As useful as a bike pannier or handlebar bag can be, sometimes you don't need to carry that much stuff and throw off your bike's center of gravity. That's where a frame pack like the Blackburn Outpost shines.

This durable, water-resistant bag mounts within the front triangle space of most bicycles, giving you a place to stash small items like snacks, a water bottle, or some bike tools. On occasions where you do want to pack a little extra — like a superlight windbreaker jacket, a battery pack, a hefty bike lock, etc — the bottom of the main compartment expands downward to handle it:

The Outpost is also a fantastic place to store a hydration bladder, as it has a passthrough for the drinking hose (which also works nicely for running a phone charge cable if you're carrying one of those battery packs I mentioned).

Even when fully packed, you don't have to worry about your legs rubbing against the pack all ride long. It's quite slim despite its generous storage capacity.

You can get this versatile bike bag in three sizes:

1. Large ($70) — 5.25 liters standard, 6.95 liters expanded / weighs 402 grams empty
2. Medium ($65) — 4.3 liters standard, 5.8 liters expanded / weighs 360 grams empty
3. Small ($60) — 2 liters standard, 3.5 liters expanded / weighs 280 grams empty

There's also an “Elite” edition that features welded seams, two external outer pockets with drainage holes, and anti-rattle zipper pulls. However, the compartment size is fixed rather than convertible.