Apidura Expedition Full Frame Pack vs Topeak MidLoader 4.5L
Two frame bags, measured against each other on the figures that decide whether they work on a bike.
The short answer
The Expedition Full Frame Pack takes capacity; the MidLoader 4.5L takes how many frames it fits, weight, price and value per litre. Which of those you care about depends on the frame you are fitting it to.
Assembled from the differences below rather than written over them. Every figure is a published measurement or computed from one — nobody here has used either one.
Where they differ
5 of the 5 things we can measure come out differently.
Capacity
3L more in the Expedition Full Frame PackThe maker's own figure. Worth reading alongside the dimensions below rather than on its own — two bags of the same litreage can want very different frames.
Frames it fits
10 percentage points, 33 more frame sizes for the MidLoader 4.5LChecked against every current bike size we hold published geometry for, using the maker's stated minimum seat tube and top tube plus front-triangle area so sloping frames are not wrongly excluded. No bag maker can publish this, because they do not hold the frame data.
Weight
115g lighter on the MidLoader 4.5LEmpty weight as published. Worth holding against capacity rather than alone — the lighter bag is not the better one if it carries a third less.
Price
$97 between themManufacturer's price as we hold it.
Per litre
$6.00 per litre between themPrice divided by the maker's capacity. A crude measure that still catches the case where the dearer bag is also the bigger one, which the price alone hides.
Side by side
Including the rows where they are level.
| Apidura Expedition Full Frame Pack | Topeak MidLoader 4.5L | |
|---|---|---|
| Capacity | 7.5L | 4.5L |
| Frames it fits | 314 of 347 sizes — 90% | 347 of 347 sizes — 100% |
| Weight | 310g | 195g |
| Price | $175 | $78 |
| Per litre | $23.33 | $17.33 |