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review

Woho X-Touring Frame Bag

8
£49.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Lightweight yet robust frame bag with plenty of neat design features
Good looking frame bag with well-designed details
Secure attachments
Can let a bit of water in on really wet days
Weight: 
183g

At road.cc every product is thoroughly tested for as long as it takes to get a proper insight into how well it works. Our reviewers are experienced cyclists that we trust to be objective. While we strive to ensure that opinions expressed are backed up by facts, reviews are by their nature an informed opinion, not a definitive verdict. We don't intentionally try to break anything (except locks) but we do try to look for weak points in any design. The overall score is not just an average of the other scores: it reflects both a product's function and value – with value determined by how a product compares with items of similar spec, quality, and price.

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The Woho X-Touring Frame Bag is a lightweight and secure way to carry your kit and essentials on the bike. The fabric is tough, it keeps the rain out well, and the shape of the bag works seamlessly with many frame sizes.

While not feeling as robust as some others on the market, the Woho frame bag has stood up to some tough abuse out on the gravel tracks with no complaints at all. The 840D high-denier count nylon fabric may feel thin compared to my go-to frame bag, the Topeak Midloader, but it is surprisingly tough and you don't need to worry about what you stuff inside it either.

> Find your nearest dealer here

Unlike the Topeak, the Woho is divided into two compartments, accessible from their respective zips either side of the bag. This means you can keep things a little more organised, food and gels one side, for instance, tools and spares the other.

The pink lining looks pretty funky and also helps you find your kit without having to delve around in the usual blackness.

WOHO X-Touring Frame Bag - pocket.jpg

I'm testing the medium size, which is around 4 litres in capacity (the small is 2.75 litre), and it can carry most of your essentials for a day or two out on the bike. I could get spare tubes, patch kit, pump, CO2 canisters and inflator, multi-tool and first aid kit in one side easily, while placing plenty of gels and flapjacks in the other without it bulging out and catching my knees.

WOHO X-Touring Frame Bag - other side.jpg

The fabric is waterproof, and although the seams aren't taped I never had any real issues with water ingress unless it was a very long ride on very wet roads. Even then it was marginal, but if I was placing electronics inside I'd make sure they were inside a sandwich bag to be on the safe side.

The zips themselves are pretty chunky so still work well when covered in grit and dust. The big loops and plastic pulls make them easy to operate with winter gloves on while riding.

WOHO X-Touring Frame Bag - zip and flap.jpg

The bag itself is held in place by plenty of straps and wraps. It attaches to the head, seat and down tubes by way of simple Velcro straps, and to the top tube by more Velcro but with a wide rubber wraparound that stops any irritation should your leg catch it while pedalling.

WOHO X-Touring Frame Bag - velcro.jpg

The straps are long enough to fit even the largest profile carbon tube, and easily trimmed if you're using a skinny steel frame like I was, as in the pictures.

WOHO X-Touring Frame Bag - straps 2.jpg

From a performance point of view there isn't really that much I can fault, and even the price is pretty good. It's similar to the Topeak I mentioned above, although that one is a little bit bigger at 4.75l and costs a little less at £45.99.

> Buyer's Guide: 16 of the best bikepacking bags

There are cheaper alternatives out there, such as the BBB Middle Mate frame bag at £34.95, but the Woho has a much sleeker shape and design to it, and the way it tapers up towards the seat tube means you should be able to get to your second bottle without too much wiggling about.

WOHO X-Touring Frame Bag - straps 1.jpg

Overall, for lightweight jaunts out into the wilderness, the Woho X-Touring frame bag is really good. The shape works with many frame shapes and the attention to detail and quality should see it last for many adventures to come.

Verdict

Lightweight yet robust frame bag with plenty of neat design features

road.cc test report

Make and model: Woho X-Touring Frame Bag

Size tested: M: 46 x 15 x 6cm

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?

Woho's UK distributor iRide says, "Lightweight bike-packing frame bags built for the long haul from 840D high-denier count nylon TPU-treated waterproof fabrics. They aren't built with waterproof seams but they are more than the match for inclement weather due to their waterproof materials and careful construction.

"These are excellent and stylish non-rigid frame bags perfect for any cycling activity."

For such a lightweight fabric the X-Touring bag is surprisingly robust.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

From Woho:

WOHO selects the best material for the product and environment. We spend a lot of time on sourcing and using them to continuously improve our products. Xtouring gears were made by durable materials tested in the real world, and using components that optimized for bikepacking including-

> Body Fabrics - Double TPU coated eco-friendly fabric

> TPU Straps - Anti slip and stays reliable under extreme weather

> Rip-stop yarn - Provides additional strength against wear and tear.

> Lightweight nylon base - Special compound durable yet lightweight base material.

> Duraflex/Nifco buckles & aluminum hooks were designed to withstand harsh use and weather.

> Hi-vis reflective printing ensures safety while riding in dark.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10
Rate the product for weight (if applicable)
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
5/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

It fits securely to the bike and adapts to many frame shapes and sizes.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

It's a classy looking design that'll carry a fair amount of kit.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

On the whole there is nothing I really dislike.

How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?

For a bag of this quality the price seems pretty much where it should be. The BBB mentioned in the review is 15 quid cheaper, but while it offers decent performance it doesn't quite have the stylish fit of the Woho. The X-Touring doesn't feel quite as robust as the Topeak I normally use, which is £46, but it has some neater additions like the dual compartment inside.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your overall score

The X-Touring frame bag is a quality bit of kit, surprisingly tough for such a lightweight material, and elements like the zips are very good quality. With waterproof seams it would be hard to beat.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 41  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: This month's test bike  My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components

I've been riding for: Over 20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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