If you're going to travel on an aeroplane with your bike, you'll want one of the best bike boxes. The care and attention offered by baggage handlers varies, and a dedicated box will always provide more protection than a cardboard box or bubble wrap. However, for most of the year, when not in use, they are big and bulky to store.

You could hire one when required, but that brings its own issues and costs, so if you do travel with your own bike regularly and would like to buy one but are tight on storage space, then the Post Carry Loomer might be the solution.

By the way, the brand’s name comes from the fact that Marc Mendoza, its American founder, started off his sideline bag business ‘post work’, before it became full-time. ‘Loomer’ comes partly from the fact that big, exciting trips loom ahead of you and partly from the 1991 song ‘Loomer’ by My Bloody Valentine, a track about escapism. Certainly a more interesting backstory than most bike box names!

Construction

The cardboard box that the Loomer was delivered in was impressively small (for a bike box anyway). It measured just 115 x 34 x 55cm, making storage of the Loomer between trips much simpler than a full hard case. When collapsed, two sturdy straps keep it compacted, and when not in use they have their own zipped external pocket, which is a nice detail.

I weighed the box at a fraction over 11kg, so similar to Evoc’s Road Bike Bag Pro and a couple of kg less than a Bike Box Alan Aero Easyfit hardshell box.

Unpacking and constructing the box for use was both quick and intuitive. The sides and top panel unfold to reveal a metal frame bolted into the bottom of the box, two padded wheel bags and four polycarbonate panels. These panels slip into zipped compartments on the inside of the sides of the box, creating rigidity and providing protection.

The material used for the outside of the box is very heavy-duty Cordura, so there should be no longevity issues there.

A large, sturdy U-shaped zip secures the top flap, also with some robust-feeling padding, and there are two sleeves for cross-bracing protection at the handlebars and the rear dropouts. Post Carry says that the bag ships with the rear brace (effectively a short section of plastic pipe) but not the longer handlebar piece; however, adding your own is quick and simple. The box is wide enough for 50cm handlebars, which is loads for a road bike, but flared gravel bars might struggle a bit.

On the inside of the box, there are lots of very useful, large pockets, with two on either side, one under the down tube and one in front of the fork. All of these are bellows-style for more room rather than lying flat against the bag and are closed with a zip. There is also a poppered flap at the back which is intended to house your rear derailleur if removed.

The ‘chassis’ is a hard plastic tub, into which the metal frame is bolted, with four wheels, the front two of which steer shopping trolley style.

The Loomer is available in two different sizes to minimise dead space: 333L for size 56cm frames and below, and 370L for larger bikes.

The ride

Packing the box was almost as simple as building it.

With the wheels and seatpost removed, the fork bolts to the internal frame using the thru-axle whilst the bottom bracket shell sits on top of a large, padded block and is secured using a strap. There is a short piece of material to protect the frame from the strap, but it’s not quite long enough, so I also used some foam pipe lagging too.

The rear derailleur can be removed to protect the hanger in transit and put behind the dedicated flap; I also wrapped my chainstay in some more foam pipe lagging and zip-tied my chain to it to stop it from flapping around and damaging the paintwork.

Fortuitously, I found a perfect length piece of pipe in my garage to slot into the handlebar brace sleeve.

I removed my pedals when packing the bike as they are Garmin Rally power pedals with batteries in them, but it would be possible to pack the bike with pedals in place - the padded wheel bags sit either side of the frame towards the front under the handlebars.

Almost as soon as it arrived, the box was pressed into service for two back-to-back trips to Mallorca. The first was a shorter affair, and I only took hand luggage and the Loomer, so the capacious pockets were extremely useful.

As well as the saddle and seatpost, I packed two pairs of shoes, a helmet, a bag of tools, a few bottles and four sets of cycling clothes all in the bag’s pockets with plenty of space to spare. I had hold luggage for the second set of flights, so space was at less of a premium.

However, I did learn that there is a bit of an art to packing the Loomer, as it doesn’t really like having much weight in the large pocket under the downtube that is attached to the metal frame. In Marc’s desire to reduce the Loomer’s size as much as possible, it runs with very little ground clearance, and when the central pocket is heavy, it can cause the bottom of the box to scrape annoyingly on any imperfection. Counterintuitively, it is better to put the weight in the pockets on the side of the box and leave the lowest pocket for light, bulky objects like your bike helmet.

When I mentioned this to Marc, he said that he is aware of the issue and that a solution should be added very soon.

When the bag is not scraping on the ground, the wheels run very freely and steer easily, although, much like the Evoc bag, it prefers to be pulled rather than pushed. With four widely spaced wheels, the box was super stable, and the wide, flat top was ideal for resting my hand luggage on whilst scooting through the airport.

With its short, squat dimensions, the Loomer would be a great option for someone with a smaller car, as it needs much less width than something like a Bike Box Alan. However, its width/depth meant that it wasn’t much easier to pack into my large car with a second box and hold luggage - doable but still awkward.

Value and conclusion

The Loomer costs $900 or €775, with sterling pricing to be confirmed. As bike boxes go, this is about par for the course - cheaper than the Evoc, Scion or Buxumbox boxes, slightly more expensive than Bike Box Alan. It's a chunk of cash for sure, but almost certainly a lot less money than the bike it will be protecting.

It feels well made and has been thoughtfully designed, making it very easy to pack and use without feeling like you need to be a pro mechanic. It’s nice that riders of smaller bikes don’t have to lug about the same size box as those on 62cm frames, and its compact dimensions will be appreciated whether built up or packed away.

I understand that Post Carry were trying to make the box as small as possible, but I think that another centimetre of ground clearance would make it much easier to pack and move around without affecting the size very much at all. However, this doesn’t stop me from recommending the Loomer to anyone travelling with their bike, regardless of whether they need its compactability or not.

It is very close to a 5-star product, but I was cursing it for dragging its underside on the ground on a long walk back to my car at Manchester airport - if/when the ground clearance is sorted, then it will warrant the maximum number of stars.

You often hear the old trope that gravel is just an updated version of 90s XC mountain biking, so it's probably not a great surprise to see the resurgence of hydration packs, especially for those racing or looking to travel light by minimising the use of bags on their bikes.

There are many reasons to look at ditching your water bottles when riding off-road. Firstly, your liquid is well away from all the dirt and dust, so there's zero chance of grit in your teeth or for those in wet and muddy conditions and riding near agriculture, something potentially much worse. You can also often carry more liquid, with most gravel-oriented bags designed to carry around 1.5 to 2 litres of fluid. They also often feature extra storage, ideal for the essentials like multitools, pumps and tubes and food.

Deuter make a vast range of bags for all sorts of outdoor activities, so I was interested to see how they have taken their 125 years of outdoor experience to design something for the broad use case of gravel riding and racing.

Construction

The key difference between a traditional MTB-based pack and a gravel-oriented one is the weight and close fit. The theory is that you need to carry less, and the bag itself doesn't need to be quite as robust and crash-resistant. MTB bags also often have much larger bladder capacities, and some even feature spine protectors.

This means gravel packs actually have more in common with those used for trail running, and the Rogla 5 is no exception, though it does have more cargo capacity than pure running versions. It weighs 353g and has a 5-litre volume, which, though not huge, is plenty to fit the essentials in. Deuter recommends you carry no more than 3kg in the pack.

Along with its low weight, it also has a closer and more secure fit than a traditional backpack. I found the straps felt more like a gilet or waistcoat, with wide straps that are a complete part of the bag and use what Deuter refers to as the 'perforated lite' system. This system is very comfortable and, as it features lots of holes, very breathable. Those wide straps also have storage space, with one marked for glasses and one featuring a key tab.

The straps use a velcro strap system that sits just below your rib cage on both sides and is easily adjustable. There are two thin straps across the chest area, too, with one featuring a guide for your bladder hose. The bag can take up to a 2-litre bladder, but somewhat confusingly, it does not ship with one. Through testing, I used a 1.5-litre Hydrapak version from Uswe, which worked well, but there are plenty of options from brands like Camelbak, Hydrapak and Source available too

The main compartment has a bag zip and is easily accessible, and has separate compartments to keep your kit organised and rattle-free. It has two mesh pockets that I found ideal for tyre levers, a Dynaplug tubeless tool, CO2 canisters and gels. There's a larger zipped pocket as well and a separate bungee strap for pumps if you decide to carry one as well extra straps on the outside that you can use to carry a helmet or jacket should you need to.

Like a lot of German brands Deuter works hard on their green credentials, with the Rogla 5 made using recycled materials wherever possible and without any PFAs or harmful chemical coatings. The main section is made using a lightweight yet robust polyester and although it doesn't have a specific coating the PES fibred material does a good job of keeping water out.

My bag came in a fetching two tone green that was a great match with a lot of the gravel kit I've been testing lately, but it's also available in a graphite and slate colour. Unusually for a gravel pack it only comes in one size which is designed for riders ranging from 170-195 cm in height; I say unusual as most brands tend to offer at least two sizes as they fit more like a gilet than a traditional rucksack.

The ride

I've used mountain bike hydration bags for years and the first difference I noticed was how small the Rogla 5 is by comparison. It is a much snugger fit, and in fact I was near its maximum size-wise wise , which was surprising to me at 82kg and with a 104cm chest. Its fit is different to a classic bag too, and sits much higher up than a hydration pack would usually, which, when standing, feels a little odd, but when on the bike, it felt perfect and didn't put any extra weight or noticeable stress on the saddle or my shoulders.

The close fit means that the pack stays in place no matter how much I move around on the bike and despite the lack of a waist support. The bag would feel a little snug when the 1.5 litre bladder I was using was full, but this quickly subsided once I'd taken a drink, so although Deuter says it'll take a 2-litre bladder, I think the smaller size is preferable. Fitting the bladder is easy, with a wide pocket opening and easy-to-use openings to put the hose through and secure in place and the tube length is easy to adjust mid ride with a gentle tug should you need to.

The storage space is small, but I found it just right. It meant I could carry all the things I'd usually stuff in a saddle bag or jersey pocket. This had two benefits: one was that it made it much less likely that I'd forget the key items I needed each ride. It also meant I could use my cargo shorts and jersey pockets for storing things like food and gels, which I found really useful on the gravel events I took part in whilst wearing the pack.

The separate pockets in the main compartment are helpful too. Not only does it make things easy to see and find in a rush, it also stops things rattling around when riding. I found I could fit a packable waterproof gilet or jacket in, though not much more. Again, for racing and travelling light as I like to do this was perfect, but for those looking to carry more you'll still need frame bags or a larger pack. The bungees on the outside are a good idea, but not something I used in practice as I'm never on a gravel bike without a lid.

The storage pockets on the straps are useful, but in practice, I found I used them for either gels or storing my phone and made getting to any food mid ride much easier than fumbling around in rear jersey pockets. I rarely take my glasses off when riding, but I found they would make the pocket much bigger and more noticeable when riding so it wasn't something I used often.

All the materials used are of a very high quality and have lasted well throughout testing in varied conditions.; even after several cold machine washes, it's in perfect condition.

Value and Conclusion

At £90 it first appears cheap compared to its rivals like the Uswe Rush bag which comes in at £139 / $149.99 / €149 or the Restrap Race hydration vest at £145 / €174 but when you factor in a suitable bladder at around £40 / $/€50, it's in the same ballpark.

It is of high-quality and looks like it will last a very long time and Deuter's green credentials are to be applauded. I found it to be a very comfortable, well-designed piece of kit that I have enjoyed using and it worked well in a range of temperatures without feeling too hot or sweaty in the recent good weather. The extra liquid capacity and ability to comfortably carry all I needed without strapping stuff to my bike on gravel rides was really helpful.

The tight fit might also be a limiter for some though. I'm not exactly what you would describe as a big guy, so I was surprised how small it actually is.

Tailfin - the clue is in the name - first developed a rear bag solution in 2017, and has been pressing forward ever since, both in popularity and the positioning of its products. After first expanding into frame and top-tube bags, it’s now reached the front of the bike with a handlebar system. It’s part roll bag, part harness bag but mostly it’s something completely different that aims to take the benefits of both existing systems but add stability, modularity and ease of use.

I invested – trust me, it’s the most appropriate word – in a Tailfin Aeropack last year, in readiness for a bike-packing trip across northern Spain and Mallorca. Despite the high cost, £299 for a 20-litre bag and an alloy arch, I have no regrets, it performed peerlessly and continues to do so despite a couple of minor ‘offs’. The two qualities that make it a keeper are stability, there’s zero tail-wagging of the sort I’ve experienced from some large seat packs, and ease of removal from the bike.

With the new Bar Bag System, Tailfin’s engineers have set out to solve similar baggage issues, this time up front. Most bar bags are secured to the handlebars by straps, sometimes via a holster. This method can introduce a few problems, including unwanted movement and, if you’re riding drop bars, restricted space on the tops to rest your hands.

Removing a bar bag can also be a bit fiddly, less so for holster-style rigs but that solution isn’t so neat when you need to take a ride without a bag. You’ll be left with a large, unsightly harness in place. Bar bags are also notorious for rubbing against the headtube and generally interfering with hoses and cables.

Tailfin hopes to eliminate these problems by introducing a two-part alloy mount system that features a quick-release X-clamp, which locks the bag securely in place quickly and easily. The system is modular in that the clamp is compatible with all four bags in the range, which vary in capacity from 9.1 litres to 18.9 litres, so you can swap and change as your needs dictate and/or your bank balance allows.

Two of those bags are optimised for drop bars – 9.1 litres and 12.5 litres – and two for flat bars – 14.7 litres and 18.9 litres. However, Tailfin has told me that, provided there is room to fit them, the larger flat bar bags are compatible with drop handlebars and vice versa.

Construction

The system comprises three parts: a roll top bag, an aluminium mounting bar and hook, which affixes to the handlebars, and the aluminium X-clamp and frame that adheres to the bag to provide a docking interface and structural support.

I was provided with a Size Large 12.5 litre drop bar bag for the purpose of this review, but all sizes share very similar features and construction. The bags are made from a combination of Hypalon and Ripstop Nylon fabric, with fully welded seams to keep water and dust out. Tailfin has used Hypalon in areas of high wear, reserving Nylon for the parts that need to remain more flexible.

The primary, roll-top compartment is straightforward enough. Like many roll-top bike dry bags it takes just two full folds at each end to make it fully waterproof, but the volume can be reduced by introducing more. Where the flat bar bag uses traditional closure straps and buckles the drop bar version is fitted with Tailfin’s new low-profile WaveLock closure. This, it says, maximises capacity and is less likely to impede your hands for braking, which is reassuring. Instead of folding the end-straps back on themselves and buckling them to form a loop, Wavelock is fastened by tightening a couple of stirrup-like buckles to two lines of hooks on either side of the bag.

The bags also feature external storage, with multiple front pockets, including a zipped security compartment, that can be cinched down with a built-in Voile-style TPU strap. At the rear is a smaller, kangaroo-style pouch for stowing snacks and rubbish. All of these external pockets are made from a stretchable mesh fabric, so they’re more capacious than they first appear.

Handlebar bags can make placing accessories, such as the best bike computers, bike lights and cameras, a real frustration, so it’s refreshing to find that Tailfin has developed a range of mounts that fit directly onto the mounting bar. These can be bought as optional extras.

