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TECH NEWS
Tailfin launches AeroPack rack range on Kickstarter - we take a first look
Tailfin, makers of the unique carbon fibre rack that we reviewed recently, has today launched an expanded range of racks and a new aero roll-top bag via Kickstarter, where it hopes to raise £20,000 of funding.
Company founder Nick Broadbent popped over to the office to run us through the new designs, which you can watch in the video above.
The AeroPack range is billed as an alternative to carrying luggage than the bikepacking seatpacks which are incredibly popular at the moment.
That original T1 carbon rack, first launched in 2016, remains in the range but is joined but an all-new AeroPack Carbon and AeroPack Alloy rack. All three racks can be used with the brand new 20-litre waterproof roll-top pack with a built-in rigid backbone.
The racks are compatible with road, gravel and mountain bikes. Compatibility was a big focus of the original design and remains with the expanded family of racks. They can be fitted to most bikes regardless of whether they have traditional rack mounts, and work with rim and disc brake bikes.
Benefits of the AeroPack are increased stability compared to a seatpack, which anyone that has used one knows requires very careful packing and strap tightening to stop it swinging about. It’s also more aerodynamic, hence the name, than a conventional rack and pannier setup.
Both the AeroPack Carbon and the Aeropack Alloy have the roll-top bag permanently integrated into the rack to save weight. That does concern us as being able to remove the bag is jolly useful in some situations, say if you’re locking the bike up in a garage but want to take the entire bag, and not just the contents, inside with you.
If that’s an issue for you, the AeroPack Trunk is the toll-top bag that can be fitted to the company’s original T1 carbon rack.
The AeroPack Carbon weighs a claimed 600g with 12kg maximum load capacity, an increase over the original T1 racks 9kg, and clearance for any 700c tyre and up to 27.5x3.0” or 29x2.5” mountain bike wheels and tyres.
The AeroPack Alloy weighs 780g with the same 12kg weight limit, but increased tyre clearance up to 29x4.4” tyres.
If you like the look and sound of the new AeroPack you can show your support over on Kickstarter. The AeroPack Carbon is going for a specially discounted priced of £269 and the AeroPack Alloy £219. The AeroPack Trunk on its own is £119.
David worked on the road.cc tech team from 2012-2020. Previously he was editor of Bikemagic.com and before that staff writer at RCUK. He's a seasoned cyclist of all disciplines, from road to mountain biking, touring to cyclo-cross, he only wishes he had time to ride them all. He's mildly competitive, though he'll never admit it, and is a frequent road racer but is too lazy to do really well. He currently resides in the Cotswolds, and you can now find him over on his own YouTube channel David Arthur - Just Ride Bikes.
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13 comments
Funded. Impressive product, great to see innovation and the UK seem to be leading the way in this market.
Almost tempted to find a carbon bike sans rack mounts so I can use one
It's nice, but for the price of the T1 rack, trunk, and side bags, I could buy a conventional rack, bag and panniers, and have enough left over to buy an extra bike to put them on. (But I wouldn't have to, because I already have them.)
Using just the not-Trunk version on a bike that you normally don't want any luggage on, but occasionally want just the seatpack sized bag on, probably makes more sense though, and the bikepacking seatbags also seem expensive for what they are.
Nice. Too expensive for me.
This looks like a decent product and one for which I am definitely in the target market, but I have to say I am put off by the price.
I use a Restrap seatpack at present and I don't think the Tailfin offers enough additional advantages over it to justify the price. The Tailfin can definitely carry more but I'd much rather spread the load over the bike with a frame and bar bag than have it concentrated in one place.
Good luck Tailfin but I think it would have to be down around £200 for me to back it.
The AeroPack Alloy is £129
(EDIT: it's £219 for earlybird backers not £129, there seems to be typo in the road.cc article) ,
& is 180g heavier than the carbon version, but more sturdy according to Tailfin.
It should fit a carbon bike with a carbon seatpost fine, right?
yeah, the arch attaches to a special axle, the weight isn't borne by the frame.
yeah, apologies. fixed now.
well done Tailfin, i think you have a very strong product.
This is just what ive been waiting for. Just backed the kickstarter, cant wait!!
Hmm, very limited use case for a pack I can't remove from the bike.
A lightweight breathable removable liner would be a good compromise - I understand why the bag has to be structural but it will be a momunmental pain packing and repacking on the bike.
You're going to need to find somewhere to prop the bike and keep it stable and upright whilst packing.
Hi kil0ran,
Maybe it wasn't clear - the whole thing is quick release. No tools - off or on, in seconds, without tools. If you watch the road.cc interview then you can see us remove the AeroPack Carbon in real time. A lot faster than fitting a seatpack.
Being able to pack it whilst on the bike is a value add - with seatpack if you try to get items out whilst it's on the bike everything usually spills out on to the floor!
This looks great and as an owner of the T1 rack, exactly the sort of thing I have been hoping for. I signed up for a trunk pack within an hour of the new kickstater.
However, I get what people are saying - its quick release but you have to carry it around with legs sticking out the bottom which just isnt great. It looks like the trunk rack will detach with the struts still attached to the bottom of the pack too, which isnt ideal.
I want it so much I am willing to live with that but I am hoping that through the refinement process you will design in a way to detach the rack from the struts and leave them fixed to the T1 rack or fold them flat against the bottom. I can see with the other versions this would be tricky as they dont have the horizontal strut that the T1 rack does. But I think with the trunk it would be better if the attachment was at the bottom of the pack itself.
Some sort of handle for carrying would be great too!
Well, the "Trunk" version, which fits onto the original Tailfin rack, looks like it detaches.