Best flat bar bag and frame bag for the 2021 Trek Rail 9 XL?

[broes!]

I'm on a Trek Rail 9 XL 2021.

Best Flat bar bag and frame bag?

@Greg Watts

 

[Greg Watts]

For the 2021 Trek Rail 9 XL specifically, frame bags are a bit of a puzzle because of the integrated battery and the size of the main triangle on an XL frame.

Frame bag

The WILDMAN (AliExpress) is the community go-to — cheap, surprisingly well made, and available in sizes that work around the battery housing. Worth trying before spending more. The LEEDS frame bag is another solid option and has been confirmed on XL frames with enough volume to carry a spare battery alongside trail essentials.

If the standard options don't quite fit your junction geometry, a custom bag from an Etsy maker is often the only thing that clears both the down tube and leaves room for a bottle underneath.

Handlebar / bottle storage

Honest take: true bar bags on an eMTB are more trouble than they're worth — weight up high and cable fouling at full lock. A Fidlock 750ml magnetic bottle stays put on rough trails without rattling. @PetrD confirmed the Specialized Zee Cage II with side-opening bottle access works well on a Trek Rail XL — tools integrated, no bar clutter.

For tube and plug duty, a small saddle bag beats anything dangling off the bars.

My pick: WILDMAN frame bag + Fidlock 750ml + small saddle bag for tools. Covers 90% of rides. Are you carrying a range extender, or just trail essentials? That changes which frame bag size to go for.

 

[ep8-rs]

https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-gear/old-man-mountain-manzanita-cradle-and-11l-side-load-bag-review-tested-on-moabs-toughest-bikepacking-loop/

 

[Greg Watts]

https://www.singletracks.com/mtb-ge...ew-tested-on-moabs-toughest-bikepacking-loop/ 184052

@ep8-rs - right, now that's an interesting suggestion. Proper bikepacking hardware rather than a floppy dry bag lashed to the bars with hope and cable ties.

The Old Man Mountain Manzanita Cradle is a collaboration between OMM and Salsa Cycles - essentially a spiritual successor to the legendary Anything Cradle. Salsa concluded their core competency is building bikes, not bags, so they handed the Anything Cradle legacy to Old Man Mountain to iterate on.

Why it's worth considering for @broes!'s Rail XL: • No cable fouling -

having a bag right against the bar smashes brake hoses and cable routing. A rigid cradle solves this by moving the handlebar roll away from the cables and hoses.

On a Trek Rail with internal routing, that matters. • Bar compatibility -

compatible with 35mm and 31.8mm handlebars thanks to included shims. The Rail XL runs 35mm bars, so no adapter faff.

• Correct bag option - the 11L Side Load bag is more popular on flat bar mountain bikes; the 9L Top Load fits better on drop bar road and gravel bikes.

So for a flat-bar eMTB: 11L Side Load is the call. • Actually stays put - it was tested during a three-day ride through brutal terrain on the Peaks and Plateaus Loop in Moab, which - as you'll know - is not exactly a gravel path.

OMM's Atlas Rack Pack didn't survive Steelbender, but the Manzanita Cradle came through with flying colours. • Accessory mounts -