The Ride

Before heading off into the sunset with a Tailfin bar bag, I recommend setting aside time for installation, because the process is a little more involved than fastening a few straps. It took me about 30 minutes in all to align the mounting bar, X-clamp, bag and accessory mounts to my satisfaction. That said, it’s a once-only job that now allows me to mount and dismount the bag in an instant.

The first task is to loosely install the mounting bar onto the handlebars with a couple of clamps. These are compatible with 31.8 or 35mm round-tubed handlebars, so if your bike is fitted with a shapely, integrated carbon aero cockpit, you may be out of luck. Similarly, even if you have round carbon bars it’s best to check with the manufacturer whether they can support both the clamping force and/or a heavy bar bag. Tailfin recommends a total load weight of 5kg, which doesn’t sound like much but, in my experience, it’s plenty to have strapped to your primary method of steering.

The mounting bar clamps sit quite closely together, so most users should be able to fit them tight up to either side of the stem, which is w here the handlebar is designed to take the load. The clamps are quite slim so, depending on the width of the stem, there may be room to fit aero bars to the bike too.

Ideally, to maintain good bike handling, you’ll want the bag to be as far back towards the headtube and as far down towards the front tyre as possible, without touching either. Tailfin recommends 15mm between the back of the bag and headtube and 20mm between the bottom of the bag and the tyre, which isn’t a lot.

There are two axes of adjustment to play with, the rotation of the clamps on the handlebars and the rotation of the mounting bar. These give a near-infinite level of adjustment, but I also found they provide a near-infinite number of positions that were almost right but not quite, which was frustrating. This was exacerbated by the long headtube on my XXL bike and the quarter-turn computer accessory mount. When every other component was pretty much in place, it would sit too close to my stem to enable me to twist in my chunky Garmin Edge 1050. In the end, I decided to compromise, leaving the headtube space spot on, but the gap above the tyre too big. I blame, both my large frame and my lack of patience.

Packing the main dry bag compartment is a joy, Tailfin has done a great job with the WaveLock closure system. I prefer to seal one end of a double-ended bag before loading it because it enables me to more easily compress expandable items such as sleeping bags. So, after folding up one end and latching it securely about mid-way along the two rows of hooks, the first item I chose to stuff into my new bag was a Mammut Relax down sleeping bag. Compressing such items is made easy by the small valve that can be opened to release surplus air, before being locked down as the bag takes on that vacuum-packed look. Playing the valve, it was possible to keep folding and repositioning the stirrups on the WaveLock hooks until I’d reached maximum compression and minimum size.

The external pockets are, well, just pockets really so they packed without too much trouble, and I found it easy to pluck gels from both front and back pouches while on the move. The Voile-style strap is a bonus if you plan to max out the front pockets, but I found it slightly awkward to adjust when they’re only about 25 percent full. Maxed out, they’ll add 2.75 litres of capacity to the 12.5 litre bag.

Installing the loaded bag onto the handlebar really is a case of just dropping it on to the mounting bar – there’s a small anti-rotation bar that will hook into place in the process - and tightening up the X-clamp by turning a small lever. The bag is then securely fixed to your bike.

Out riding, the first thing I noticed was that there was plenty of room to grip the tops, though it’s worth noting that this space will only be available to you if you pay attention when installing the mounting bar. The second thing on my radar was that I could still trigger my dropper post via the handlebar remote, but it was such a close thing I may have to reposition it - of course, this issue is not exclusive to the Tailfin.

Finally, this bag is superbly stable, with zero side-to-side movement. I didn’t encounter any back-and-forth movement either, but then I’d packed the bag with light, compressible sleep kit. If I’d thrown a heavy camera in there, some sway would have been inevitable, but it would have been confined to the contents of the bag. There’s no way this bag is going to swing about on the handlebars, it’s fixed.

Value and conclusion

This new Tailfin Bar Bag system is reminiscent of the BarJam Harness 2.0 from Rockgeist, which features a mounting bar that clamps to the handlebars and supports a holster. It is cheaper at $185, but less sophisticated and doesn’t include a drybag.

There are plenty of other holster systems available, including the excellent 14 and 17 litre Bar Bags from Restrap that cost £99.99 and £135.99 respectively. The 14 litre version weighs 389g, which is significantly lighter than the 817g the 12.5 +2.75 litre Tailfin drop bar bag tips our scales at.

I feel I’ve been here before. The Tailfin Aeropack is heavier than the competition and it’s more expensive, yet it has an enormous following because it really is that good. I believe Tailfin’s Bar Bag System will follow a similar trajectory.

You can get by with a much cheaper solution. I know, because I toured Spain with a 20 litre drybag that I already owned, slung under a pair of £45 Van Rysel aero bars secured with a couple of Oxford ROK straps. This dirt-cheap makeshift setup didn’t let me down during more than 1,000km of cycling but it was a pain to balance and secure on the bike every day.

The Tailfin Bar Bag system is optimised for the job, that’s the difference. Unfortunately, that convenience, that ease of use, will cost you.

Specs

• Small Drop Bar - 4 → 9.1L & 160mm Diameter
• Large Drop Bar - 6.7 → 12.5L & 180mm Diameter
• Small Flat Bar - 5.8 → 14.7L & 160mm Diameter 
• Large Flat Bar - 8.7 → 18.9L & 180mm Diameter

• Small Drop Bar | £230 | $300 | €280
• Large Drop Bar | £240 | $315 | €290
• Small Flat Bar | £240 | $315 | €290
• Large Flat Bar | £250 | $325 | €300

Custom-made, hand-sewn, designer print, weatherproof — these days, bike bags have become as much of a statement of personality or flare as they are utilitarian. The bike market has become absolutely flooded with bags of all shapes and sizes for every bit of free space on your bike. It seems that carrying anything in your jersey pockets — or even having jersey pockets— is a thing of the past. 

Standing out in this market is nearly impossible. Los Angeles-brand Lead Out! hopes to find its niche in offering high-quality and durable products that are not only ethically made but also easier on the wallet than traditional cycling retail.

And in a sea of increasingly capable and voluminous bikepacking and adventure-oriented gear, Lead Out! stays in the lane it knows best: the urban riders and road racers of Southern California. 

Aptly named the Mini Handlebar Bag and Mini Frame Bag, Lead Out! serves those who need just a little bit of extra space or simply those wanting to ride without carrying anything on their person more so than riders going on overnight excursions. At least for the time being, as the brand is still quite young. 

Lead Out! was founded in 2020 by first-time business owners Jonathan Miller and Trevor Lien, two former Cat 1 racers turned self-proclaimed "casual athletes" with a passion for cycling and the awareness that disposable income can be limited.

"We wanted to come to the market with something that somebody like myself when I was in college and had like no money, could afford and would be amped on. Something made from high-quality fabrics from ethical factories that would be a durable piece of gear," Lien told Cycling Weekly.

Their first product was a simple and understated compact handlebar bag. Something that will hold the essentials — a pump, a tube, a multitool, some ride food and maybe a wind jacket — and nothing more. Lien and Miller have since expanded their offerings, adding frame bags, saddle bags, a premium Dyneema line, and even a few soft goods. But the Mini Handlebar Bag remains the brand's best-seller. And Lien says Lead Out! can even be considered a market leader in that space.

"I think we outsell a lot of competitors. And I want to say that humbly, but I think we lead with probably the best marketing for direct-to-consumer products," he said.

We received one of the Mini Handlebar Bags along with a matching Mini Frame Bag for review, so let's see what makes this bag such a popular item.

Lead Out!'s Mini Handlebar Bag

Price: $40
Size: 1.3 liters of storage (8" x 3.5" or 20.3cm x 10.16cm)
Weight: 80 grams on my kitchen scale
Material: Water- and muck-resistant 840D Ballistic Nylon Carbonate
Colors: Black, green, grey, orange, navy and white

The Mini Handlebar Bag is true to its name. Just eight inches in length and with a carrying capacity of 1.3 liters, this bar bag is indeed quite small. This is both a good and maybe a bad thing, depending on what you're looking to carry. My hand pump narrowly fits in length, and the bag is quickly filled with the fix-a-flat necessities, a nutrition bar, and, maybe, a set of gloves. But for the average road ride, I wouldn't be carrying much more than that anyway.

And where it lacks in size, it's packed with features. 

First up is the construction. Weighing in at 80 grams on my kitchen scale, the bag has got some robustness to it. It is made of a lightly padded, multilayered Ballistic Nylon Carbonate that's treated with a muck- and water-resistant, environmentally friendly DWR coating.

The bag is sturdy and well-constructed. It holds its cylindrical shape and seems to be pretty tear-proof and durable. The rubber-coated zipper pulls are long and easy to use, even with bulky gloves on. The closures themselves are made of water-repelling YKK Aquaguard zippers. And yes, that zippers, plural.

The bag sports one full-length zipper to access the main compartment as well as a small side compartment with its own zipper. Teensy, this compartment could be a case of over-engineering or unnecessary complexity, yet it's also rather clever. Barely more than 2" x 2" in size, this side compartment is perfect for a house key or garage opener in lieu of a main compartment key hook you see in so many other bags. Thanks to its side access, you don't have to go digging through the main compartment to locate that key, dollar bill, or garage fob that always seems to make its way to the very bottom corner of the bag.

To further keep things organized, the main compartment features an elasticized mesh divider. Is this too many compartments or too much complexity for such a small bag? Perhaps. But I'm not not into it. 

The bag attaches to the handlebar using two webbed nylon straps, which, similar to some of Ortlieb's bike packing bags, use a cam lever buckle to lock the straps in place. The excess straps tuck away neatly in some elastic loops. To prevent the bag from bumping around, there's a tether cord to wrap around your steerer tube or stem, but in my experience, the bag stays out fine without the cord.

All in all, while small, the Mini Handlebar Bag has room for all the basics, looks tidy, fit on even the narrowest of drop bars as well as below an out-front computer mount, and, most importantly, it doesn't bop around much.

The Rapha-esque reflective strip is a nice touch as well, both aesthetically and for those riding in low light.

Lead Out!'s Mini Frame Bag

Price: $75
Size: 1.3 liters of storage (9in x 13in x 7in or 23cm x 33cm x 2.7cm)
Weight: 145 grams on my kitchen scale
Material: Water- and muck-resistant 840D Ballistic Nylon Carbonate
Colors: Black, green, grey, orange, navy and white

Identical in its materials, attachment points and construction, the Mini Frame Bag can be used in conjunction with or in lieu of the Mini Handlebar Bag.

Like its collection sibling, the frame bag is robust, well-constructed and durable. I found that the lightly padded construction helped the bag keep its shape, regardless of the bag's contents, while also keeping any rattling or clunking at bay. 

The frame bag is also, as the name suggests, rather compact. In my case, this is a good thing. Standing tall at 5 '5" on a good day, I usually ride a bike frame in the 49cm to 52cm range. As such, my bikes tend to have a smaller triangle, and more often than not, I can either carry two water bottles or a frame bag but rarely both. With Lead Out! 's Mini Frame Bag, I don't have to choose. The bag fits as though it were custom-made. Neatly tucked in the front corner, I can reach both bottle cages as well as the contents inside the frame bag.

The bag is attached using three scratch-free velcro straps to the top tube, one on the downtube, and an optional tether cord for the headtube. The straps are long enough to accommodate a variety of tube diameters, and for a narrower tube, I'd recommend trimming them down to avoid any knee rub.

The bag features two compartments, one on each side, that are accessed using the same water-repelling YKK Aquaguard zippers as on the handlebar bag. Here too, the rubberized zipper pulls are quite long but can be tucked away inside zipper garages on the headtube side of the bag.

The left side compartment is the smaller of the two. Small and narrow, this compartment fits little more than a smartphone, a bar, or perhaps a slim wallet or tubolito tube.

The right side compartment is a little more spacious — deceiving so. I managed to fit an Outbound light in there alongside a hand pump, a multitool and tire levers — all without creating any obstructive bulk. The bag measures about 2 inches in width, and overstuffing the compartment will make the bag bloat outward and in your knees' way.

The bar and frame bags are very comparable in what they can hold capacity-wise but if you're carrying anything wider than a pump, you're better off with the bar bag. In general, I think I would have preferred a single side access to make use of the full compartment rather than sacrificing space to add a second compartment complete with its own zipper and padded walls. It almost feels like there's more material here than there is storage space.

Value and Conclusion

In my time using the bags, they've proven to be durable and capable companions. They're not the lightest, most spacious bags —even for their size— but they'll last you a long time and carry the essentials in style.

My only wish, living here in the Pacific Northwet, is that they were actually waterproof rather than just water resistant. After some time in the unrelenting rain, the bags hold moisture rather than repelling it, weighing down the bags in the process and eventually affceting the bags' contents.

With that said, at $40, the Mini Handlebar Bag is an exceptional value. You'd be hard-pressed to find a bag equal in its construction, features, and durability at that price point. 

The Mini Frame Bag left me wishing for less complexity in favor of less material and more storage room. A single-side access with a more voluminous compartment would be my preference. The construction and material of the bag, however, is nothing short of premium. Again, for $75, it's a value, feature-packed product. 

Camelbak has designed the HAWG 30 litre backpack to allow you to accommodate everything that you might need in your daily routine or commute. Regardless of whether you travel by bike, on foot, by train, etc. We take a look whether there is a place for this bag in your life.

If you'd like to check out the best cycling backpacks, we've got you covered there. Alternatively, for advice on choosing the best bike for commuting, you can find our advice over here. Otherwise simply read on for our thoughts and experiences of the Camelbak HAWG. 

Construction

The HAWG 30L is a well made and sturdy bag constructed from a tough coated Cordura N330D fabric, it has a capacity of 30 litres, weighs 975g (Camelbak states 1,030g) and retails for $160 / £150. If my previous experiences with this Cordura fabric are anything to go by then you should expect a long life from this product.

There is a plethora of pockets and sleeves to aid organisation of the bag, including a weatherproof sleeve to hold a laptop, side pockets for a bottle and/or a U-lock, several reflective zones all around the bag and a light loop. The main compartment is accessed via a clam-shell lid and the harness has two pockets that could hold your phone and keys securely.

There are many similarities with its smaller sibling the MULE 22L, as well as a few differences too. In brief, the similarities are as follows: The harness and its pockets, a removable waist band, the back panel, top carry handle, one flexible side pocket, outer rear sleeve, helmet carry loops, three of the zipped internal pockets and the weatherproof laptop sleeve.

The differences are the zipped side pocket, having two sections inside the bag (instead of one), the clamshell lid to access the main compartment and a couple of extra sleeves inside the compartments. The HAWG is physically bigger, as you'd expect a 33% larger bag to be, with the back being longer as well as it being deeper too.

A small feature that I really like are the strap tidy-aways. Once you set up the harness to fit, the loose ends can be folded away and tucked under an elastic loop. Very neat!

The Ride

Although a waist strap is provided I've tended to remove it as the 'Command Center' harness is really stable even with a fairly heavy load. I usually just click the chest strap, stow my phone in the left harness pocket, click my keys onto the key loop in the right pocket and go. This harness system is really comfortable too. The 'Air Support' back panel does a good job at directing air over your spine and the pads only touch on the shoulder blade area and on your waist. Even carrying a laden bag in the recent heatwave I didn't get a sodden back. I do find that the longer back (compared to the MULE 22L) causes the lower pad to sit on my belt (as opposed to just above it) and catch occasionally. However, when cycling, as my back is bent over slightly, this wasn't a problem.

