Miss Grape Internode Road 3L

The Miss Grape Internode Road 3 frame bag offers three litres of storage and is a decent option for larger frames. It's tapered to minimise issues while pedalling, and the fabric is good for most weather conditions, though the seams aren't sealed for full waterproofing.

The Internode Road 3 is narrower than some frame bags, to minimise contact with your knees when pedalling. It's designed primarily for road/gravel bikes and to work with drivetrains with a narrower q-factor (the distance between the pedals). The narrowest section is 5cm at the rear, where your knees will track when pedalling normally in the saddle, then widens to 7cm near the front.

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The bag has one big compartment, reached by a single large zip on the drive side, which is smooth and easy to open. A large zip garage hides the zip puller when closed and prevents it from rubbing the legs while you're pedalling.

The fabric used is water-resistant, rated to 10,000mm with a durable water repellent (DWR) coating. Riding in rain during the testing period, the contents stayed dry, but when sprayed with a hosepipe a small amount of water came through the zip area and seams, which aren't sealed, so for anything that might be damaged by water I'd suggest double-bagging for safety.

One feature the bag doesn't have is some form of cable or hydration hose port. Not every bag has one – the Pro Discover Team bag that Iwein tested recently didn't – but most of those I've come across do, and it is something I would have expected.

Attachment

The bag has three attachment loops for the top tube section, which use removable strips of Velcro, but the loops are fixed in place, so the straps could potentially interfere with cable stops or cables.

Another two fixed camlock straps attach to the down tube and are long enough to fit the widest, most oversized tubes, although it didn't fit around a Fazua e-bike I've also been testing. For smaller tubing, the fabric ends can be folded back to tidy them up, looping through the o-rings to hold them in place.

The Internode Road 3 is designed to be fitted at the front of the frame, and unlike some frame bags there is no attachment point at the rear. For larger frame sizes it wouldn't be needed, but if you were using it with a smaller frame, where the bag is close to the seat tube, an extra strap to provide a little more security could be useful.

Shape and versatility

Although the bag will fit some frames perfectly, its triangular shape and depth of 16cm mean it's not as versatile as some designs and you'd be wise to use the template on Miss Grape's website to check whether it'll work with your setup. 

For example, it fitted perfectly on an XL/60cm Kinesis G2, allowing access to both bottles (if fitted), but when I attached it to my small size Ritchey Outback I wasn't able to use a bottle on the down tube. I also fitted it to a 56cm Kinesis Aithein and had some issues.

Miss Grape does make a smaller 2-litre version, the Internode Road 2, which is shorter in length but almost the same depth, at 15cm.

For smaller frames you might be better off looking at the Internode 40.6, which offers the same 3 litres of space but with a shallower (10cm) depth, although it's wider at 8.5cm – and another £5.

Weight

The single large compartment keeps the bag to a competitive 179g. That compares well with other frame bags – the Wildcat Ocelot (full review to come) is 195g, though it is also a little larger with a 3.5-litre capacity, and Restrap's Race Frame Bag is 199g for the 4-litre version – but the 5.5-litre Pro Discover Team bag mentioned above is just 135g (and an extra £10).

Value

With an rrp of £90, the Internode Road 3 is not a cheap option, but you can pay more. The Pro Discover Team bag is £99.99 and not without its flaws, though it is fully waterproof, while the Ortlieb Frame Pack is £109.99 (but again, fully waterproof).

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Restrap's Race Frame Bag is cheaper, though, now £79.99, as is the 3.5-litre Alpkit Possum at £72.99, which is also slimmer and more versatile in terms of where it'll fit.

Conclusion

If you have a larger road or gravel frame and want a simple single-pocket bag, the Internode Road 3 is a good option. It's light, it fits (some bikes) securely, and is very weatherproof. You can buy cheaper bags, though, and with limited adjustability in the attachments and no cable port, it could do more to justify the price.

Verdict

Quality bag that works well in larger frames, but I'd like full waterproofing and a cable port for my money