and not being directly pelted.
> Buy now: VeloPac RidePac Max Slim Navy for £25 from VeloPac
The main fabric is ballistic nylon with a waterproof coating, and it seems very effective, but the zip is only water resistant. If heavy rain is hitting it for any length of time it will soak through, and it can spread through the soft lining. I never found puddles of liquid in there, but it can get damp.
VeloPac is entirely up-front about this, and in a pocket it's fine for showery or changeable days. For anything heavier, though, it's best off under a waterproof or inside a bag. Consequently I found the RidePac particularly useful for keeping valuables safe yet handy inside larger bags, where everything jostles with other layers, tools and maps.
At roughly 19.5x11cm externally, it easily takes my 16.5cm Android phone still in its own protective case, and while my phone will fit in the tall neoprene pocket on the left, I found the smaller mesh pocket easier to use and still perfectly secure. If you're keeping keys or small tools in there too, the thickish neoprene divider of the bigger pocket is useful for keeping your phone scratch free.
> Emergency essentials: 10 things to take with you on every ride
The lining of the main fabric is soft microfibre, so there's nothing abrasive to cause issues.
Open this like a book and the righthand side is filled by a mesh pocket with a full-length zip, while the two open ones are on the left, and once closed the pack's dark 'spine' is roughly 1.5cm wide. Obviously the Max Slim can get a bit thicker than that if you stuff it, but it does indeed feel slim and slips easily into pockets and bags.
This dark blue version is fairly stealthy, and if you prefer there's a full black version. If you want something brighter, however – to make it harder to lose, perhaps – you'd have to go for the RidePac Lite instead, which is around a centimetre smaller both in height and width. It's cheaper, though, at £20.
Value
That brings us neatly to value. Yes, you can use a freezer bag for pennies and properly waterproof your phone that way, but if that's you then presumably you're not even reading this. And if you want to use your phone without removing it from its protection, you can still save money with a screen-friendly clear pouch that is also 100% waterproof. The BTwin 500 Cycling Smartphone Holder, for instance, is £9.99, and also mounts your phone in clear view on your stem.
Nevertheless, I feel the RidePac offers enough extra organisation and build quality to justify the extra cost – though mostly to people who'll use this inside other bags.
For comparison, the very similar Craft Cadence Essentials Case is £29.99, while the Monton Urban Traveller Essentials Waterproof Case is £36... or was when it existed in December 2021. It was also very bad at resisting water; worse, from the sound of it, than this RidePac. Today Monton does the Colours Essential Storage Case, which is also £36 (but currently half price) and looks very similar to the old one we tested.
> 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike
Unfortunately it looks like Mudhugger no longer sells its £14 PhoneHugger pouch, which was made from recycled inner tubes and worked brilliantly in a jersey pocket. Though also not submersible, it's waterproof enough for the real world, and keeps even the worst rain and sweat away while stashed in a back pocket – two and half years later I'm still regularly using mine, and my phone has never ever got wet.
Other companies do make very similar things, happily, such as The Bike Project with its wildly named Recycled Inner Tube Phone Case. That one's just £11.50.
Overall
This is a really good way to keep valuables together and protected, while still keeping them easy to access; it's ideal inside luggage, and can (mostly) cope with jersey pockets. If waterproofing is a concern, however, you can find much more reliable options for less money.
Verdict
Well made and effective organisation for valuables inside cargo, but needs more water resistance for reliable pocketing
Make and model: VeloPac RidePac Max Slim Navy
Tell us what the product is for and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
VeloPac says: "Designed to fit most cycle jersey or jacket pockets. RidePac MAX Slim is the same size as our RidePac Lite range but built with a super tough waterproof wipe clean ballistic outer fabric. Internal features include a padded microfibre lining, bound seams & 3 specific pockets to keep ride essentials protected & organised. Finished with water resistant zip to protect contents from everything the elements can throw at it."
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
VeloPac lists:
Waterproof Coated Ballistic Outer Fabric
Soft padded Microfibre Lining
Bound seams
Water resistant zipper
VeloPac zip puller
Fully padded phone slip pocket accepts all phones up 7in screen
Large, Secure Inner mesh zip pocket.
Small elasticated mesh slip pocket
Fits Most Cycling Jersey/Jacket Pockets
Outside Dimensions 105mm x 195mm
Maximum Internal dimensions 95mm x 175mm
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
Rate the product for performance:
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
7/10
Rate the product for value:
5/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
Excellent for protecting and organising valuables in the jumble of a bigger bag, though borderline for jersey pockets in bad weather.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Impressive build quality, good organisation, neat and useful sizing.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
Not fully waterproof.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It's slightly cheaper than many similar padded wallets, but more expensive than basic – and fully waterproof – plastic pouches.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes – for protection inside luggage.
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
This is well made, nicely designed and very usable. I found it really useful inside bigger bags, where it keeps your valuables well protected yet easy to find and remove. It would easily score higher if the water resistance was stronger, though – while it's fine in a back pocket during showers, serious bad weather will see it getting damp inside if the zip is at all exposed.
Age: 48 Height: 183cm Weight: 78kg
I usually ride: Vitus Zenium SL VR Disc My best bike is:
I've been riding for: 10-20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: general fitness riding, mtb,
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Not in some dialects of English, eg Scottish. But it's a glide in most forms of English
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Have a good night, Andy. Two nights at Street? Plans for Sunday?
Cybertruck
It's not like the BBC don't know what term to use when they think it matters not to imply that there's nobody to blame.
Is this with the same wheels etc? 3mph seems wild to me when manufacturers are talking about a handful of watts at best.
Brought to you by Logan's Run? Or Brave New World (for a few extra years)?