The pack is pretty waterproof due to the Cordura's finish, it certainly shrugged off yesterday's shower with ease. Even so, I really like the weatherproof sleeve feature for a laptop. A great idea! 

In fact, all the pockets and sleeves allow you to organise your stuff as to whether you'll need it on the fly (lock, phone, train ticket), something to read on the train (in the outer sleeve) or a drink or rain jacket in the outer side pockets, and so on. The rest of your gear can be left alone in the main bag should you wish. 

I have found the helmet carry loops to be a bit fiddly to put a chinstrap buckle through them. Also they don't like the Specailized Trifix system, but you may well not have that problem if you use a different helmet brand. I've improvised using a small carabiner in the loop that I then clip the chinstrap to.

My only other issue, if it can be called that, is that I find the bag a little bit big. I know that 30 litres isn't massive, but the other day I used it for a small grocery shop and it took everything fine but it made it a bit heavy and that's the dilemma really. If you need to carry bulky but light things (clothing?) along with a laptop and work things then maybe this bag is for you. 

With a heavy hiking bag, the weight is taken on the waist whilst the shoulder straps are for stability.  With the HAWG, the waist strap is for stability, really, with the shoulder straps taking the weight - and that means any weight goes through your shoulders. It can be a bit tiring if overladen.

Over the test period, using both this HAWG 30L and the MULE 22L, both my wife and I have found that the MULE 22L is the bag that we've gravitated towards. For us (one with a London commute) the smaller bag is the more versatile and the one more often chosen. That said, when I'm in London, I see a great many people with larger commuting bags so there is a place for the HAWG without a doubt. Whether you would choose the HAWG over the MULE is down to you and your particular requirements though. Sorry!

Value and Conclusion

This is really nicely made bag full of great ideas and neat features. It should last a long time too. It is expensive at $160 / £150 but assuming that it fits your requirements you can expect a decent ratio of money spent / years-owned. Really it comes down to whether you are a light and fast traveller or you like to have that extra capacity 'just in case'. 

Within my family, we have found that the smaller sibling MULE bag is the one that we use the most. For commuting, errands on a bike, walking into town, overnight bag, etc., etc., it has been perfect. Many of the same great features are present here, the harness system is one of the best that I've ever used. I love its comfort and stability especially. The waterproof laptop sleeve and plethora of pockets are really well thought out. However, for us, the MULE is the one we choose having lived with both bags for a few months, but as I say, you may need to carry more stuff regularly in which case the HAWG is definitely worth a look. 

CamelBak has been in the business of making cycling backpacks for over 30 years now. I'm taking a look at one of its latest products, the MULE Commute 22 aimed, as you'd guess, at the commuter market, with a capacity of 22 litres.

How do the range of details, such as a weatherproof laptop sleeve, side drinks pockets, helmet loops, 360-degree reflective panels work in the real world? I found out by using the bag in a variety of situations over a couple of months.

Construction

The pack has a capacity of 22 litres and weighs 730g (719g on my scales) and will fit a torso length range of 43-53cm. It certainly fits both me at 5ft 11in and my wife at 5ft 6in comfortably. It will also accommodate waist sizes from 26-46in with the adjustable waistband.

It is made from a coated Cordura N330D material and appears to be very strongly constructed and I would expect years of service from this bag. The fabric is pretty weather resistant and it is really tough too. I had a courier bag made in a similar material and it lasted years with hard use.

CamelBak MULE Commute 22 in use

The CamelBak MULE Commute 22's main compartment is accessed via a fairly small semi-circular lid using a twin zip system. Inside the lid is a really useful mesh pocket, again with a zip, which also has a key loop. 

Once inside the main compartment there is a weatherproof roll-top sleeve for a laptop or an A4 sized notebook. It took my 14in screen Chromebook (335x225mm) with ease, but check before buying if you want to go much bigger than that.

There is also a zipped pocket lower down that can take a paperback book (for size comparison). Finally there is a loop to hook a CamelBak bladder onto, and there is a tube hole for the hose to exit via. However I'm not sure that you'll need that ability when you have two large side pockets that can swallow a one-litre bottle easily. But you do have the choice. The side pockets can take a D-lock, says CamelBak; but as I had a Kryptonite Evolution chain lock to hand I used that and it fitted in easily.

Just below the lid pocket is a small fabric-lined pocket, again closed with a zip. Beneath that is another sleeve pocket that can hold an A4 notebook/magazine/newspaper. At a push a small waterproof or down jacket can be stuffed in it too. 

Finally to complete the plethora of pockets there are two more, one on each arm harness strap. The left side one will fit a phone whilst the other side can take keys (with another key loop) or train tickets. The phone pocket works really well as it allows a phone to be inserted and removed easily without removing the pack. It helps a 145x70mm phone without problem.

The arm straps follow an 'S' shape and are really comfortable. They also fit really securely and the use of the chest strap is not always necessary. However if you like to sling a pack on and just use one arm you may not find it as comfortable. For me using both straps worked the best. Talking of stability the waist strap is easily removable and I found that I didn't need it either when walking or cycling so balanced are the arm straps, this was even with quite some weight in the pack. I did use the chest strap more which can be raised or lowered depending on ones preference.

Each strap has its own tidy-away so once the harness has been adjusted the loose ends can be tucked away inside an elasticated loop. Very neat.

The back panel dubbed 'Air Support' has 3 zones that rest on the back but then also an air channel to allow air movement and lessen the chances of a sweaty back. It was really comfortable until you over stuff the bag at which point it becomes a bit of a football. Most bags will do that however...

Returning to the main compartment, its shape is like a rectangular box, opening at one end. Some thought is needed with regard to packing as its not that easy to rummage to the bottom to get things out. That said if you're organised and make use of the other areas of the bag to house the things that you need on the go it really isn't a problem.

The less successful feature of the CamelBak MULE Commute 22 for me was the helmet carry loops. It took me a while to figure out where they were (doh!) and then I found them a bit small and fiddly to pass the helmet chin clip through. 

More than that though was, with my Specialized Echelon helmet, the TriFix (under ear strap thing) didn't allow the helmet to be clipped on both sides. Really frustrating. It's not the fault of either product, just an incompatibility issue. 

Competitor Osprey's 'Lid Lock' system is much more successful unless you have a zero vent helmet... Anyway, that's my only gripe with an otherwise fantastic bag.

Visibility

But surely this is a black bag... Well, there are six areas of reflective material giving 360 degrees of visibility for the commuter. The  mid rear section also doubles up as a light loop. There are two larger areas low down to the sides and rear, two stripes across the arm straps and finally the logo on the rear is also reflective. The centre rear reflective part also double up as a light loop to allow you to clip on a compatible rear light. Cateye, for example, often has a belt loop as an option with its lights. 

Value and conclusion

At £120 (RRP at the time of writing) this is quite a lot of money for a smallish rucksack, however given that it's likely to give many years service allied to its practical features, this makes it a good proposition if you like to travel light and smart.

However, we have one problem with this bag. A big problem... My wife has been borrowing it for her commute to London and absolutely loves it too. So we either have to get another one or spin a coin to decide who's turn it is to use it! A nice problem to have though.

There is a lot to like about the CamelBak MULE Commute 22 backpack and it has become my/our go to rucksack for a variety of tasks; from work, to travel, with errands in between. Highly recommended.

Specification

• Weight: 730g (719g author's measurement)
• Capacity: 22 litres
• Fitting: Torso range 43-53cm (17-21")
• Waist fit range 66-116cm (26-46")

The Chrome Industries Barrage Freight backpack is designed to be stylish and with plenty of capacity for transporting awkwardly bulky – and sometimes mucky – items such as shoes and helmets and waterproofs.

Chrome Industries has been making luggage solutions for the urban environment for over a quarter of a century, with a range that has been branching out into greater cycling specificity with more on-bike bags.

Chrome Industries Barrage Freight: construction

Made from a waterproof and incredibly robust-feeling fabric, the Barrage Freight backpack certainly has an air of toughness to it. This overbuilt construction extends to the shoulder straps and main buckle, both of which are large and similarly rugged.

The Barrage Freight’s party piece is its front nylon webbing, which is adjusted by four straps and can easily swallow a helmet, pair of shoes and a waterproof. These are generally quite awkward items to carry, being either quite bulky or just not the kind of thing you’d want to chuck inside with the rest of your stuff. The ability to carry these on the outside stands to be a real boon.

There are two side pockets for carrying water bottles or a D-lock. These pockets are made from the same material as the rest of the bag and so there’s no elasticity for holding the items tightly in. They do, however, have drainage ports at the bottom so that they don’t fill up with water in the rain.

At the sides of the front of the bag, there are two zipped sleeve pockets. One of these is quite large and better suited to bigger items – such as a map or tool roll. Although the pocket is lesser in size, the absence of any internal dividers does limit its use for organising smaller items.

At the edge of the roll top there is a zip, which you might expect to lead to a sleeve pocket encompassing just the flap of the roll top. In actual fact, it extends all the way down to the very bottom of the bag, making its two-dimensional area massive although without much volume.

Inside the main compartment of the bag, there is a very simple and non-elasticated sleeve pocket for a 15in laptop or folders, with the rest of the bag being simply a large blank canvas of cavernous space.

The shoulder straps are padded and come with straps for adjusting how closely the bag sits against your shoulders. On the front, there’s some Velcro straps for quickly attaching items to the shoulder straps for immediate accessibility. There’s also a chest strap for keeping the bag placed securely on your shoulders.

The ride

Picking up the Chrome Industries Barrage Freight, the first thing you notice is the weight. At 2,330g, it’s incredibly heavy for a backpack. For context, the Stubble&Co The Roll Top backpack is less than half the weight at 1,060g – although it does only have a 20L capacity (the Barrage Freight has 34L) and doesn’t feature any webbing.

More direct competition comes from the Vaude ExCycling Pack, which has 40L of capacity and an expandable compartment, while still weighing only 1,250g (claimed).

If you’re after a lightweight solution for zipping about town, the Barrage Freight isn’t for you. On the other hand, the construction of this bag is such that it feels like it could withstand a direct hit from a meteor, so durability shouldn’t prove an issue.

The front webbing is an incredibly useful feature. Typically, it’s quite difficult to find a good place for transporting a helmet in a way that it won’t get battered about, while shoes and raincoats are also items which aren’t generally best stowed away with the rest of your belongings.

But with the generous length of the straps securing the nylon webbing, these could be simply and safely strapped to the front of the bag. However, this did mean when I wasn’t using the webbing, there was a lot of excess material from the straps flapping about and not a clear way of managing this.

With the side pockets made from the same material as the rest of the bag, their contents aren’t held particularly securely in place. It also means there isn’t any ability for the pockets to expand and accommodate larger loads. It would be great if the pockets could instead be constructed from an elasticated mesh or feature an extra fold and an elasticated hem as you see in some other designs.

With three zipped pockets and the sleeve inside the main compartment, there is potential for neatly partitioning your things. But this is somewhat mitigated in that all bar one of these are huge – and without any internal dividers, you still have to dig around to find your smaller items. The dark material doesn’t help with this, unlike designs which utilise a bright inner lining.

With the roll top unrolled, the bag is incredibly deep – pretty much the complete length of my arms – and so fishing things out of the bottom is a little bit of a pain. For reference, I’m 177cm and would imagine this would be even more of an issue for shorter people.

For its volume, the Barrage Freight isn’t particularly deep for its height. If it was made a little shorter but stouter, it would make it a lot easier to reach the bottom of the bag. The length of the bag does also mean that when cycling in an upright position, there is potential for the bottom of it to foul on the saddle.

Although, in being quite wide, the bag does do a good job of staying squarely in place and not flopping off to one side.

Value

At £200, this is quite an expensive backpack, especially given some of its idiosyncrasies.

For a stylish roll top backpack for riding around town, Stubble&Co’s The Roll Top is almost half the price at £105. It’s also significantly lighter, has elasticated bottle pockets and more internal dividers for keeping smaller items organised.

But it does have a smaller capacity, at 20 litres compared to 34, and it doesn’t have the webbing, so for transporting cycling kit, the Barrage Freight is more practical.

Alternatively, there is the Vaude ExCycling Pack, which boosts more storage at 40 litres and also has an expandable pouch. This one is a bit smaller than the Barrage Freight’s, but the straps are more manageable. Cost-wise, it comes in much cheaper at £120.

Chrome industries has been making high end products designed for the rigours of city use since 1995. More recently, this has branched out into a growing range of bikepacking bags, with the Urban Ex Handlebar Bag 2.0 one of the latest releases.

Although made with city use in mind, there’s nothing stopping you from pedalling out into the countryside with this bar bag. In fact, its quality construction and well thought-out design makes this one of the best handlebar bags out there, for riding in any location.

The construction: Urban Ex Handlebar Bag 2.0

Made from a 600-denier polyester with a waterproof PU coating on the surface – and a 70-denier nylon liner – the result is a bag that feels very hard wearing on the outside while also having a bit of padding on the inside to protect the contents. Welded seams complete its waterproof credentials.

The closure system is a roll top, which is really an absolute must for a handlebar bag. It opens super wide, so you can access all your items quickly and easily. This one has magnets in the hem, so it’s particularly easy to snap closed and roll up.

To keep the roll top rolled up, there’s an elastic cord with a nylon tag that loops over and hooks onto a loop at the front. It’s such a simple design, meaning it should be super robust and also easy to replace – unlike zips on both accounts. The tag also features some reflective detailing too.

The Urban Ex Handlebar Bag 2.0 attaches to the bar with simple Velcro straps, which are easy to use and the length is just about long enough to cope with some deep section aero bars – but without being so long as to be annoying when attached to standard sized round bars.

An elastic drawcord is used to secure the bag to the head tube, which is a great design element over Velcro, which can easily end up scratching paint, clothes and other bags.

This bag also features an easily attachable shoulder strap, allowing you to take the bag off the bike and carry it around with you.

The ride

The Urban Ex Handlebar Bag 2.0 was a pleasure to use. A roll top closure is so useful for easily accessing items and fitting in larger ones, I think it’s an absolute must over zip top designs or ones that use side roll entries.

I found it particularly useful for bringing along both a Sony A6400 camera and a waterproof when out on my rides. The bag itself does have some extra padding to help protect your items, which is always a nice touch. But when it came to the camera, I found my mind much more at ease when padded with something else in addition.

The material feels so robust, I’m sure this will last a very long time, and the waterproof construction has so far proved to live up to its billing, although I would always use a dry bag for important items when it’s raining. It doesn’t hurt to be safe.

For keeping your valuable close at hand when bikepacking, the shoulder strap is a great addition. The Velcro straps make it really quick to whip the bag off and carry it into shops or cafés. A very useful touch.

There are some aspects where the Urban Ex Handlebar Bag 2.0 could be improved, but these are relatively minor points, and it is still one of the best you could go for.

A bright inside liner would make it a lot easier to find small items inside the bag and with the Velcro straps being fixed in place, on some handlebars it can be a little difficult to get them to play nicely with the cables and any bike mounts and lights. Although that said, with the straps being reasonably long, there is little bit of wiggle room to stretch them to reach a bit further left or right.

Although the fastening system, with the elasticated chord and nylon tag is great in its simplicity and robustness, it is a little difficult to operate with one hand, making it a little harder to fish things out of the bike while riding.

