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VeloPac RidePac Echelon

8
£33.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Impressive piece of kit that allows you to carry all valuables in one place securely and protected against the elements
Protects your valuables
Loads of pockets for organisation
Weatherproof
More expensive than a plastic bag...
Weight: 
48g
Contact: 

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 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.

2020 Velo Pac RidePac Echelon - front.jpg

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.

2020 Velo Pac RidePac Echelon - back.jpg

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.

2020 Velo Pac RidePac Echelon - inside.jpg

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.

> Emergency essentials: 10 things to carry with you every ride

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

road.cc test report

Make and model: VeloPac RidePac Echelon

Size tested: 100mm x 190mm

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?

It's a case for your valuables and other small objects that you may need to take with you on a ride.

VeloPac says, 'RidePac is a handy & stylish solution to carry all your ride essentials safely protected from the elements.'

This is an accurate description of what it does – it doesn't need to do anything complicated, but elements like the inner pockets and grippy sides mean it does it well.

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

VeloPac lists:

Softshell waterproof main fabric

Soft padded micro-fibre lining bonded to outer fabric

Special grippy side gusset panel

Waterproof inner materials

Bound seams

Water resistant zipper

VeloPac zip puller

Phone slip pocket accepts all phones up to & including i-phone6 plus

Large, secure inner zip pocket for keys, coins etc.

Credit card/racing licence holder

Fits most cycling jersey/jacket pockets

Dimensions 100mm x 190mm

Attractive digitally printed designs

MADE IN BRITAIN

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
9/10

Really well made with strong stitching, a robust zip, and nice touches like the extra long zip tag to make it easy to use with full-finger gloves.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

Thick softshell sides, strong stitching throughout and it being weather resistant suggest it's unlikely to need replacing quickly.

Rate the product for value:
 
6/10

Compared to most others on the market, this is a fairly good price.

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

Very well, I could fit in everything that was needed and it sat comfortably in my pocket.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The fleecy inner to prevent scratches on phones is a small but really nice touch.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing in particular.

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

The Altuvita Elements case promises the same broad qualities at £5 more, but as Neil mentions in his review, some of the claims are not necessarily accurate. You can pick up the See.Sense Phone Pouch for £10 less, but it's smaller and doesn't offer the same level of waterproofing. Silca's Borsa Americano, which seems to offer the same kind of qualities, is £45.

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

It's a really useful bit of kit that you might not think about until you start using it. It does what's required in a fuss-free way. It sounds silly for something that is basically just a travel wallet, but it just works really well.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 32  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: CAAD13  My best bike is: Cannondale Supersix Evo

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mtb,

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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4 comments

Avatar
Global Nomad | 4 years ago
0 likes

I have been a convert to the StickyPod for the last couple of years. Everything (tools, spares, pump, money etc)  safe in one place and almost impossible to forget anything when leaving the house, as it all stays in the pack and easy to get  out  on the road. i always found saddle packs a fuss to get stuff out of/back in when your trying to fix a puncture. 

Avatar
RoubaixCube | 4 years ago
1 like

I find small ziploc bags are pretty good too. 11.99 gets you 60 of them on amazon.

You can even double them up if you get pretty sweaty. when one gets a small hole in it or it no longer seals properly. providing you dont throw them away after each use. 60 will last you a fair bit.

But then again any price is a good price so long as you like the look of it.

Avatar
bobrayner replied to RoubaixCube | 4 years ago
0 likes

A fine idea. I just use a generic freezer/sandwich bag from Tesco. (Other supermarkets are available).

They're usually see-through which makes it easier to find the right thing inside, even when it's dark and you're tired and it's starting to rain...

Avatar
RoubaixCube replied to bobrayner | 4 years ago
0 likes

With some of the bags i use, I can type on the screen while they are sealed in the bag so theres no need to remove them from the bag when replying to a message or checking google maps. YMMV though.

Its just an extremely cheap and functional idea.

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