I am a huge fan of bike bags, sacks, and backpacks. Usually, when I buy these types of goods, I like shopping the small boutique makers of such wares. Road Runner Bags is one of those companies. They are a lil’ bicycle bag company operating out of downtown Los Angeles.
It was early April, a couple of days before the 2022 Sea Otter Classic bicycle extravaganza. It dawned on me that I needed a bag to use at the event, and to write a review on. I reached out to Juan (the Production Manager at RRB) via DM on Instagram, about wanting to review a bag. He and Esther (the owner of RRB), were kind enough to give me one of their Anything Packs in the medium size to review.
This would work out great, as the RoadRunner Bags HQ was local to me, so I could just swing by and pick up the new bag…
Road Runner Bags Anything Pack
The bag I needed for the event should be big enough to hold any review gear that may be given to me during the show, as well as hold my camera. It had to have organizational pockets as well as an individual laptop sleeve. The Anything Pack checks all of those boxes, plus the new bag came in olive… so, Bob’s yer Uncle, this turned out to be perfect!
Road Runner Bags HQ quick CA factory tour
I dropped by their Los Angeles facility to visit Juan and pick up the bag. Every single one of their products is made right there in that workshop. According to their website, they have 10 employees that are all cyclists. The website also states that they are 100% vegan and committed to environmental sustainability, saving all of the scraps that happen during the manufacturing process, as well as making sure their products are of very high quality and stay out of landfills.
Anywho, I was excited to go pick up the bag and see the facility where it was made. So, Juan was kind enough to show me around and give me the grand tour.
So many different types bags and colors to choose from!
Burrito Bags for the masses!
I got to meet some of the talented people that help keep the Road Runner Bags ship afloat.
It was really cool to finally see where the goods were manufactured, as I have actually been a fan of their products for quite some time.
Juan informed me that all of their products are crafted with the finest USA-made materials and hardware.
They also manufacture bags in partnership with other brands as well, Velo Orange to name one.
Reflective keychains, little bits of made-in-USA goodness to make sure you are seen.
That was it for the tour! It was very kind of Juan to show me around, thanks Juan!
I was kinda illegally parked, so I needed to get going. The Sea Otter Classic was the following day, and I had to leave at 4:30 AM to make the 6 1/2 hour drive up to Monterey.
Co-Pilot Stem Bags, ripe for the picking, like colorful fruit on a tree!
The Road Runner Anything Pack in Action
RoadRunner Bag Anything Pack with a Peak Design Capture Clip, and the Anything Pack’s stout strap holding its shape well. Then (below), the Anything Pack strap holding the weight of my camera and moderately heavy lens without distorting the pack’s strap. All good, so far.
While at the event, the bag was really comfortable all day. During the time at the event, I was using a Peak Designs Capture Clip on one of the shoulder straps and the weight of my camera didn’t affect the comfortability of the bag at all. I wore the bag throughout the show, putting it on around 9 am and keeping it on until after 5 pm each day, only taking it off a few times to sit and eat or use the restroom.
By the end of the third day of the event, I had stuffed it full of review gear, company spec sheets, information, and swag over & over again throughout the three days. There was even a point on Friday that I couldn’t roll the top down, utilizing its full 25″ height. At that point, I just relied on the closed top flap to hold my treasures in the bag. Really, the Anything Pack handled it with aplomb. I carried it like that for the whole second half of Friday (5-6 hours). It was never too big and proved itself to be the right size for what I needed.
This is my bag filled up with bikey-type stuff (below)… yeah, it’s hanging in the restroom at SOC. #rrbinthewild
The medium size, just like Goldilocks’ last bowl of porridge… just right!
Even with the inside of the bag being maxed out, I could still use the underside of the top flap and its straps to cinch down more gear if I needed to. Not to mention the side compression straps could cinch down tight when the bag is not full to make it ultra-compact and stable. Or you could expand them to carry items on the side of the bag as well, like say your favorite yoga mat. These straps help to utilize the whole bag, not being confined to only carrying items that fit IN the bag.
That’s the kind of design that proved itself very useful when I have to drop off some oversized parcels at the UPS Store.
Carrying camera gear on a bike review works too.
The orange waterproof liner also makes it easy to find small bits inside the bag.
I have logged many miles on the bag since its use at Sea Otter Classic. Picking up dinner for the family, running errands, taking parcels to the Post Office, picking up boxes from the UPS store, and doing semi-large grocery runs. The Anything Pack has handled this very well over & over again, and still looks brand new! With the quality materials, craftsmanship and construction, I am confident that this bag will last a very, very long time… outliving my old ass, for sure!
I didn’t see anything on their website about the actual specs and sizes of the designated, padded laptop pocket in the bag. But I will tell you that it fits my Macbook Air with a lot of room to spare, and looks to fit up to a 15″ laptop with ease.
Road Runner Anything Pack – Tech Features, Size & Pricing
Here is a list of features from the Road Runner website:
- Tapered Padded Shoulder Straps for maximum comfort.
- Adjustable Chest Strap to aid in on-the-fly adjustments.
- YKK Zip Front Pocket System for crucial necessities.
- YKK Zip Document Pocket located directly above the front pocket.
- Water Resistant Roll Top Closure to keep gear safe and dry.
- Blinky-Light Loop for attaching an extra light.
- Outside lid with dual closure straps to hold larger items that will not fit into the bag’s central portion.
- YKK Zip Lid Pocket is perfect for those little things that require quick access
- Padded Back for maximum comfort.
- Dual Side Pockets to be used as a u-lock holster or water bottle pockets.
- Reflective Tongue made of Silver 3M to stay seen and safe on the road.
- Dual Side Compression Straps to cinch the bag down for comfort and stability, as well as an alternate option for mounting other accessories.
- Vented Mesh Back for comfort and to reduce sweating.
- Padded Laptop Sleeve divider inside of the vinyl liner to keep your laptop safe n’ protected.
- Carrying Handle to aid in its off-the-back transport.
The $250 medium-sized Road Runner Anything Pack has a max (rolled) rolled volume of 18 liters of storage, or up to 27L unrolled. In the middle, it can haul 22L of gear while closed & water-resistant at 19.5” tall. The bag measures 12″ wide, 5.5″ deep, and 18″ tall when fully rolled or 25″ tall unrolled.
Check out ALL of their awesome handmade bags, made by cyclists for cyclists at:
