EVOC has long been at the forefront of luggage tech, with its bike bags spotted in airports across the world. This time round though, it’s turned its attention to on-bike luggage and come up with the unique looking BOA Handlebar bag. Evoc claims it’s the first of its kind to use the closure which is more commonly found on cycling shoes than luggage.
The BOA bar bag looks similar to many others on the market; a slender cylinder that nestles between the hoods. It uses roll closures on either end to carry 2.5l of stuff in waterproof comfort.
Details of the exact material being used are scarce, but it’s slightly rubberised with welded seams and I experienced no water ingress on wet rides. The BOA bar bag weighs 250g so the inclusion of a Boa dial comes at very little weight penalty.
The bag’s attachment method isn’t totally intuitive but after a bit of practice, I had the BOA Handlebar Pack on and off in a flash. You simply loop the rubberised tags around the bar and slot them into place, and then turn the dial until everything is locked in.
It’s a very sturdy system and one I could see becoming more widespread if it weren’t for the additional cost. Being able to cinch down both ‘straps’ with only one dial made life much easier when I wanted to reattach the bag. To remove, it’s just a case of popping the dial up to release the tension and removing.
Other bags often have a headtube strap for extra support over rough ground, but the EVOC BOA doesn’t have one, or need one as it’s rock solid on the bars and didn’t sag even when I was riding over choppy terrain.
I’d wager it’s too small for longer bikepacking trips but if you only need to carry a few spares or a jacket, the EVOC is an ideal size, and the BOA dial makes getting the bag on and off the bars a breeze. If you can stomach the price, the Boa tech improves usability immensely.