Value

The Urban Ex Handlebar Bag 2.0 is quite expensive, but it’s not excessive compared to other bar bags. And for the functionality it offers, it is money well spent.

The Apidura Racing Handlebar Mini Pack is £72 but its closure system does mean that items inside do have a bit more of a tendency to bounce around and its capacity is a lot lower at 2.5L compared to the 3-5L of the Urban Ex Handlebar Bag 2.0. The Apidura bag also doesn’t come with a shoulder strap.

The Wizard Works Lil Presto! Barrel Bag is also a little smaller at 2.15L and the zip closure does make it more difficult to get your things out of the bag than with a rolltop. However, this bag does also have a shoulder strap option, with that version coming to £72.50.

Restrap is a homegrown UK brand which began from a bedroom in 2010 but has grown to occupy a large workshop in Leeds, Yorkshire. Design and manufacture is kept completely inhouse, making this a UK brand through and through.

In being first and foremost outdoor enthusiasts, the people at Restrap have developed a handlebar bar bag packed with useful features and good design elements. This bag is simply a must for bikepacking.

The construction: Restrap Bar Pack

Made from a robust waterproof textured nylon, the Restrap Bar Pack provides 10 litres of storage capacity, with the main compartment benefiting from an internal stiffener, providing the bag with its shape.

The closure system of the main compartment is a roll top, which makes it very easy to reach in and access your things. This is kept closed by two buckles, one on each side. Very cleverly, the nylon strap for pulling this tight is threaded between two loops, so that it will also compress the sides of the bag. This keeps your items securely packed and minimises any rattling.

On top, there’s some bungee webbing, which is a very useful addition for keeping a waterproof or your favoured bikepacking snack (I tend to go for croissants). This bungee cord also has reflective details woven into it to help increase your visibility – as well as making it easier to find the bag in the dark.

On the front there is a secondary compartment with a simple Velcro flap closure for keeping items you want to be a little more accessible. Brilliantly, it has also been designed to be able hold a D-Lock – which is a massive help for bikepacking, as finding a good place to store a lock can be quite hard to do.

The straps for attaching it to the bike can’t be moved from their one position, so there is potential for it not playing too nicely with your bike’s cables and GPS / light mounts. The straps used are spring loaded cam locks, which are a lot easier to operate than ones where you have to thread the strap through the buckle. Foam spacers are also included to provide a little room for the brake and gear cables.

The ride

The Restrap Bar Pack is by far the best I’ve used for bikepacking. The large amount of storage means that if you’re staying in accommodation rather than camping, you can easily get by just using this and a giant saddle bag. Making for a simpler set up and one where you’re not rubbing your knees on any frame, top tube, or stem bags.

The closure system with the two buckles and the compression they provide is brilliant, keeping your things firmly in place and preventing rattling. It does, however, make it a little impractical to access your item from inside the main compartment when on the move.

But the presence of the additional front compartment, with its simple Velcro flap, means that items such as energy bars and anything else you might want access to while riding are still easy to get to. And the fact that this will even hold a D-lock is a huge bonus.

There are two colourways of this bag, one is an understated black and the other is a highly visible orange. Both of these benefit from a bright orange lining fabric, which makes it significantly easier to find your smaller bits and bobs.

With the straps attaching to the bike stuck to just one location, it did make things a little more complicated with certain gear cable and GPS mount arrangements. It would be an improvement if there were two options for where these straps attach to the bag. But I was able to move things about in such a way that this didn’t really cause me significant problems.

Value

At £104.99, the Restrap Bar Pack is at the upper end of the price bracket, but it’s not the most expensive by any means. There are bags which have more capacity but have worse closure systems – of the ones that have a roll top, this is the largest I know of.

The Miss Grape Tendril Waterproof Handlebar Bag is £110.00 and offers up to 17L of storage capacity – if your handlebars are wide enough. This uses the side roll entry system, which is a lot less easy to use than the top roll system of the Restrap bag.

The Topeak Barloader Waterproof Handlebar Drybag is the next largest roll top handlebar bag that I know of, at 6.5L compared to the 10L of the Restrap Bar Pack. The Topeak bag misses out on many of the useful features of the Restrap Bar Pack, such as bungee webbing, compression straps, secondary pocket and D-lock holder. It is much cheaper though, at £58.99.

Strapping onto any kind of handlebar and the stem, this universal handlebar pouch from Italian bikepacking bag specialist Miss Grape gives you more options for storage on short rides and multi-day adventures. We've been putting it to the test on long and short rides to see if it's really worthy of the £45 price tag.

Features

The Bud handlebar bag is essentially a little pouch with an elasticated drawstring closure at the top. Mounted right by your hands, this bag is perfect for smaller items that you might need to access easily or on the move; snacks, small tools, batteries, a phone or camera, or even an extra bottle.

>>> Best gravel bike handlebars

The closure is secured by pulling the toggle on the elastic drawstring, which then secures neatly away from you in the D-ring. The main attachment point is at the back of the bag with a wide integrated velcro strap, and then a second removable velcro strap can secure to the stem on either the left or the right, so you can choose which side of the bars you'd like your bag to sit.

The third attachment point is an integrated webbing strap from the base of the bag, which forms a buckled loop to pass through the bike's fork to help keep the bag in place.

Internally, the bag is lined with a bright green material, and then lightly padded too. On the outside, there's an elasticated mesh pocket that runs around 75% of the bag for storing smaller items.

The bag is constructed from a few different materials, including a nylon/polyester dotted fabric with a water-repellent resin coating and PVC coated black nylon. These are water resistant, but as the seams are not taped, the bag is not waterproof.

The ride

Having used the Miss Grape Bud handlebar snack pouch on short rides and a couple of bikepacking overnighters, I've been nothing less than impressed. It's got all the features you'd want from this kind of bag, and more.

The attachment is really easy and adjustable, so you can mount the bag on the left or the right of your stem (or run two if you wanted to double up). There's also a strap from the base of the bag that runs down under the fork and clips in place. I was a bit anxious about this one rubbing paint on my fork, so I only used it the once.

If I was going to run this bag longer term, I'd add some helitape there to prevent any rubbing, but having ridden plenty without using this strap, I didn't find the bag jiggled about too much anyway. Ideally, this strap could be removable, so you had the option to use it or not. In the end, I tucked it into the mesh pocket out of the way when I wasn't using it.

Storage-wise, the padding was really helpful for keeping valuables like my camera or phone safe and stopping any rattling. The green lining makes seeing small objects inside easy, a neat feature. I especially liked the mesh outer pocket, which was perfect for small rubbish items like storing bar wrappers until I got to a bin.

This bag got subjected to all weathers during testing. The water-resistant materials do indeed stand up to showers, splashing and light rain, but are not totally waterproof. If you know you're going to have a downpour, you could use a dry-bag inside, or make sure you transfer any vulnerable items elsewhere.

Securing the top of the bag is really easy on the move, thanks to an elasticated cord which neatly tucks away towards the front wheel, so it doesn't tickle your knees as you're riding along! I did once pull the end toggle a bit too hard which came apart, but it was very easy to put this back together again.

Value

At £45, I think that the Miss Grape Bud is fantastic value for money. It's certainly evident that a huge amount of thought has gone into producing this handlebar accessory bag, and its packed full of handy features. Don't forget that Miss Grape offer a lifetime guarantee on their bags too (excluding zips), which means you'll only have to spend that £45 once and you should have a snack pouch for life!

Italian bikepacking bag specialist Miss Grape offer a whole range of bags for road cycling, off-road adventures and commuting. We've been putting its off-road kit to the test, the choice of many endurance racers including GBDURO's first finisher, Josh Ibbett.

Features

The Tendril handlebar bag features a direct attachment to the bike, unlike alternative holster and dry bag models. The bag attaches primarily to the handlebars via two green webbing quick-release straps, while a removable buckled webbing strap secures the bag to the head tube.

These green straps on the handlebars pass over foam blocks which separate the bag from the bars, serving not only to protect them from rubbing but importantly to make sure you can still hold the bars without the bag getting in the way. If you'd rather not use these foam blocks, you can easily remove them thanks to some velcro straps here.

You can secure the bag to the bars by pulling on the end of the green webbing, which tightens the hold, and the end of the strap neatly tucks away as shown, so it doesn't tickle your knees while pedalling!

The bag is essentially a long tube, measuring 18cm in diameter. It's constructed from nylon coated with phthalate-free PVC, and reinforced with a nylon/polyester blend that's dotted with water-repellent resin. To close the bag, the openings at either end are rolled down and then buckles at either end clip in to corresponding buckles at the front and rear of the bag. These can then be pulled tight to secure.

Externally, there are two black webbing straps that run around the circumference of the bag. These can be removed easily by simply unbuckling if you'd rather just run the bag as it is, or can provide additional support or storage.

The ride

Miss Grape suggest that you use this bag for your overnight sleeping equipment, so I took it on a very wet bikepacking trip to the Black Mountain in Wales (west of the Brecon Beacons) to put that, and the waterproof claims, to the test. This handlebar bag carried my down winter sleeping bag, as well as my packed down jacket and fitted comfortably between 40cm flared drop bars. On a different overnighter, the bag also fitted really neatly on my MTB flat bars.

Putting the external straps to good use, I used these to hold my tarp on top. These were surprisingly secure and really easy to tighten, which meant that I had a couple of Voile straps to spare!

My only gripe with the bag is the circumference of the opening - which is the same as the whole tube. It was a pleasure to have so much clearance above my front tyre for a relatively short rider, but I'd love to have more space in the bag for storing more kit, and to make loading it easier too.

If you know Sarn Helen, thought to be an ancient roman road through Wales, you'll know the kind of terrain that this was tested on, and that goes well beyond the norms of gravel riding. Even over this really tough terrain, the bag remained secure and steadfast.

Then, in typical Welsh fashion, there was a rainstorm overnight. There wasn't enough space under my tarp for my hammock, my friend's bivvy bag and the bike, so I closed the bags and let nature conduct her waterproofing test. After a night-long deluge, I was pretty impressed in the morning to find both the inside of this handlebar bag and the Cluster seatpost bag were bone dry.

Value

When you take into consideration that Miss Grape offers a lifetime guarantee on its products (excluding zips), I think that £110 for a totally waterproof handlebar bag is actually great value. It's certainly not the cheapest bikepacking bar bag on the market, but it's obviously extremely well made and really well thought through. Plus, you know that if you have any accidents or issues, Miss Grape will either repair or replace it for you.

Scicon has moved away from its focus on luggage for carrying bikes around recently, making a splash with its high-end sunnies and £225 bibshorts. But it still sells bike travel bags, alongside a range of different sized saddle bags. The Scicon Phantom 230 is one of its smallest.

Designed to clamp to your saddle rails, the Scicon Phantom 230 has just enough room - 230ml, hence its name - for a spare inner tube. You might manage to squeeze your house key in there too, but Scicon’s suggestion that you could fit in a CO2 cartridge and a patch kit looks ambitious if you carry a standard butyl inner tube with you. It’s an either/or option.

So if you want to guard against the majority of on-road hiccups, you’ll need to carry some stuff elsewhere - probably in your jersey pockets. 

But what the Scicon Phantom 230 does really well is to give you a small amount of extra capacity unobtrusively. It sits under your saddle and is small enough that it’s not going to get in your way as you ride.

>>> Best bike saddle bags

Plus, it’s held in place really securely by the clever Roller 2.1 clamp. This fits to your saddle rails and is tightened using a large red screw. Unlike some systems, this means it’s tool free and the size of the screw head makes it easy to get enough leverage for a tight fit.

Once the clamp’s fitted, the Scicon Phantom 230 bag slots onto it at an angle and turning it clicks it securely in place. It’s a simple, effective system and keeps your bag away from a delicate, expensive carbon seatpost. There’s a light loop built in if you want to attach a rear blinkie to up your visibility.

Another useful feature is the two red plastic tyre levers built into the bag’s mounting point, one inside and one outside the bag. They’re reasonably robust, but the plastic feels slightly brittle and they are a bit short. I wouldn’t rate their chances against a tight tubeless tyre.

The £35 list price makes the Scicon Phantom 230 an expensive option on a price per volume basis, but it feels sturdy and well made and its easy on/off mounting system is a definite advantage.

Part of Miss Grape's road cycling bag line-up, the Cluster 7 is the smallest of their seat packs, designed with road and gravel bikes in mind. We've been putting this waterproof bag to the test on short rides and bikepacking trips to see how it stacks up.

Features

The Cluster 7 fits to the bike in a pretty standard way; with a single long velcro strap around the seat post and non-slip plastic buckles on green webbing straps through the saddle rails. This single strap design means that it's compatible with gravel bikes and road bikes that have less exposed seat post (like the cyclocross build pictured), which is particularly handy for smaller riders.

At these points, the bag is constructed from a rubberised material, which helps to prevent damage to the bike as well as keep the bag securely in place, gripped against the seat post.

You'll find the Miss Grape logo at the base of the bag in a reflective print, which is a great way to enhance side visibility in low light conditions.

The main fabric of the Cluster bag is made predominantly from a nylon/polyester fabric, dotted with a water-repellent resin coating. Miss Grape claim that its totally waterproof.

The bag's opening at the end is secured by rolling down the excess fabric and clipping the buckles from left and right together, before passing the signature green webbing from underneath to the buckle at the top and pulling tight. You can also pass this through the loop you've made with the closure.

There's a number of webbing loops on the top which you could clip equipment to or even pass a bungee through for extra storage for items like waterproof jackets.

The ride

The first time I used this bag, I was heading out for a two day bikepacking trip in Wales, so strapped on the Cluster seatpack along with Miss Grape's Tendril handlebar bag, Bud stem bag and Internode 40.6 frame bag. In it I packed a change of clothes, my little MSR Pocket Rocket Stove Kit, a hip flask and a bag of bits (toothbrush/paste, lights, water purification tablets, first aid, cables etc). Sleeping kit went between the bars and other snacks and my hammock in the frame bag.

Although I really can't fault the design in terms of how well it attaches and how secure and sway-free it is, this trip made me realise how this little 7 litre capacity bag would be better suited to day trips than multi-day bikepacking trips. I'd really maxxed out on capacity, which meant that after a while I was experiencing some 'bag sag', despite how tight I pulled on the retaining green strap.

I was really impressed by the waterproof qualities of this bag, which stood up to Storm Ellen and its downpour overnight, leaving the inside and my spare set of clothes totally dry. Phew!

Using a small carabiner and some paracord, I used one of the loops to secure my shovel (see pictured), although if I were to use this on a trip again I'd definitely weave some elastic between the webbing loops on the top of the bag for extra storage. I secured my waterproof jacket under the green webbing strap several times which was pretty handy, but not quite as easy as elastic.

One final adjustment I feel could improve this bag would be the closure system. Rather than the left and right sides of the opening attaching to each other, I think the bag could be made better by these securing back toward the base, just like the design on the two larger models (13L and 20L). Again, if used for smaller loads like tools and spare layers for a day ride, I don't think this would have been as much of an issue.

Value

Totally waterproof bags cost more to produce; that's a simple fact, so I was relieved when put to the test that this seatpost bag is as waterproof as Miss Grape claims. The Italian brand's seat post bags aren't cheap, but they are very well constructed, with particular attention paid to the shape around the seat post to prevent leg chafing and stop the dreaded bag sway.

