The Versatile: A Surprisingly Spacious Bag that Keeps You Organized. A Plus for Your Focus!

Know exactly where everything is stored and save yourself the headache! During a training session, and most importantly during a race, you don't want to be searching in a panic for your transponder or your rubber bands. In the remarkably spacious Versatile 2.0 race bag, you can carry all your gear and find what you need in a flash! Five seasoned triathletes share their experience. “This bag keeps you organized.”

It's those paralyzing moments of panic when, just before the start of the race, your intrusive thoughts come running: “Where did I leave my transponder? And my rubber bands, I don’t remember where I packed them! I want to strap on my heart rate monitor, I must find it now!” So, with a pounding heart, you turn your entire bag over, because the one thing you need is obviously at the bottom. In the rush, you stuff the remaining content of your bag back in, losing any semblance of organization in the process. You don’t have time to waste, especially when your focus should be on the race.

It's a problem every triathlete runs into at some point, whether you're an age grouper or a pro. A well-organized, spacious bag is worth its weight in gold, when it comes to keeping your cool and focus while searching for your equipment. Athletes Niek Heldoorn, Justus Töpper, Koen de Leeuw, Twan Berlijn and Eddy Lamers explain in great detail why an easy-to-use, big bag like the Versatile 2.0 helps them deliver a better performance by taking away their stress.

Extra Spacious with a Foldout Bottom Compartment

The Versatile 2.0 bag can fit absolutely everything you need: You will never have to leave anything behind for lack of room ever again. “At first glance, it looks small, but it's bigger than it seems,” says pro athlete Niek Heldoorn. Predivision triathlete Twan Berlijn is also pleasantly surprised by the bag’s volume, which can be easily expanded by folding out the bottom compartment. “If you need, you can expand the bottom section of the bag to gain extra room. Although most of the time, everything fits in there.”

“I mainly use the Versatile when I go training or when I'm competing nationally,” says top German triathlete Justus Töpper, who races on short distances as a World Cup triathlete. “When I travel, I usually take the World Cup bag with me because I can pack all my equipment in there. The Versatile is a really great race bag for me.”

As for Twan Berlijn, not only he uses his Versatile bag for races, but he also takes it with him around the world. He explains that the size is very helpful: “If I have to go abroad, I use it as a carry-on, which is amazing. And this bag can always hold more than you think. Often you need extra bags for your stuff, but not with the Versatile. For example, shoes take up a lot of space, but you can store them in the big compartment, along with your trisuit! As for your water bottles, just slip them on the side.”

Storage Pockets for Transponders, Rubber Bands and Gels

The storage pockets relieve a lot of stress, the athletes unanimously agree. “You don't want to be looking for the rubber bands of your shoes,” says Justus Töpper. “I really like those pockets, too,” agrees Koen de Leeuw, who specializes in sprint and cross races. “There’s a compartment at the very top of the bag where you can keep your things that need extra protection. I often put my sunglasses in there, and sometimes my keys.”

Former World Cup winner Eddy Lamers praises the convenience of the bag. “It's really handy. At first, you have to get used to it. ‘Oh, where did I put this and where did I put that?’ But once you figure it out, it's pretty amazing to have everything right at your fingertips.”

Twan Berlin too is very pleased with the peace of mind and clear overview provided by the special compartments of the bag. “I always put a whole bunch of rubber bands and gels and that sort of thing in there, so I always have extra. They are always at the same place.”

Less Stress and More Focus on the Race

“It’s a bag that enables you to be highly organized,” says Niek Heldoorn's to sum up the many advantages of the Versatile. For him, the Versatile's storage options are huge advantages. It helps him perform better by taking some concerns off his mind during competitions. “Race days are stressful enough,” he explains. “It makes a big difference if you don't have to think about those things as much. That helps me a lot, especially in the transition on the long distance. I need so much equipment that I take everything with me: water bottles, food, my Garmin, rubber bands for the shoes, you name it. If it all fits in the bag, I don't have to worry about it beforehand. I used to be very anxious about that. I'd think, ‘When I get into the transition, I'll need this first. And since I’ll need that afterwards, I then have to store it just under there. I would pack my bag upside down. Now I can just store my equipment in separate pockets and I can access everything, wherever and whenever I want.’

Conclusion

For pros and age groupers alike, the Versatile bag offers numerous advantages that help put the focus on racing, rather than worrying about whether you can reach your gear fast enough. You can store your equipment in a thoughtful way, and you will never lack space. In short, that bag helps you enhance your racing performance by taking your mind off of secondary concerns. This allows you to let the experience revolve around what matters the most: the pure enjoyment of triathlon!