Aeroe Spider Rack Review - Front and rear

I am always on the lookout for ways to improve my bikepacking setup. Whether it is a lighter weight component, a way to add storage, or just a simple way to add some comfort to my trip, I am always searching. Having finally found the best setup for the front of my bike in the outstandingly designed Ortlieb fork packs, I was on the lookout for a way to add storage capacity to my mountain bike setup that would allow me to utilize my dropper. In addition, I was looking for something that could be used to offer me expanded storage capabilities to my gravel bike for longer trips. 

I had seen the Aeroe spider racks in the past but found limited availability on just a few sites early on. In the meantime, I continued to stick with my rear seat pack on the gravel bike, and tried some other options on my mountain bike setup. The mountain bike setup bothered me the most as it seemed that larger seatpacks, despite their innovative designs, would often still move around a bit more than I liked, and would often hit the rear wheel. I was also limited in the use of my dropper. The carbon frame meant I couldn’t easily attach a pannier and I didn’t want to go that route anyway. Eventually I started seeing that the Aeroe backs were available on more sites and were even available directly. I was  now ready to take the plunge and give this setup a try!

After reading some reviews, I decided to go forward with the Aero Spider rack **, and I also purchased additional cradles(it comes with one) for additional storage as well as the Aeroe purpose built dry bags.  I also purchased the handlebar mount so that I had a stable platform for the front to go with the rear setup.

The unboxing 

It’s here!!! I was so excited to get the box and open everything up. The first item I opened was one of the bright orange dry bags(so great for visibility, think hunters and cars) and I was blown away by the construction. The bags are really well made and they felt like they would last a long, long time. Next was the spider rack and it felt like it oozed quality from the get go. Black anodized metal and a well designed mounting system for both the cradle and the rack to bike mount as well. I was excited to get this stuff on my bike and see how it all looked. 

Setup of the Spider Rear Rack

After watching the setup video and  the installation process went quite easy. Removing the cradle and loosening the bolts allowed me the flexibility I needed to find the right angle for my bike and the rest of the install was quite easy. The only difficulty was the rubber pads at the bottom of the rack falling out as I was mounting to the frame. Once I got the hang of holding those in place while aligning the rack to the frame, the rest was quite easy. Mounting the included cradle and my additional cradle was super easy and my bike was now ready to go. 

The Spider Handlebar Cradle

I am a big fan of the stability and functionality that the VAP Butterfly setup provides on my gravel bike. Unfortunately, it is not easily swappable between the gravel bike and mountain bike, so I decided to give the Aeroe Spider handlebar rack ** a try. The first thing I noticed was that it uses the exact same cradle as the rear rack, but different mounting hardware to attach to the mount (it can’t be used as a cradle on the rear rack). Installation was done using the same strap system as the rear rack and was super quick. The use of the same cradle system meant that I could use my same Aeroe bags with their external loops(more on this later) with the front cradle. 

On the trail

The best part of the whole setup is how firm everything felt on the bike. Nothing moved from its place the entire trip even as I rode through several technical sections that were true mountain bike trails. The front cradle, a constant frustration of mine in past setups (before I bought the VAP stuff), was extremely firm and I never had to worry about my tent and the gear on my bars. 

The bags I purchased from Aeroe have external loops that the cradle straps slide through, securing the bags in place and eliminating any chance of front to back movement. This setup ensured that the bags were held firmly and yet easy to remove with a two buckle process. 

At the campsite, I really appreciated the ability to quickly unbuckle the front bag with two quick clips(just like my VAP) and get my tent setup going. For the rear bags, I found it actually worked well to just leave everything mounted on the bike and grab my stuff directly from the bags. This also made packing back up pretty simple as well.  

What I really like about this setup:

• Rock solid setup - I would trust this setup on long trips and I loved the fact that I could use this on a mountain bike over difficult terrain.
• Versatility - I really appreciate all of the mounting options this setup allows, running 1-3 cradles, different sized bags, and even making my own attachments for things like water bottles. 
• Rear bike handle - When running a setup with bags attached on the side, it was great to be able to use the bar to lift and move my bike when crossing over downed trees or climbing over fences. 
• Dropper Friendly - When riding technical terrain, I really appreciate the ability to use my dropper. This is a must have for me if I am to ride technical and hilly routes. 
• The bags - I was most surprised by the quality of the bags. Despite not having vents (read more on that below), I found that these were some of the nicest bags that I have used. I expect that these will last a really long time and perform well in a variety of conditions.

Feedback

Where could this setup be improved? A couple of things that would be nice

• More mounting angles on the cradles - Currently you can adjust 90 degree rotations. Though there is a lot of flexibility as to where it mounts on the bar, it would be nice to have just a little more flexibility in the back setup.
• Bags - The bags are incredibly well built and super durable as well as waterproof.  That being said, I would like to have a venting system at the end of the bag to make it easier for squishing in things like jackets or quilts/sleeping bags. I would also like a few more options for the loopholes where the straps slide through the bag. This would allow for a little more adjustability forward and backwards. Note, the bags can easily be flipped around, but you lose the reflectivity of the back logo on the bag.
• Weight - I feel that some weight could be saved on the setup, perhaps with some cradles that carry a little less overall but can still work for things like sleeping bags and air mattresses. As I said, the design is rock solid, so perhaps the stability is the reason that there is a bit more weight in the build. 

Summary

I am really happy that I made this purchase and super excited to do some more technical routes and bikepacking adventures in the future. I would recommend this setup to anyone for its stability, its flexibility and those that want the use of their dropper posts. I have included some links to Amazon below if you are interested in adding these to your bike.

Aeroe Spider Rear rack **

Aero Spider handlebar rack **

** Note: I get a small commission on Amazon for items sold through clicking on this link