Attention to detail like this comes at a price, and this might feel pretty steep for a bag that's best used for day trips, for extra layers, snacks and tools. However, if that's something that you do a lot of, this could represent great value for you.

If you're into bikepacking or cycling luggage in general you will no doubt have heard of Apidura. Its packs have been developed and tested all over the world - if you look at the competitors of many of the big races such as the Transcontinental and the Atlas Mountain Race you will see the iconic Apidura insect logo littered over a vast number of bikes.

Recently the brand has started to develop a range of luggage more at home on the tarmac than out in the wilderness. This 'Racing' series has been developed for long distance tarmac travellers and Audax enthusiasts, as well as being perfect for the rider just wanting to carry a little more kit without having to strap on vast bags. The Racing Handlebar Mini Pack sits snugly in the range as one of the neatest ways to carry extra luggage and still have it all to hand even when riding.

This piece of kit follows Apidura's design principles of making things robust, idiot proof (so you can still use them properly when sleep deprived) and as weather proof as possible. In this case it uses bespoke Hexalon laminate for the main construction - this is waterproof, abrasion and tear resistant, as well as being pretty lightweight. I'm yet to really put the abrasion resistance to the test but based on the abuse some of my friends put their Apidura kit through and for it to come out looking pretty sparkly, I would say that it will last a damn long time. The main structure is reinforced with HDPE (the same stuff that makes plastic milk containers) to help it retain its box-like structure.

How to get started: Bikepacking

The opening is a simple box lid style flap with a section of velcro to hold it down and a loop allowing it to be opened or closed with one hand. During testing I constantly found it difficult to close the lid effectively with one hand in a single attempt. It often took additional fiddling to make sure its storm flap encapsulated the bag to prevent water ingress.

Fitting is simple and takes less than a minute thanks to twin velcro straps to attach it to the handlebars. A stabilising strap then loops the head tube to prevent the bag from bouncing too much. Additional foam pads are included to space the bag out from the bar to prevent it fouling cables or on-board accessories.

Storage itself is pretty cavernous. It might only hold 2.5 litres but it was pretty happy being able to store a large sized pump, multi-tool, tubes, jacket, energy bars, phone and a few other little bits - allowing you to clear your jersey pockets and ride free. Storage organisation is rudimentary with just a small mesh pocket large enough for a phone being the only divider.

After a lot of experimentation I have found it to be quite easy to overload the pack causing a lot of annoying rattling and excess bouncing over rougher road surfaces. It helps to carry a windproof jacket to keep everything in place and rattle free - but if the pack is pushed out of shape it is difficult to close effectively. I have found it works best when limiting contents to just energy food, phone and jacket; light, non-noisy and all kit important to have at hand. Stick to that and the Apidura Racing Handlebar Mini Pack works great.

It also has laser-cut accessory loops to mount lights or other things and the yellow and silver print is designed to be reflective and highly visible.

When travelling with a bike, my default choice is a soft bike travel case - they're not as sturdy, but my justification has always been ease of negotiating the airport (and the 20 steps from the pavement to my front door) plus the lower weight which allows for greater lycra stuffing within baggage allowances.

>>> Best bags and boxes for travel 

However, on my most recent trip I was accompanied by Canyon's featherweight Ultimate Evo, and though I'm well aware that carbon is extremely robust, I decided to safeguard 'Evie the Evo' with the protection of a sturdy plastic box.

Buy now: VeloVault2 from Bike Box Online for £469

The VeloVault2, despite its name, is actually the brand's fifth generation travel companion. It's been upgraded wth a longer wheelbase (80mm), ideal for those carrying 29er mountain bikes, an improved central strut, new carrying handle and it's also 'roof box ready' for those who choose to mount it to the top of their car, if you invest in the extra fixings.

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VeloVault is proud of its British assembly line - the plastic shells are produced near Manchester, Protex catches hail from Birmingham, whilst the hinge, webbing and foam all come out of the Peak District with final construction taking place in Yorkshire.

Packing and unpacking the box was quick and easy, taking easily under 20 minutes each way.

I removed (in order) the pedals, wheels, handlebars and seatpost. There's a handy diagram on the foam so you know you're on track, and velcro fastenings keep your machine in place. I always place the rear mech and chain in a padded bag, and secure it to the chainstay, and it's important to ensure your top cap is secure at the headset to save from losing spacers or bearings.

The level of disassembly was greater than has been the case with other soft bags I've used - and I would rather leave my handlebars and saddle on the bike to save measuring up the other side. However, with everything tucked away my peace of mind was left fully intact.

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Next up, having deflated the tyres, I attached the wheels using the Through Axle fixing system (an extra £22), placed the padded foam over the top and lowered the lid so that the metal strut came into contact with the plastic cup in the centre of the box. There are additional struts available for those using solid disc wheels and the rotor recess ensures safety (with the rotors facing the outside).

The central strut was perhaps my favourite element of this box. There are competitors with a similar design, but it's not always easy to fit the pole to the hole when feeling around in the dark - whereas VeloVault's pairing connected with the plastic cup with ease.

The box uses Protex Catchbolts for closure. These have a click button and a claimed 400kg strength rating, per catch.

The VeloVault box has a moulded plastic handle at each end, with an additional holding slot at the bottom of the box. I still found lifting and moving the box to be quite a job, but I can't it was any more difficult when compared with competitors, the size of the unit means it's never going to be easy.

Weighing in at 12.5kg, VeloVault's creation is heavier than competitors. With my bike (plus enough cases of NamedSport nutrition to feed eight hungry 1904rt team mates for a week), my box came to 30.5kg, not far off EasyJet's 32kg limit. If I was flying with the likes of British Airways, who allow 23kg, I'd have had to plan ahead and find an alternative method of getting the "snack stash" to Spain. Arguably that's the price you pay for the protection of a sturdy hard box.

The VeloVault 2 rolls on a reliable set of wheels, and there are replacements available should they wear down. I did find that the box only moved in straight lines when I held the tall end and pushed it in front of me - but with this established, moving between check-in and oversized luggage areas of assorted airports became easy. Up until that point I looked a little like a harassed tourist trying to control a drunk friend en route to Benidorm but I can chalk that up to initial user error.

Buy now: VeloVault2 from Bike Box Online for £469

At £469, this is a box which comes in at a similar price to competitors. It's usually possible to hire a box when travelling, but after a few trips investing in your own tends to break even, and then it's just a case of working out where to store the case.

There's a reason why Osprey has such a good reputation within the outdoor community: it makes luggage solutions that seem to just work perfectly for whatever situation you need to carry your kit.

Case in point the new Osprey Transporter Carry-on 44. Whilst not aimed specifically at cyclists what it does offer is a bag packed with features that make it almost perfect for the travelling rider to use on a long weekend or, as it's name implies, as airline carry-on.

Unlike a hardcase carry-on the Transporter allows you to really cram in the kit and at times it feels almost tardis like in its capacity to swallow almost as much as you dare put in it.

A clamshell design splits the storage into two large zipped compartments, one of which has extra clothing straps inside to compress and keep your casual clothing neat and ordered. Two large mesh pockets on the lid of one compartment easily fit toiletries or other smaller items.

The front of the Transporter also has a large compartment with several smaller organiser pockets to keep your electronics and other travel essentials in order. At the rear a large padded laptop sleeve also incorporate a RFID protective pocket to stop thieves scanning your cards. Finishing off the storage there's also a bellows pocket at the top to put readily accessible items. The only thing missing is a mesh water bottle pocket, something I find essential when travelling.

Six of the best bike bags for travelling with your bike

The whole bag is constructed using hardwearing and water resistant 400D Nylon. It's held up well to a few months of abuse with very little damage despite being through several airports, plane holds and sliding around in the back of vans. If there was one area of concern it would be that there are no reinforcements at the corners of the bag and as such these are starting to look a little scuffed in places.

Whilst it lacks the ability to wheel it around like many carry-on style bags the Transporter has a trick up it's sleeve, well up its back really, in the shape of stowaway rucsac straps. These are properly padded and also incorporate a chest and waist strap to make it comfortable to wear for longer jaunts. When not needed it all stuffs in a pocket giving the bag a clean profile.

Buy now: Osprey Transporter Carry-on 44 for £120 from Osprey

I continue to be impressed with the capabilities of this bag and due to the frequent travelling I'm fortunate to do as part of my job it has become a faithful companion. I'm able to carry my usual kit list for a typical bike launch with ease and that is no easy task as it normally includes: helmet, shoes, pedals, at least two sets of weather appropriate kit, wet weather gear, warmers, glasses, cameras, laptop, chargers, casual clothing, jacket plus more.

And, I normally have space to spare...

Roswheel might be a brand you've never heard of but is responsible for producing some really high quality touring and bike packing luggage to suit every need. I recently had the privilege of testing its full spread of packs during a recent couple of trips and this handlebar pack ended up being a highlight of the range. It might be marketed under its Offroad collection but don't let that put you off. All it means is it utilises a more robust construction and larger capacity than the equivalent pack in the Road range.

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It uses a properly durable 600D TPU/PU coated main fabric that has proven to shrug off rain and has experienced very little wear despite constant use in some very bad conditions. The construction is of the classic double opening dry bag design, allowing you to pack from both ends and to access frequently used items without disturbing other kit.

It has a capacity of up to fifteen litres of storage and probably one of the neatest features is an air release valve. This allows you to really compress the pack down even when fully loaded, keeping its footprint as small as possible on the bars. There is also a small zippered pocket at the front of the pack but I found that when the pack was loaded its capacity really is too small to carry much at all.

I recently chose it as my handlebar bag for a fast but fully laden LEJOG ride that just so happen to coincide with the wettest week of the year! and it passed the test with flying colours. I chose it over the road version due to the larger capacity and the more substantial attachment method it utilises. The double roll closure allowed me to keep it as small as possible to fit within my 44cm handlebars. It's ability to swallow kit was the key feature and amazingly I was able to carry all of the following without issue: sleeping bag, sleeping mat, bivvy bag, tarp, down jacket and waterproof jacket.

The bag uses what Roswheel calls its M.O.L.L.E. strap system. This uses several panels featuring a series of loops that can then be used to customise the fit and also allow you to attach more kit such as a tent to the pack if you so wish. Combined with the long attachment straps it's relatively simple to get the pack mounted and sitting solidly in place. One thing to note is to make sure the air release valve is put in position where it can't rub the frame.

After six days of constant rain I can also attest to the weatherproofing of the bag. After my kit dried out after the first night of rain the pack steadfastly refused to let any water in and I had complete confidence that my kit would stay dry, negating the need for separate dry bags inside.

Buy now: Roswheel Offroad handlebar bag from Roswheel for £85.00

There was only one issue I could fault the bags for and that is the quick release buckles used to secure each end. These had the tendency to misalign when trying to secure them, meaning you needed to be a little more fastidious to make sure they locked completely. Otherwise they had a tendency to pop undone when trying to secure the pack.

Altura is the go-to brand when it comes to commuter clothing, It's classically bright and beautiful, whilst being practical and robust. The Altura Thunderstorm City 30 is more the latter but is bright for those dim commutes with good reflectives.

Buy now: Altura Thunderstorm City 30 from Tweek Cycles for £53.99

Before I start, the Altura Thunderstorm City 30 isn't for the light travellers. It has a rather large 30-litre capacity but it isn't refined enough to separate your kit.  The roll-up top, if not filled a certain amount, doesn't hold its fold despite the metal clip being in its tightest setting, and items tend to rattle around as there is nothing to hold things down inside the bag.

>>> What's the best bike for commuting?

Yes, it does have a laptop section, one large zip pocket and two smaller open pockets but the main compartment, things to tend to get lost easily. The Altura Thunderstorm City 30 doesn't have any external pockets either. So no place to stick a bottle or items you want to access quickly if you travel without the bike or ride a city bike that doesn't have bottle cage mounts (which I do often).

With my niggles out of the way, the Altura Thunderstorm City 30 is a rather good commuter rucksack if you travel heavy, in wet weather, or you're just after a comfortable bag. It is one of the most comfortable rucksacks I've ever used, both on and off the bike.

>>> Essential commuting clothes for cycling to work

The ergonomics of the rear of the bag and straps helps to keep the bulk of the backpack away from you, meaning despite its large capacity you don't feel like a Deliveroo rider. It deals with its weight and size nicely. I didn't even feel the need to use chest or waist straps for extra bag security.

Buy now: Altura Thunderstorm City 30 from Tweek Cycles for £53.99

The Altura Thunderstorm City 30 is available in two colours – yellow and black or grey and black – both of which are fully reflective doing a great job at lighting you up when caught in the headlights. It's fully waterproof too, so you have no need to worry about your change of clothes or laptop getting wet.

Shoulder visibility is good also, with only the edge of the bag obstructing a shoulder check, but this didn't annoy me.

Overall, a very good commuting bag from Altura. A little internal refinement and you'll be onto a perfect rucksack here.

Staying on top of recent trends, The Rapha Roll Top Backpack is modelled on the bags favoured by bike couriers. It's tough, being made out of a substantial material that feels resolutely bombproof. This thick touch is reassuring, especially if you carry anything fragile, but it does add weight to the bag.

The chunky rucksack has a waxy finish that did a good job of keeping out the torrential rain we've been subjected to recently. It kept my laptop and clothes snug and dry despite my fears that the deluge would saturate the bag.

Its rectangular shape, and in particular its base, helps the bag stand up on its own when you put it down or need to rummage inside it, which proved very useful at train stations. It's also very spacious, gobbling up 25 litres of cargo – that's four more litres than the Ortlieb Commuter Daypack City. However, it's not as comfortable as the Ortlieb when filled to the brim.

It has a laptop sleeve and one zipped pocket internally meaning it's not as easy to organise as the Ortlieb, which has four or five internal slots for essentials.

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The main difference in comfort comes from a waist strap, or the Rapha bag's lack thereof. This omission means that when the bag is filled to the brim there's no way to tighten it, so when you're in the riding position it can shift up your back or move from side to side.

On short rides or when riding in an upright position the bag was fine. However, my commutes require me to lug clothes, laptop and food on a 22km slog and for this it wasn't comfortable. Cinching the shoulder straps so the bag sat comfortably on the back meant the straps sat above the shoulders – and then closing that gap meant having the bag too far down my back. I unfortunately couldn't find a happy medium.

See more: Rapha Roll Top Backpack at Rapha.cc

There are some nice design details on the outside of the bag. For example, the base of the bag is high-vis and there are hoops running up the front for attaching a D-lock. A side zip is useful for for storing your keys or wallet for quick access.

Despite its slim looks, I found the Osprey Talon 22 backpack capable of gobbling up all of my clothes, a notebook, coffee cup, food, tools and keys.

Space inside the diminutive backpack is maximised thanks to the lack of laptop storage, although this omission could make or break the pack for those, like me, whose working week is a mixture of office work and working from home. However, if you work from an office five days a week I can't see it being a massive issue.

Besides, what the backpack lacks in laptop storage it more than makes up for with comfort, and it's one of the most snug packs I've commuted with. Its figure hugging design and slight bend in the backpack allows it to conform to your riding position, and wide waist straps offer support around the middle of your body. There's no wobbling when the packs is on your back either, and you can even adjust the length of the torso which allows you to get the best fit.

