Brompton rear rack bag – KlickFix alternative to the front carrier

The good idea to mount a Swytch electric kit battery on the Brompton front luggage block had consequences. I’d lost a bestest way of carrying a bag. Searching for an easy-on, easy-off bag for the rear rack was the thing to do. I hankered for it to be unfailingly attachable and removable. It needed to carry at least my locks and then come off nicely to carry my Swytch battery. This post finds such a bag.

Check out the story of this bike’s conversion to an electric bike here.

When pretty much every Brompton bag is a front bag I wondered if a ‘quick to fix and remove rear rack bag’ is a thing to even want! But the key to searching for a rear bag was that the KLICKfix UniKlip fits on the Brompton rear rack. This has an insanely sturdy frame pre-fitted to many of the bags below. The UniKlip (which is part of several bags below) fits the ‘triangular’ Brompton rack after you adjust its side rails. You push two clips to fix your bag on the rack. You’ve a simple lock to keep it on there too.

The UniKlip fitting can also be bought separately (~£40) – with it you can fit it to a bag that has a decent base to fix through.

Don’t be put-off that KLICKfix have a distracting array of rack fittings – these are not for a Brompton rack because of its shape and its not-round metal section. If you have more than one regular bike, here was a way to share a bag to a rack fitting on each of them. In contrast the UniKlip bags can be shared with racks of the same kind eg to two Bromptons with rear racks.

which bags click-fit onto the Brompton rear rack?

In short: the bags include the Vincita Nash Bag and some of the Rixen and Kaul range.

• Rackpack Light UniKlip is 8 litres
• Rackpack City 8 litres – roll top bag
• Not sure about the open out pockets on Vaude Silkroad Plus UniKlip rack bag 9 litres
• Rackpack 1 UniKlip is 10 litres; Rackpack 2 or Rackpack waterproof in UniKlip are also 10 litres. 
• Rackpack Sport UniKlip 12 litres; Rackpack 2 Plus UniKlip 12 litres 
• Rackpack XL UniKlip 13 litres
• Vincita Nash Bag with 12 litres, has panniers intended for Brompton.
• Not sure on this one: it boosts volume with panniers: Rackpack 1 Plus UniKlip is 18 litres
• Rackpack Touring UniKlip 20 litres
• Yet to be assessed are numerous UniKlip baskets, pretty or functional.
• plus the official Brompton Rear Rack Bag held-on by tie-on straps

I learned late in life that any pannier style storage on a Brompton needs to allow for your pedalling feet. The Vincita Nash Bag has set-back, drop down pannier sides and it’s been reviewed by Brompton users. The bag (~£100) was sold direct from Vietnam but they say they’re now available on Amazon.

From the KLICKfix Rixen and Kaul range you choose a bag with the UniKlip. The R&K bags have different side panel and pockets despite their similar shapes. Prices hover around ~£100. I paid less for a Rackpack Sport which carries my big D-lock, Swytch battery and more while the bottle section holds keys or phone. The bag and its zips feel fancy, and its flap opening may help loading. If I’d needed to carry a laptop I’d need a bigger bag like the Rackpack Touring. The Touring can fit a 14 inch (330mm across) Thinkpad laid flat. Its pockets are more voluminous than the Rackpack Sport. The UniKlip is set at one end of the bag in a way giving a choice of fitting (but don’t set it extremely forwards else your feet may brush it).

I hadn’t found any larger than the Rackpack Touring which measures 280mm tall x 350mm wide x 310mmm long. You could retrofit an UniKlip to a bag that’s as tall and long as you dare and 350mm wide.

the easy way to fit a Klickfix Uniklip bag to a rear rack

• If yours is an angular Brompton rear rack find first time success by measuring its width where the front feet will sit. For me that’s 14.1cm. Then measure the width 19cm towards the back, where the rear feet will engage. For me that’s 15.1cm.
• On the base of the bag adjust the width using the scale printed on each UniKlip foot. So I set 14.1 on each side at the front and 15.1 on each side at the rear.
• The bag should land on the rack with ease. (I drop the bag on slightly forwards and then slide it back). The side latches require only a little downwards force.

more bags

A shout to some Facebook bike groups revealed solutions which I’ll elaborate on when I get permission. For now we have:

• a saddle post bag
• generic rear rack bags
• suggestion to “lie a front bag flat on the rear rack”.
• a modified rear rack that holds a pannier bag sideways by Andrew Bourne

I hope there’s something here to work with whatever your need. Perhaps you’ll find better or cheaper or fancier and let us all know below or elsewhere.