Packability.
The metric the outdoor industry has overlooked.
At APER, we believe the bicycle is one of the greatest tools for exploring the world under your own power. But carrying outdoor equipment on a bicycle creates a different design problem.
Space is limited
Weight matters. But on a bicycle, bulk has a major impact too.
Smaller equipment gives you more freedom in where you carry it, makes it easier to optimize load distribution, allows for smaller bags and can keep the bike more nimble and aerodynamic.
Yet while outdoor equipment has been optimized around weight for decades, packed volume has rarely been treated as a measurable performance requirement.
So we made packability measurable
During the development of APEX1, we created our own repeatable testing method to measure how materials collapse and compress under defined loads.
This gives us another metric when selecting materials and constructions, alongside weight, strength, waterproofness and durability.
That changes how we design
Once packability becomes measurable, it can actually be optimized.
Fibre type, denier, weave density, coatings, seams and construction all influence how small a product can pack and how well it withstands repeated compression.
By understanding those trade-offs, we can design equipment specifically around the way cyclists carry it.
APEX1 is the first result
APEX1 was developed from the beginning with packability as a measurable design requirement.
It is the first product built around this approach, and the starting point for how we want to design overnight equipment for cyclists.
We design for the moments when the ride doesn’t end that day.