Read more: Best riding bags

Inside the bag there's just the one zipped compartment where I store my pump, multi-tool and tyre levers, leaving the pack feeling a little short on internal organising space.

Happily there are more pockets on the outside, including a big zipped pocket at the top of the bag and on both waist straps there are two zipped pockets which offer easy access to keys and train tickets. On both sides of the bag are two compression pockets and there's a mesh pocked on the back as well as a clip for attaching your bike helmet.

Read more: Top tips for commuting to work by bike

However, the Talon 22 could be improved with a rain cover which isn't included as standard and leaves you feeling a little vulnerable to the elements.

Ultimately, the Talon 22 is a great pack for those who don't need to lug a laptop to and from work and the comfort of the Talon makes it a great pack to ride with.

For those of us who commute by bike, there's a few things a backpack has to have: enough space for your stuff, to be waterproof and to be reasonably comfortable for your ride to work.

Urban biking bags and apparel brand Chrome Industries designed the Barrage Cargo backpack for all conditions use in the city. With a 22 litre capacity with a roll top and buckle closure, the bag also features an inner sleeve for a max 15 inch laptop as well as an outside zip pockets, two side pockets and a cargo net.

At around £170, this backpack is at the expensive end of the market, but you can tell straight away that this is a well constructed, rugged and hard wearing bag.

I carry shoes and clothes as well as my laptop for commuting and the Barrage Cargo has plenty of space for both with the laptop sleeve at the rear of the inside. I never struggled to find space for something extra in the bag.

The interior has tarpaulin constructed in and this proved extremely effective when riding in the rain. There's no outer rain cover here, but it's not needed for items inside the bag which stayed completely protected.

On the outer of the bag is one zip pocket. It's a decent size and provides a space for things you don't want to get lost in the main space of the bag, but it would have been ideal for it either to be compartmentalised or for the bag to have a second, similar pocket. I felt like I was having to throw all my valuables in one jumble in the pocket, and because the zip is vertical, it didn't feel as secure.

The outer also features two side pockets, which were very useful for storing water bottles or inner tubes that could be secured the straps of the cargo net.

For me, the cargo net is the major sell of this bag. Rather than having to have my helmet dangling from one of the outer straps, you can strap the helmet into the cargo net out of the way on the outside of the bag. You can also put shoes in there for when you're riding if you want to save space inside. The material of the netting is tough and felt secure with four adjustable clips to hold items in place.

The straps and the back panel were very comfortable when walking around with the bag and felt good on short journeys on the bike. I found that 10km or less was the ideal for the Barrage Cargo, the back panel (especially with a laptop) is quite rigid, so some extended rides of 30km didn't feel as comfortable.

It's not light either, but that's the trade off for the metal buckled chest strap and adjustment clips as well as the fully waterproof material, which should make this backpack a lot longer lasting than most.

The PRO Medi saddle bag hasn't changed much over the years and for good reason – it works!

It attaches to your bike via a Velcro strap at the seatpost and two more around the saddle rails and is a sturdy bit of kit that'll swallow a number of different essentials that you need for your ride.

>>> Best bike saddle bags for cycling essentials

The PRO Medi saddle bag is the middle of the three sizes available: Mini, Medi and Maxi. So the one I have here offers up 0.6l of space, the others being 0.4l and 1l for the larger size. PRO also offers a version with quick release function for the saddle, though the Velcro straps of our test model work just fine.

Although entirely black (with blue lining) you do get some logo reflectives to for a small amount of extra nighttime visibility, which is nice, although on the previous version you did get reflective piping around the edges to enhance this further. Shame to lose that.

I could easily fit two tubes, tyre levers and gas canister in the Pro Medi, which is plenty, and the combination could easily be changed if you wanted to carry a multitool instead of a second tube.

The saddle bag isn't waterproof so take care with any metal items in there.

Fitting is simple as it loops over the rails and seatpost and grips into place using Velcro.

Once fitted the bag actually looks very sleek under the saddle and is hardly noticeable at a quick glance. The PRO Medi doesn't interfere with your legs or any part of the bike, which means it should work for a number of different saddle and seatpost brands.

Finally, at £19.99 it's pretty competitively priced and if functionality without any thrills is your thing then you don't need to look past the pro Medi Strap saddle bag.

The Proviz REFLECT360 looks like a standard, unassuming grey backpack by day; by night it becomes a shining silver object that looks like it fell off a UFO.

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The fabric Proviz uses for the entire outer shell of the REFLECT360 comprises millions of tiny reflective beads that bounce back light and make this the most visible piece of cycling kit you’ve ever seen – you can’t miss it, and crucially neither should dozy drivers.

The fabric is also highly water resistant, but not waterproof, and we haven’t managed to check this in the real world since we tested it in the middle of the heatwave, but in the tap test the water runs off rather than soaking in.

Inside there’s an organiser with a padded laptop/tablet sleeve and a zipped mesh pocket. There are two elasticated outer side pockets made of mesh and a front zipped valuables pocket. If we were being fussy we might have preferred the side pockets to be zipped and made from the same fabric as the rest of the pack just for a bit more protection.

The REFECT360 has its own ventilation system whereby a harder delta-shaped panel is recessed to allow air to circulate behind the rider’s back while spongier, padded sections hold the backpack to the shoulders and waist. There’s a waist strap and a chest strap, both well placed.

We found the REFLECT360 a little hot in the summer, particularly as there’s a ‘collar’ that joins the straps behind the neck. Having said that, in winter this could be good for keeping out the draughts. However, we found that this part of the backpack could also interfere with the back of a helmet when in a fairly low road bike position.

This wouldn’t be an issue with a more upright position but for a drop-bar bike the straps would be better joining the pack separately to free up some head space.

The fabric used for the Ortlieb Commuter Daypack City is a nylon cordura that looks woven rather than shiny and smooth like the company's famous touring panniers, but like them it's totally waterproof and uses the same method of 'welding' seams that Ortlieb pioneered. It is also lightweight, so if you’re carrying a minimal load you’ll hardly notice it.

And the renowned Ortlieb roll closure, which ensures total waterproofing in panniers if correctly executed, is present in a slightly more user-friendly form which allows much quicker access. There’s a keys/wallet/phone zipped side pocket that Ortlieb says is not waterproof.

The internal padded organizer is held in with Velcro so can be removed if you want a simple, compartment-free bag for your stuff, but if you’re carrying a laptop it is very useful indeed.

As for comfort, Ortlieb has, um, sweated the details. In an attempt to avoid your back getting too soggy separate blocks of TPU allow air to circulate while the shoulder straps have slots cut into them. If you’re using your commute as a training ride and riding reasonably hard you will never avoid sweatiness, but the design of the Ortlieb Commuter Daypack City does prevent sweat from soaking into foam padding and getting really stinky.

The waist and chest straps are removable, but when both are used they make for very secure and comfortable portage.

We found the 21 litres swallowed a typical commuting load of 4.6 kilos easily, although because the bag is made of a single layer of material it needs to be packed with care or it looks lumpy.

Although the Ortlieb Commuter Daypack City is not the most ergonomic shape it nevertheless sat very comfortably when loaded and in a cycling position. There is enough room between the tops of the shoulder straps and bag not to touch the back of a helmet and the waist strap ensures that it stays stable and central.

The only thing the Ortlieb lacks is reflectivity. With just one reflective Ortlieb logo plus stitching on the shoulder straps you obviously won’t stand out at night as much other bags, not just the Proviz REFLECT360, but most cycling-specific bags. It could be pretty easy to remedy this without ruining the chic style of the Ortlieb.

The Shimano Tokyo 23 has a capacity of 23 litres inside its water-resistant ballistic nylon outer. With its roll top – which may have been inspired by Ortlieb – extended, you could pack in even more, and it boasts a choice of four closure loops for its top buckle to fasten into, depending on how extended the top is, compared to Ortlieb’s three.

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And it has more zips than the King’s Road circa 1976. If you want to access the pack’s contents without operating the roll top buckle you can simply pull a long zip on the left and you’re in. On the right-hand side another long zip opens to reveal a padded laptop compartment that’s completely separate from the rest of the bag.

There’s also a front zipped compartment and a side one, plus one at the tough, tarpaulin-like base that stores a hi-viz rain cover.

Three Velcro straps with reflective trim across the front are intended to keep a helmet secure. There’s more reflectivity just above the base plus strips on both sides and on the fronts of the straps.

The back of the Shimano Tokyo 23 is stiffened and padded with raised blocks of foam to promote ventilation but, as anyone who uses their commute as a training ride will know, sweaty back syndrome is unavoidable if you’re putting in any kind of effort, and this mesh-covered foam will without a doubt get smelly in time.

The straps are wide and padded and felt comfortable supporting a 4.6kg load of standard commuting luggage including a MacBook, a pair of jeans, shoes, a towel and the usual other bits and pieces.

There’s an adjustable chest strap, which sits fairly low, but the lack of proper waist strap seems like a glaring omission. On the bike it’s absolutely essential to have a backpack secured around the waist unless you’re just pottering. As it is the Tokyo 23, loaded up, can swing and list and even worse ride up toward the back of the neck when you’re on the drops.

The VeloPac RidePac range has gradually increased over the last few years, with new designs of the standard model, softer fabrics and different size options. The RidePac Lite actually weighs 6g more than the original RidePac. But it does cost £12 less, so it’s light on your wallet rather than your rear pocket. It’s also made in the Far East rather than, as with the original, in the UK.

The RidePac Lite comes in black, blue, teal or mocha ripstop, waterproof nylon. Like the original RidePac there’s a waterproof zip, so your kit won’t get wet even if you’re riding damp roads and have it stashed in your middle pocket. So it’s a safe way to carry your phone, as well as your other bits and bobs, on your rides.

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Like the original RidePac, the RidePac Lite has a soft microfibre lining and some padding to keep your valuables from being damaged. You get an interior sleeve to keep your phone apart from other contents and there’s an internal zipped pocket and a credit card slot too.

The RidePac Lite is the same size as the standard RidePac too, so it will take phones up to the size of an iPhone 6 Plus or a Samsung Galaxy S6 Plus. It’s a useful way to keep all your ride essentials in one place and carry them with you into the café when you have a mid-ride stop. I find I can do without a saddle pack by carrying one.

>>> Should you use your phone instead of a cycling computer?

Even when loaded up, the RidePac sits comfortably in a jersey pocket. It rests closely against your back and stays put in your pocket – I’ve never had a problem with it falling out. There’s room for a few extra gels to share a pocket alongside it too.

The nylon outer skin of the RidePac Lite isn’t quite as resistant to dirt as the more pricey version though. The latter can be wiped clean easily, whereas the RidePac Lite is more prone to look mucky if you ride on wet roads or off road.

As well as the RidePac Lite, VeloPac has also recently introduced a leather RidePac. Priced at £50, this too is water resistant and comes in three colour options. VeloPac offers free UK delivery on all its products.

The Osprey Pandion 28 is a 28-litre backpack, with a metal skeleton "kickstand" designed to keep it upright when placed on the floor. Admittedly, it's not a commuting specific pack, but it does this job admirably.

If you’ve ever used a backpack not fit for the job on a bike you’ll know the nuisance it can be. It doesn’t vent heat well, it isn’t figure hugging and doesn’t have the required storage and pockets that cycling demands. Well, despite the fact that the Osprey Pandion 28 is not cycling specific, it still does these things admirably.

When holding the empty bag the kickstand makes it seem bulky and like it should sit uncomfortably on your back. But in reality the metal structure actually helps the bag holds its shape and even when filled to the brim it still sits remarkably flat without any bulges. Additional side straps help you cinch it down flatter still and it comes with waist and chest buckles.

There's also a suspended ventilated back panel which is designed to leave breathing room between the bag and your back.

Inevitably, the kickstand does add some weight to the pack, so that might be something to consider if your concerned about the heft of your bag. Happily though, the skeleton does a good job of avoiding getting in the way and it never sits uncomfortably.

The Osprey Pandion 28 is not the brand’s biggest pack, but it squeezes in everything I need for my day-to-day working life. For some context, my usual commute is 25km and includes me carrying a laptop (the Osprey Padion 28 has multiple sleeves to accommodate your computer or tablet), a notebook, my trainers, clothes, required cycling tools plus food and snacks. Inside the bag are plenty of pockets, but the ones inside the front compartment could perhaps be slightly bigger.

Once you’ve swung that onto your back it’s easy enough to forget its there, with it only intruding slightly when glancing over your shoulder. On occasion, I’ve overfilled it and it’s possible to feel it swinging a little on your back. So if you’re unsure about what capacity you need it’s always worth doing a “commute audit” and working out exactly what you take.

Watch: Hybrid bike buyer's guide

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN0j7vzkf8A

It’s disappointing that the bag is not equipped with a rain cover, but Osprey tells us this is because it's a day pack, rather than a bespoke commuting bag. Either way, it'd still be useful, and a rain cover prevents the underside getting mucky and provides additional reflective detailing when riding in the dark.

I’d also like to see it given a side pocket with an elasticised key chain. It’s something I’ve had on other Osprey packs and its convenience is immeasurable.

Travelling with an expensive phone is always a risk and even if it's insured it's always a good idea to take measures to protect it...  and that's where the Bellroy Phone Wallet comes in.

The Bellroy Phone Wallet is designed to hold some notes, cards and even folds to hold your phone up sideways, which is good when using the likes of Zwift with your phone (not ideal, I know).

The case surrounds the phone well and did a great job at protecting my iPhone – even from drops. With the cover over the screen it was protected from scratches and suchlike that might be acquired from being in a pocket or bag, so almost six months later my phone is still in great condition.

For someone who doesn't like bulk or carrying too much I found the Bellroy Phone Wallet card slots really useful. Out on a ride I didn't need to ensure I had both my phone and wallet (because if I had one I had the other!) and didn't need to use two pockets, either.

The two separate card sections offer versatility. One for frequently used cards and the other for cards or cash that are maybe used less often – these are slightly harder to get at as you'll need to open the flap fully.

The problems start with the hard outer case where the nice eucalyptus colour changed within first week of use – discoloured immediately by hands, sweat and general use. The outer, although robust, shows every mark and slight scratches are very obvious and not easy to remove – annoying considering the price.

You are treated to a luxurious feel, though, with quality materials that feel expensive and soft to the touch. The leather used is environmentally certified.

Unfortunately, the magnet used to hold the screen flap closed fell out within three months, so it doesn’t close securely any more and previous to the magnet falling out wasn't the most secure closure system I've seen anyway. This meant it was annoying when handling, as the cover always slid around or was half off the screen when in my bag or pocket.

The Bellroy Phone Wallet costs a lot of money compared to other cases doing the same thing, especially considering the magnet fell out and then didn’t function that well, along with the discolouring. However, Bellroy does give a three-year warranty which would cover much of our findings.

Your bike is always vulnerable to knocks and scrapes when you're storing or transporting it – and that's where the Fassa Separator bike protector comes in.

Until now – unless you have a cavernous garage with specific bike parking – the only real way of looking after your pride and joy when it's not being ridden was by either packing it away in a cumbersome bike bag or leaving it to the mercy of an oily old blanket.

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After suffering storage damage to their own bikes, the team behind the Fassa Separator bike protector decided there had to be a better way and, with necessity the mother of invention, the bike protector was born.

