Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack QR

The Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack QR is a lightweight 11-litre bar bag that can be quickly fitted to and removed from many types of bike. Featuring a unique cord fixing mechanism that takes a bit of getting used to, this could be your go-to quick on-off handlebar luggage.

For more load-lugging options, check out our guide to the best bikepacking bags.

The Handlebar-Pack QR is Ortlieb's take on an age-old idea – a roll-top bag, hanging off your bar. The key innovation here is the Bar-Lock system, a new quick-release mount that holds the bag solid and proud of your cables, preventing cable rub against your frame.

Buy Now: Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack QR from Ortlieb for £150 / $165

The mount fits either side of your stem faceplates, with a maximum clearance of about 60mm. The mount is made of a hard plastic, and in the box are two slightly pliant plastic feet for use on carbon bars (also sold separately in case you lose them, for £5.50). Ortlieb isn't clear on whether the feet should be used on alloy bars, but definitely yes for carbon. It does warn that 'cosmetic blemishes' may occur, and to remove any dirt or grit before installing. If you're overly precious about your bike's looks, this may not be the pack for you.

Installation faff

There are no fewer than 11 steps to install the Handlebar-Pack QR, where you loop first one then a second cord under and over the stem, ending up with a cord on the top and bottom, each pulling against the tension of the other. The second cord has a clip at the end that is inserted into a plastic hook, and then as the pack is pushed down the clip is rotated further forward on the hook, adding the final tension to the cord.

The cords are different colours to help you understand the order, but it's definitely not something so intuitive you could hand it to someone and expect it to attach the first, second or even third time. There's a QR code on the instruction sheet linking to a video that you'd be well advised to bookmark. That won't help you if you forget how to attach the bag in an area with no coverage, so practise, practise, practise.

The net result is that, done right, the mount is held solid, to the point that you can pick up the front of your bike with it.

Once the cords are at the correct length the installation process is quicker, as you don't need to make adjustments. As we are talking about cords here, over time they will stretch and settle in – so Ortlieb recommends checking at 10, 50, 100 and then every 100km after that. I found that once a decent installation was achieved, movement was negligible and so didn't faff further.

Removal is easier, in that you flip the little plastic clip down, remove it from the hook, and unhook the first cord; that's it.

Once the cords are pulled really tight, should you need to install the pack on a different bike you'll need to loosen them off. They can be pulled so tight that the cam levers holding them in place can't be moved by fingers alone. In that case Ortlieb has provided a channel on each lever that accepts a 4mm hex key lengthways, for additional leverage to disengage the cam.

Pack it in

Once you've mastered the installation and removal of the pack, you can fill it full of 11 litres (or 5kg) of stuff. Inside there's a pair of compression straps to help hold the lower three-quarters of the pack in place and squished down. Then you can add a bit more – think lightweight jacket – and still be able to fold the top over a couple of times to keep things waterproof.

As with the Back-Roller panniers Simon reviewed recently, the Handlebar-Pack QR has an IP64 rating which means it isn't exactly waterproof, again likely down to the roll-top closure. That said, unless you've actually fallen over in a river and stuck around to check out the waterlife, your stuff is going to stay dry from any rain – even the torrential bounce-up-in-your-face kind. Ortlieb is a world leader in Keeping Stuff Dry On Bikes, and the new fabrics and designs on show here live up to the legacy.

The top flap is held in place with a strap secured with an alloy hook and tensioned with a friction clasp, hooked into one of two loops on the front of the pack. The edge of the pack mouth is reinforced with a stiff plastic panel to aid folding.

On the outside front you then have two long compression straps that come up from underneath, ostensibly to reduce the volume of the bag to secure its contents. But with care, you could use them to secure external items so long as they were well clear of your front wheel. The same alloy hook and loop arrangement is used, and the strap ends are nicely retained in elastic loops.

On the sides are two elasticated mesh pockets for the stashing of small, light items like gels, bars or rubbish. The pockets are just large enough to hold a phone, but with no securing mechanism I wouldn't risk it. There's an optional zipped mesh bag (£11) that can be attached inside to hold small items.

At 556g on the road.cc Scales Of Doom, the Handlebar-Pack QR is a lightweight option for an all-inclusive mount and waterproof-bordering-full-immersion 11L bag, with the ability to not foul your cables or head tube while being quickly removable.

Battering about gravel tracks and 4X4 roads with a full load, the pack stayed put for mile after dozens of miles. If you pack carefully, paying attention to Things That Might Rattle, and tuck away the cord and strap ends, the experience is also completely silent.

> 15 easy ways to carry stuff on your bike

At 32cm wide there's lots of space even on narrow bars for hands on hoods and fingers wrapped around the tops – a common issue with packs that strap to bars leaving no space for fingers in a narrower grip.

Value

Ortlieb is pretty much in a class of one here, with a lightweight bar pack that's both quick to fit and remove (once you learn) and not leaving any mount behind at all, critically while staying proud of the bar, cables and head tube.

There are a hundred lightweight variations on a harness that holds a drybag, but all of them rely on securely strapping the harness close to the bar and then filling and securing a drybag – both taking far longer than the Ortlieb option here. I'm discounting every comparison with anything needing strapping to bars, and/or a side-loading drybag because no way is that at all a convenient option to fetch stuff quickly and easily without a lot of repacking.

Probably the strongest competition to the Pack QR is Ortlieb's own £120 Handlebar-Pack Plus, which has all the same features minus the QR bit. It's also 50g lighter. Pair this with Ortlieb's £38 Handlebar Mounting-Set QR and for £158 (less if you shop around) you now have an even quicker, faff-free, push-button-releasable 11L bag. This would be great if you frequently want to take your bar bag with you.

Conclusion

The main limitation of the Handlebar-Pack QR is the distance between the bottom of the pack and your tyre. If that's OK, then for £150 you're getting a unique and lightweight solution to quickly (once mastered) fitting and removing 11L of easily-accessible waterproof storage to and from your bar.

Buy Now: Ortlieb Handlebar-Pack QR from Ortlieb for £150 / $165

Verdict

Unique and fast way to add or remove 11L of bar storage to and from almost any bike