Return of a legend: How we pack the new SILCA Maratona Web travel bag

SILCA recently released a new travel bag, the Maratona Web. It’s the reimagining of an often-requested customer favorite that had been out of production for years. To support the launch, Josh Poertner made a couple of videos explaining why this pack’s predecessor was so popular, how the new version is even better, and offering some advice for how and what to pack in it for race day. 

With Josh’s videos as reference, along with some collective tricks of the trade from other well-traveled SILCA staffers, we take a detailed look below at the Maratona Web and a list of items you won't want to forget when loading it up for race or travel days. 

When a product develops a cult following, discontinuing it is always a tricky decision. Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, production challenges forced SILCA to retire the Maratona, which was considered one of the most popular and uber-organized cycling travel bags on the market. 

But the cycling community didn't forget. Our email inboxes filled, forums lamented its unavailability, and riders asked for its return. Now, after many years without offering a travel bag, our new Maratona Web fulfills those requests. 

One of the most visually apparent and functional changes in the new Maratona Web is the integration of a front webbed helmet pocket system. Rather than packing a clunky and often sweaty helmet within the bag, the Maratona Web stows it on the exterior. 

Comprised of a mesh pouch, the helmet WEB is secured to the pack with Fidlock magnetic clasps when in use. To release, you simply pull the integrated red tabs sideways and then stow away in a dedicated pouch, leaving the outside of the bag clean and streamlined. 

SILCA often references the culinary concept of mise en place (having everything perfectly in its place) when designing products like tools and bags. That ethos influenced the Maratona Web’s interior layout, where every square inch has a dedicated purpose designed to separate the pristine from the polluted. 

A divided shoe compartment at one end of the bag unfurls to keep your dirty and smelly cycling shoes cordoned off from clean apparel and ensures other gear stays clear of post-ride odors. In the main compartment, bandolier-style elastic tool loops are just the right size to hold CO2 cartridges, multi-tools, or essential chain lubricant bottles upright so they won't leak or rattle during travel. Lined with soft, anti-static microfiber padding, the internal electronics space is engineered to protect delicate computer head units, cameras, and cables from screen scratches or static damage. Located on the opposite end of the shoe sleeve, a secondary dedicated pocket for used kits, functions alongside internal water bottle storage to keep liquids centralized. 

Designed to meet most airline carry-on standards, the Maratona WEB is sized at 22” x 14” x 9” (55.9 x 35.6 x 22.9 cm) to fit smoothly into overhead bins. It comfortably holds enough casual clothes, cycling kit, shoes, and gear for a 2- to 3-day race weekend. In real-world testing, our prototypes have even capably handled week-long international business travel. 

Owners of V1 Mattones noted that heavy air travel could wear out the main zipper over time. In response, we went above and beyond with the Web edition, using a large industrial YKK primary zipper meant to absorb impacts and abrasions at baggage claim.

The flexibility of the bag extends to how you carry it. It features thickly padded, highly comfortable backpack straps to distribute weight across your shoulders. However, if you need to check luggage or want a snag-free profile while traveling, the straps can unclip and tuck away into the bag's lining. 

Technical specifications 

• Storage Capacity: 45 Liters 

• Dimensions: 22" x 14" x 9" (Maximum Legal Airline Carry-On Size)

• Weight: 1,000 grams (1.0 kg) — Less than half the weight of the original bag!

• Materials: Ripstop nylon; YKK weatherproof/heavy-duty zippers  

Everyone (usually) remembers the core essentials like helmet, wallet, shoes, and socks. However, a prepared race bag needs to account for the unexpected. To maximize the organizational capacity of the Maratona Web, here are the unexpected ride essentials Silca recommends keeping packed for all travel, whether it’s to a race or adventure ride:

• Travel-size liquids (airline friendly): Fill those interior slots with a 2 oz bottle of chain lubricant, a 65 ml bottle of tubeless sealant, and a tub of chamois cream. Keeping dedicated spares permanently in your bag means you won’t arrive at a race and realize you left them at home. 

• The après kit: Pack flip-flops so you can strip off your cycling shoes immediately after crossing the finish line and keep a "crud cloth" or a body wipe handy. Whether you're dealing with a muddy cyclocross event or an overnight airport delay, staying fresh is important. 

• Specialized hardware and spares: Check your bike for atypical fasteners. Standard multi-tools rarely include Torx T30/T35 wrenches or 2.5 mm hex keys required for modern derailleur adjustments and some on-bike components. Throwing a matching tool and a spare set of cleats into your bag can save an entire weekend. 

• Portable electronic power: With electronic shifting, GPS units, and lights, a race bag now needs to be a mobile charging station. We recommend packing a multi-port high-wattage charger (like an Anker 75W), spare USBC cables, and extra batteries for components like shifters and derailleurs. 

• Old school utility items: Keep a silver Sharpie, a regular pen, electrical tape, Hypalon tow strap with Boa attachments, a fistful of safety pins for pinning race numbers, and a roll of toilet paper tucked away. From writing your name on pit wheels to filling out emergency international travel forms, these items could save you in a pinch.