>>> Buy the Fassa Separator bike protector now for £60 

Construction

At 1,885mm in length the Fassa Separator is about 5cm longer than an adult-sized bike with wheels in, offering some wraparound protection at both ends. It measures 920mm in height and aims to cover a bike frame and seatpost completely, sitting under the bars.

Velcro straps are positioned to go over the stem and saddle to secure the Separator in place. It's worth noting here that this isn't a bag – it's more of a divider. Fassa felt that bags were too bulky and not what it really needed. In effect, the Fassa Separator is a padded bike blanket.

The Fassa Separator bike protector is made from ripstop polyethylene material with a 14 threads per inch rating – the highest strength rating there is. It's the sort of fabric used in military products, so suffice to say it is very, very strong. Available in both black and silver, Fassa says the silver also has a built-in ultra-violet light inhibitor, protecting your frame further still.

Sandwiched between the ripstop fabric of the Fassa Separator bike protector is 8mm of closed-cell foam padding, which obviously provides a decent level of bash and scratch protection, but Fassa says the foam also compresses around the bike, meaning more stability and less movement and rubbing when on the move.

Fassa Separator bike protector in use

Unpacking the Fassa Separator bike protector I really liked the simplicity of the product. There's nothing fancy about it – it's simply a padded divider that you can attach to your bike to stop it getting beaten up, or even to stop passers-by brushing past an oily drivetrain. For some, this will be journey's end for the Separator, leaving it to do its job in a hallway or garage when having to lean bikes against each other or against a wall.

As someone who is constantly travelling with a bike I found the Fassa Separator bike protector useful for the car. Although I need to remove wheels to fit my bike in, it was flexible enough to wrap around the frame and then lean the wheels up against it – providing frame, wheel and car protection all at once. If you're lucky enough to have a van to transport your bike and you can leave the wheels in, then it's ideal for racking bikes top to tail as a simple divider.

I do think Fassa is missing a trick with the Separator by not including another couple of Velcro tabs at the bottom to secure it to bike wheels. Then it could also be used when hanging a bike up on a hook – as is the the set-up in most bike garages – where the bikes inevitably get clanged together when getting one down.

When not in use, the Fassa Separator bike protector's low volume means it neatly packs down flat and is easy to stow away.

Value

It's really tricky to pass judgement on the Fassa Separator's value. For some people, spending £60 on what is effectively a padded blanked is far too much. However, it is really well made and once you've started using it it's hard to go back to the oily blanket in the boot.

Protecting a bike that's probably set you back a few grand will make it seem like great value to some people, but others will be happy to make do with what they've already got.

VeloPac has just revamped its RidePac with this KOM design – there’s a QOM model too for the ladies. They’re part of a collection of five new designs by illustrator and keen cyclist Spencer Wilson.

Made in the UK, the RidePac is a handy way to carry all your cycling bits and bobs around without having them jangling around in your pockets and digging into your back. It’s fitted fine into the pockets of every jersey and jacket I’ve tested, but it’s large enough to take larger phones such as the iPhone 7 Plus.

Mine currently carries my keys, phone, credit card, some cash, a hydration tablet, tyre levers, patches and a tyre boot, but it’s also had a CO2 inflator and other junk in it in the past, although that makes it bulge a bit. Its zipped pocket and inner sleeve mean that you can keep more delicate and valuable stuff apart from other junk. It’s got a soft microfiber lining so it won’t scratch your phone or other valuables either.

The RidePac is made of waterproof coated cotton with a waterproof zip, so it will withstand wheelspray from damp roads. It does tend to make your jersey a bit sweaty behind it though, as it stops air circulation. The new facing fabric is a bit softer than that on older RidePacs – I’ve been using an older Cavendish-themed one on every ride for the last two years and it’s still going strong.

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If you want something slimmer to keep your phone watertight, VeloPac makes a ziplock plastic PhonePac featuring the same range of designs. It’s a bit larger though, so you won’t be able to fit it inside the RidePac.

The Buxum Tourmalet Bike Box is a very bling-looking means of transporting your pride and joy by aeroplane. Fabricated from aluminium sheets pop-riveted together it arguably shares more engineering DNA with a Spitfire than with other bike boxes on the market.

Features

The Buxum opens and closes by way of four impressively sturdy twist latches (two on each side). These are very easy to operate and can be used in conjunction with cable ties and padlocks for added security. The twist latches stand out as being the best I have encountered on a bike bag or box. The quality of construction and components is felt throughout. The strategically placed handles feel good in the hand and work well too when loading or pushing the box.

I have been very impressed with the wheels too. Any travelling cyclist who has had to push their bike around a street, station or airport will appreciate how good wheels can make a real difference to your quality of life in those situations. Thanks to high-quality wheels, manoeuverability and pushing is excellent, meaning that when negotiating airports you won't be stressing about colliding with small children.

To improve the strength and rigidity of the box, there is also a crush pole that is inserted during the packing process. To pack the box you simply remove your pedals, wheels and seatpost. Handlebars can either be removed at the stem plate or steerer tube. Basically this is what you do with most leading bike bags and boxes. The key detail is that the Buxum Tourmalet allows you to leave the rear mech attached.

How well does it perform?

To test the box I flew to Majorca and transported a Cipollini NK1K inside it. The box is claimed to weigh 12.5 kgs with the bike weighing 7.4kgs. Into the box I also placed some basic tools such as Allen keys and my saddle pack. I also packed some Lycra into the box, which doubles up as padding. I placed my pedals into my hand luggage. Packing the bike into the box is fairly straightforward since it doesn't require removal of the rear mech.

The bike is secured via the dropouts and tightened with built-in skewers, in a design used by many bike stands. One niggle is that the front skewer is hard to tighten as it situated quite tight in against the inside of the box. This ergonomics of this interaction could perhaps be improved.

The wheels are deflated and inserted down the sides of the box. The wheel bags have a slot to allow for insertion of the crush pole. This does mean that if you have a solid disc wheel you can't use the crush pole. Unfortunately, even though I packed the box lightly it still went over the British Airways threshold of 23kg, hitting the scales at 25kg.

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This meant I had to pay a penalty fare of £65. Not ideal and something I would have avoided with a Bike Box Alan. By way of a comparison, on our scales the Buxum Tourmalet came in at 12.7kg, which is over a kilogram more than the 11.2kg Bike Box Alan. Although not a huge amount, it can easily be significant if your limit is 23kg as mine was.

Another disadvantage is with regard to disc brakes. The Velovault bike box features recesses to protect disc rotors, which is useful as it means you don't need to remove your rotors in transit. I would be concerned that if rotors were left attached to the wheels they could potentially be bent in transit. My reason for this, is that my rear wheel was able to dent the box from the inside during my travels, which can be seen in the picture below.

To clarify, you can use the Buxum Tourmalet if you have disc brakes: however, my recommendation would be to remove the rotors from the wheels.

The Buxum box draws many admiring glances from fellow cyclists and I like the way it looks. However, after just one journey to Majorca it was already battle scarred. The pop riveted aluminium was covered in scratches, scuffs and dents. While these marks were all cosmetic, I feel anyone who had paid the full retail price for the shiny Buxum box would be disappointed to see it get scratched and dented so easily.

Manhattan Portage has been designing and selling urban wear and bags since 1983. It originally catered for New Yorkers, turning outdoor wear and packs into fashionable items for city slickers.

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I've been testing the Manhattan Portage Harbor Bike Case, which is a saddle pack. It is made using a TPU membrane and nylon fabric with welded seams and locking waterproof zipper, which actually does make it completely waterproof.

This means tools, tubes or whatever you want to store in there will remain dry. Something that many saddle pack struggle with – and it could take your money and keys, if needed.

This saddle pack is one of the best looking on the market and so from that point of view Manhattan Portage have done what they have set out to do – providing outdoor packs for the urban environment.

The Harbor Bike Case is big enough to house a medium sized Allen key set, gas canister (with valve), a tube and levers. The watertight zipper opens very wide in a clamshell design making access easy. Two mesh pockets allow you to keep the contents tidy, too.

It's held in place under the saddle by one long Velcro strap. This indeed is very secure, allows fit to most if not all saddle types and means it is quick and easy to swap between bikes. The problem with this system is that you'll need to take off the saddle bag to gain access to the contents, something many other seat packs do allow without a hindrance to overall space.

Finally, while I do like this saddle pack, the one-strap design means it tends to hit/rattle on the back of the seatpost on a bumpy road. It's noisy and annoying. A few small changes will make this a perfect pack.

The Bellroy All-Conditions wallet offers water-resistance in a slim zipped pouch which can hold up to 12 cards along with some notes and coins.

Bellroy wallets have always tested well with us here at Cycling Weekly. They offer practical solutions to carrying your essentials in a sleek and attractive package.

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Three internal pockets keep the contents organised with frequently used cards and money kept separate from the bulk of your cards. However, the third pocket has a high cut so that if you stick cards or money in that pocket it is often hard to access them as the zip gets in the way.

The slightly bulky zip is there for a reason, though: to help keep water out. Since cyclists rarely immerse themselves completely, the All-Conditions wallet does not need to be totally waterproof – it is made of leather, after all – but it does keep out sweat and water ingress from rain and road spray from the rear wheel.

Previous tests on Bellroy products have shown good durability and I think over time this wallet will be the same. The zip is sturdy and the inner fabric hasn't scratched or damaged my cards.

This is a premium product and if, like me, you like minimum fuss and prefer one wallet that can go riding with you whilst not looking out of place at the pub, then Bellroy's All-Conditions wallet is a great choice. It comes in a number of colours too.

Osprey are a specialist when it comes to backpacks, catering for many different outdoor activities and sports.

TheOsprey Radial 26 is a cycling specific backpack, and with lots of well thought out features it is ideal for commuting cyclists. And incase you were wondering, '26' refers to the bag's capacity in litres.

>>> Best backpacks: a buyer's guide

So what makes this bag good? Firstly, the back of the Osprey Radial 26 is lifted away from your back using a feature Osprey excitingly labels ‘AirSpeed.’

The advantage of this is creating an air gap, which prevents your back getting sweaty and uncomfortable.

Through a clever stand design, the Osprey Radial 26 stays upright when you place it on the ground too, preventing it from falling over and damaging your gear.

There are a huge number of other useful features into this high quality pack, it's like the bag equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife.

The ‘LidLock’ allows you secure your helmet to outside of the bag, there is a plethora of pockets including a padded laptop sleeve and also a useful rain cover for our all too often brilliant weather.

My first impression was of a bag that is not the coolest, most fashionable out there - I doubt we would see Danny Zuko or the Fonz donning such a haversack, however the Osprey Radial 26 has won me over with it’s shear functionality.

A common design mantra is that form follows function and that if an object performs superbly then it becomes visually appealing. For me, the Radial has done that.

Osprey does a huge range of bags in different sizes, so for more information, head over to www.ospreyeurope.com

If you only carry a small amount of kit with you, but want to attach it to your bike rather than end up with bulging pockets, then the Dynawedge Micro might be the answer. With a capacity of just 350ml, there’s enough room for a spare tube, levers and a small multitool and that’s it. It does come with a removable internal pouch though, which uses Velcro to attach to the inside of the bag and could be used for some spare cash or other necessities.

>>> Multitool buyer's guide

The Dynawedge is a semi-rigid design made of EVA foam and has a long central water resistant zipper which opens along the rear and bottom of the pack. This would mean that the contents would fall out if you opened it when it’s attached to the bike, were it not for a nylon mesh which connects the two halves – again kept in place by Velcro.

Indeed Velcro is a recurring theme of the Dynawedge, as it uses two straps of the material to attach to the saddle rails. There’s also a rubber band strap to keep it looped around the seatpost. The attachment mechanism works pretty well, although since the Dynawedge is narrower than the gap between most saddles’ rails and the head of some seat posts can get in its way, I did find that occasionally one of the Velcro straps would come free. I also had to be careful how I mounted the rubber strap, as it could come loose and the tab on it tended to rub against my legs if it wasn’t centrally positioned.

Watch: What to pack for every sportive

Unlike many saddle packs, there’s no light loop, so if you want to show a rear lamp you will need to attach it to the frame. But since the Dynawedge is so diminutive, finding space for this really isn’t a problem.

>>> Blackburn Outpost seat pack review

Being rigid and made of water resistant materials, the Dynawedge has stood up well to the stream of muck and damp which its position on the bike exposes it to. But the small capacity has meant that I’ve ended up carrying more in my pockets than is my habit.

>>> Bellroy Elements sleeve review

Topeak does make the Dynawedge in a larger Small size too, with 800ml volume, if you do need some extra capacity. There’s a weatherproof version too if you want to keep your valuables a bit better protected from the elements.

The story behind the UK backpack manufacturer M-24 is a mix of young and dynamic entrepreneurship, innovative ideas and strong will.

In 2012, when he was 24, Mat Dusting started to design his own backpack as the ones he had purchased previously were not as resistant as he wanted them to be. He started experimenting with many materials, including an old lorry tarpaulin. However, sewing the tough material was harder than expected, so he had to partner up with two specialists. Four years after, M-24 not only produces backpacks but also gym duffle bags, wallets, keychains, t-shirts and water bottles (fortunately the last two not in tarpaulin).

>>> Best backpacks: a buyer's guide

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The name of the company, M-24, is also a mix of fantasy and cleverness that gives some extra points to the brand. The name could sound like a secondary version of the ring road that encircles Greater London (and recalls the lorries that drives on it and where the textile comes from), but it's actually the founder's name, initial and his age when he started the company.

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In terms of features, the very first think I noticed and appreciated about M-24 was its bright colours, which are very good in terms of visibility and safety for cyclists. Their materials are also among the most robust I have ever seen in a backpack, but a down side is that it takes a while to get used to the smell of tarpaulin. Yet, in a couple of weeks, it eventually reduces in intensity (or you just won't noticed it anymore).

Watch: five commuting tips

At the same time, though, it was a bit disappointing not to see an external pocket as some other similar backpacks provide. However, in view of the material it is made from, it is also understandable. At the same time, some really great and useful features are the extra internal, smaller pockets (that other backpacks of this kind do not feature), and the roll-top closure. This one is not only cool to see, but it provides great clearance in case you fill the backpack with more stuff, and in my opinion it keeps the water out of the bag better than most of the zippers on the market. Some extra buttons on the top of the bag also allow better closure (needed if you purchased the large version of the bag).

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For cycling, however, this backpack has some limitations. First of all, the material is not breathable and does not feature a pad to make it more comfortable when riding. Consequently, if you sweat during your commute, this would not be the best backpack to use. Secondly, even though the shoulder strap made with old seat belts are super cool and in line with the philosophy of M-24, they are not comfortable on the shoulders when you ride, as they bite into them. Moreover, when the bag is very full (the size L is probably too big for cycling) the weight makes this feeling even more severe and the bag moves a bit as it doesn't have any clips to hold it to the body.

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Finally, I think you can still cope with these features, particularly because the price of the M-24 (£75, mostly thanks to its direct sale through M-24's website and at events without the presence of middle men) is super interesting for a product that is likely to last many years and you will have a unique product.

For more information, visit the M-24 website.

Load lugging on your bike normally means racks and panniers – heavy options and ones which many modern road bikes are not designed to accommodate. Blackburn’s Outpost range is designed to address this by providing luggage which can be fitted to a normal road bike.

The Blackburn Outpost seat pack is essentially a massive version of the kind of saddlebag you use to carry a couple of tubes and your keys on a Sunday ride. It’s held in place by two Velcro straps on the seatpost and a clip-fastened strap which goes over the saddle rails. it comes in two parts: the outer nylon casing which fits to the bike and a removable inner which is a large conical dry sack with a capacity of 11 litres. Blackburn suggests a maximum weight of 4.5kg and does not recommend the Outpost for use with carbon seatposts.

Watch: what to pack for every sportive

That’s a lot of room, and it’s easy to turn down the top of the Blackburn Outpost seat pack and clip it fast to make it waterproof. I’ve loaded up the dry sack with a complete change of clothing for off the bike use and a second set of cycling kit and headed off for multi-day trips, as well as using it to pack smaller loads for long days out in changeable conditions.

>>> Velovault bike box review

The outer has a long tongue-like flap which clips over the dry sack to keep it in place, and which is adjustable for different load sizes. It’s got a range of fixing loops on it too, so you could potentially lash even more kit to the back. I used these to fix a rear light, although I found it difficult to get the light pointing in the right direction unless carrying a large load. With only a single compartment, getting at your kit such as rain gear during a ride is a bit fiddly too.

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As you’d expect with a bag of this size, the Blackburn Outpost seat pack rubs against your legs a bit on either side of the saddle, although I did not find this uncomfortable. I did not find that the protruding rear of the bag got in the way either when seated, but you can feel the additional weight sitting high up if you try to ride out of the saddle. It also makes getting a leg over the back to mount or dismount a bit tricky. But protruding so far backwards has the benefit of acting as an Ass Saver if you are riding on wet roads without mudguards.

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The Blackburn Outpost seat pack is a clever solution to add a lot of capacity and flexibility without bolting anything onto your bike and there’s a range of other Outpost bags if you want to carry even more kit.

For more details visit Zyro.

As the name of the Mafia Tour Pack backpack suggests, this product was not originally made for cycling, but for generally touring. But it does fit very well for riding, though.

>>> Best backpacks: a buyer's guide

The bags made by Mafia, a manufacturer based in California, are truly unique. As their main material is old sails, you can easily understand why these bags are not replicable. Two bags might come from the same, big, old sail, but their final cut will definitely be exclusive.

The design of the Mafia Tour Pack backpack is simple and clean, and apart from the internal storage, this backpack has just one front zippered pocket, a lateral opened pocket that can fit bottles and an internal sleeve that separates the main space from the back pad. I used this space mostly to put in paper or magazines, or eventually for my laptop, as the sleeve keeps this section separate from the rest from the rest of the stuff in the backpack.

>>> Review: Rapha backpack

Let's make it clear: this bag was not specifically designed for cycling, but despite this it is still very suitable. The shoulder straps are really comfortable and so is the back pad, and while you're riding the bag is not moving much on your shoulders. However, the material is not the most breathable I have tried and you can end up with a sweaty back, particularly if you're riding in a t-shirt rather than a cycling jersey.

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The top of the bag features a rolling closure which can extend to fit more things into the bag. Even though the space inside is quite large at 24 litres, I found it a bit chaotic to just throw all my stuff in the same space. What you can do is dividing them with extra bags, or put more into the front pocket, which is definitely large and suitable for wallet, cellphone, keys and other values.

To make it more fitted for cycling, an extra sternum strap and a waist belt would have been just perfect. But despite the fact that this backpack is cool and actually fits well while cycling, the down sides are the the non breathable back pad, the big and unique interior space and the price: £115.

For more details visit the Mafia website.

To be honest, there’s not that much to say about the Evoc saddle bag, but for as something as simple as a saddle bag, maybe that’s a good thing, as it ticks all the boxes you’d want from such a piece of kit.

Evoc makes saddle bags in three different sizes. If you want something small just to carry an inner tube and some tyre levers, then the Race saddle bag is for your, while if you want to have all the bases covered, then the bigger Tour model is the best option. And sitting between the two is this, the plain old Evoc saddle bag, with its 0.7 litre capacity and its 12x8x7.5cm dimensions.

>>> Seven essentials you need to take on every ride

What this basically mans is that the Evoc saddle bag is, for what I take on a ride at least, perfectly proportioned. Fully loaded, I found that there was enough space for two inner tube, a set of tyre levers, a multi-tool and a chain tool, with no vacant space for everything to bounce around and rattle every time I went over a bump.

Watch: how to clean your bike in seven minutes

Attaching the Evoc saddle bag is dead easy, with simply two Velcro straps looping around the saddle rails and then another that goes around the seatpost. This might be a no-frills setup, but it can’t be faulted when it comes to keeping the saddle bag firmly in place, and I never had any problems with it swaying from side to side or coming out of place to rub against the inside of my leg. However, I would have liked to see a slightly longer Velcro strap at the front to make it compatible with aero seatposts.

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As is the case with most Evoc kit, the saddle bag looks great too. It is available in three different colours (black, red, and, as we’ve got here) blue, all of which looks very smart and can be easily cleaned too.

The only fault I can find with the Evoc saddle bag is that while the Tour model can boast complete waterproofing, this standard model is only water-repellent, meaning that my multi-tool and chain breaker did begin to get a bit rusty over time.

For more details visit Silverfish.

Adding extra carrying capacity to a road bike is a bit of an art and anywhere where you can tuck a small bag is welcome. The Topeak FastFuel Tribag has a capacity of 0.6 litres and is designed to fit to the top tube of a triathlon or time trail bike for in-race feeding, or to a road bike.

Watch: how to beat long time trials

I’ve used it on the latter, where it’s help in place by two Velcro straps around the top tube and one around the head tube. It also comes with bolts to fix it to a tri bike, if there are fixing lugs built into the frame.

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The Topeak FastFuel Tribag is made of padded nylon and comes with a central divider with loop straps to organise your gels, so that they stick up and are easy to get at when on the move. There’s also a mesh side compartment running the length of the bag for a phone or other small kit. I usually put my phone and food in my jersey pockets, but have found the bag a useful place to store a couple of spare tubes and a multi-tool for longer excursions.

>>> How to get into triathlon: buyer's guide

There’s not a lot of capacity for much more than this though and I found that although it’s quite narrow, I still tended to rub my legs against the sides of the bag when climbing out of the saddle, necessitating a slightly bow-legged climbing style. Nevertheless, the Topeak FastFuel Tribag is useful to carry that bit extra for longer trips or to organise your fuel if you’re competing in a triathlon this summer.

For more details visit Extra UK.

The Arundel Dual saddle bag is the Texan company’s middle brother in its saddle bag range, larger than the Uno but not quite as large as the Tubi. It has a very retro and simple look in its appearance and also its function.

>>> Seven essentials you need to take on every ride

As its name states, the Arundel Dual saddle bag is more than capable of storing two standard inner tubes. Alongside the tubes there was enough spare space to store a CO2 inflator, multi-tool, tyre levers and spare CO2 cartridge. The contents were easy to access due to the standard, non waterproof zip spanning almost half of its circumference.

Watch: our pick of the best products from April

The oval and thin shape of the pack is very traditional and looks great on the bike. The pack is made of a hardwearing and durable canvas and has seven colour options for the trim, to match your bike or for a different bag for each day of the week!

>>> Your guide to sportive kit bag essentials

The design of the Arundel Dual saddle bag is not perfect though, despite its ample capacity. The lack of waterproof zip and unsealed seams meant items left inside did get damp in the rain. In use the simple, single strap system does mean that the pack can move about quite a bit unless fully packed. This also brings about some annoying rattling unless the pack is cinched to within an inch of its life.

There is a handsome leather path to protect your seatpost but rubbing does still occur. A small strap for around the seatpost would make it slightly slower to mount but would cure the problems.

For more details visit the Saddlback website.

Just about big enough to fit a spare tube, multitool and a very small CO2 inflator, the Fizik I.C.S. Saddle Pak is a neat little pack with a drop down design. The hinged back section is accessed via a waterproof zip allowing full and easy access to the contents.

>>> Seven essentials to take with you on every ride

The I.C.S. (Integrated Clip System) is a simple solution to attaching accessories to a Fizik saddle. As well as saddle bags, lights and other accessories are available. The Fizik I.C.S. Saddle Pak's mounting system fits into the slot hidden behind the logo on the saddle’s base. There is an allen key adjustment for the angle of the bag, although once it was initially tightened I never felt the need to fiddle with the angle.

Watch: our pick of the best products from the last month of testing

The pack fits unobtrusively behind the saddle and when clipped in place remained silent throughout my time testing it. The material the Fizik I.C.S. Saddle Pak is made from is sturdy and waterproof with neat reflective accents; however the seams are not waterproof so water will get in.

>>> 11 bike maintenance mistakes and how to avoid them

The grey colour of the pack also means that dirt is more obvious so if you are concerned by appearances you will need to clean it more regularly. The Fizik I.C.S. Saddle Pak is also available with a standard strap fitment so riders without an appropriate saddle can still utilise the design.

A great value bag if you just want to carry smaller items, especially if you currently own a Fizik saddle.

The Lezyne M-Caddy QR saddle bag features a raft of really neat features typical to Lezyne products. If you are not aware of Lezyne’s take on bags they tend to be about organisation and integration and this one follows suit.

>>> Seven essentials you need to take on every ride

The QR in the name applies to the fitting system that consists of a plastic clamp that attached to the back of your saddle rails and holds the bag solidly in place away from delicate bike parts with no rattles or fuss. Don’t be tempted to over tighten the clamp, it remained solidly in place with minimal fuss. The plastic construction could crack if tightened too much.

The wide, drop down rear of Lezyne M-Caddy QR saddle bag opens with a waterproof zip. Inside you are treated to several small compartments all easily labelled with what they should contain – obviously the implication is to purchase the Lezyne products that fit perfectly in these slots but other brands also fit with the usual essentials fitting easily

>>> 11 bike maintenance mistakes and how to avoid them

The construction is of durable, waterproof nylon and the rear part is wipe clean and features a reflective light loop, again seams are not waterproof so keep checking the contents. A really clever feature is the secure external pocket for your multitool, Lezyne has realised that this is the one tool to have quickly to hand. A really well thought out bag for neat riders.

The Backpack epitomises everything we've come to expect from Rapha- aesthetically pleasing and astounding attention to detail, but with a fairly substantial price tag.

The Backpack's design, with its dark colours save for the single red stripe and reflective dimples,  is unquestionably very stylish. In addition to the pleasing aesthetics it has all the features you could want from a cycling specific rucksack and more!

>>> Best backpacks: a buyer's guide

It is made from water resistant material, has reflective pin dots (on the straps, sides and bottom of the bag), two main compartments, sections for a laptop and tablet, is expandable, has contoured padding and multiple zip pockets. If that wasn't enough there is a soft internal pocket for sunglasses, clips to stop the straps blowing in the wind and a loop for you to clip a rear light!

>>> Buyer's guide to rear lights 

Amongst the elaborate functions, importantly the core elements of the bag performed really well. It is durable, the zips are good quality and it’s pretty comfortable. Also, the water resistant material was fine in light drizzle and in the event of heavy rain you can rely on the invaluable zip away bright pink rain cover - which keeps the contents of your bag dry and should make you more visible.

The only criticism of the Rapha Backpack is that on the days that you need to carry more than usual you'd want a slightly bigger bag with thicker padding on the shoulders.

For anyone tired of protecting their phone with a sealable sandwich bag, this offering from Bellroy is a great choice and a wise investment, even if it is a little pricy.

There’s a main compartment inside suitable for a range of smartphones, plus several other pockets for cards, cash, keys, a spare SIM card and even a passport.

In fact, this Bellroy Elements Phone Pocket Plus got its first use as a travel wallet on a trip to the Tour de France in the summer, and performed this role perfectly.

Back on the bike, I used on a very rainy ride around Snowdonia and during some heavy showers in Surrey, and it kept its contents safe and dry. This is now a permanent feature on all rides and there'll be no going back to inferior phone carrying options.

Its ergonomic shape lets it slip right into a standard cycling jersey or jacket pocket and it can be grabbed just as easily on the move or in the queue at the cafe stop.

Heading into the wetter months, having this to protect my phone and keep my money from getting soggy means there's one less thing to worry about when it starts raining (or snowing!).

For more, visit Bellroy

Howies’ Little Haven pack has a capacity of 10 litres and a host of well thought out cycling friendly features. The pack has a single main pocket with a double zip, a long narrow front pocket which is good for tools or a pump and a small zipped valuables pocket. There are also two elasticated side pockets which will each fit a bottle, two helmet fixing loops and a carrying handle.

>>> Best backpacks: a buyer's guide

Inside the main pocket, there’s a sleeve and hanging loop for a bladder and there’s an exit hole for the drinking tube near the right shoulder.

There are plenty of subtle reflective elements built in: the side pockets and base of the pack have reflective ribbing, there’s a reflective light loop on the lower back and the Howies logo is also reflective, so there’s good low light visibility.

The pack’s shoulder straps are made of a wide mesh so that they don’t get sweaty and they have a chest strap to keep the pack stable which is part elasticated so that it has a bit of give and sits more comfortably. The bottom of the straps is lightly padded and there are reflective strips which sit on the front of the shoulders.

The nylon webbing lower part of the straps comes with a clever winder which fits to the bottom of the length adjuster, so that the ends of the straps form a coil and are not left flapping around.

I found the pack to be a great size for commuting and day ride duties. It stays comfortable to wear and does not give you a sweaty back due to the four padded areas which ensure good air circulation. There’s a slight tendency to bump around when riding out of the saddle, although the wide straps and the elasticated chest strap do a good job keeping this under control.

The Little Haven shrugs off damp and mud from the back wheel, but if things start to get really wet, there’s a raincover attached to the pack and hidden in a pocket in the base. This is blue with a large reflective “Keep Right” sign (or Keep Left on the Continent).

If you need more load space, the Broad Haven pack has similar features, more pockets and increases the volume to 18 litres.

If you are lucky enough to heading to warmer climes and are planning on taking your bike with you then a bike specific bag or box is an essential item in order to make sure your pride and joy reaches your destination in one piece.

>>> Evoc Bike Bag review

We have flown with bikes on many occasions and Bike Box Alan remains the best solution we have found. Starting at £448 the box is customisable with regard to stickers and colour – Bike Box actually supplied us with a box for review featuring Cycling Weekly stickers.

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If the upfront cost of buying a box is too expensive, the boxes can rented for £60 per week, but considering the box has a seven year guarantee, it will pay for itself overtime if you are planning to go away on multiple trips. It is also worth factoring in the potential added expense of fixing or repairing a damaged bike, the risk of which is considerably reduced with a hard case such as this.

Packing the Bike Box Alan is easy. Tyres are deflated and wheels are held in place by their skewers in special recesses in the lid. Pedals are removed along with the bars. In some cases, you may need to remove your stem too, depending on your frame. The saddle is often removed, but again in some cases can be slotted down into its lowest position, as pictured.

>>> For buyers guides, click here

A large number of velcro straps hold everything in place and the anti crush pole is inserted. There is space and velcro tabs for tools such as track pumps and plenty of space for a helmet or clothing. Adding bags of clothing further pads out the box too. A second layer of foam is added and box closed.

It is easy to pack and typically takes 15 mins when you know what you are doing. Aside from the sturdiness of the box and ease of packing, a big advantage is that you do not need to remove your rear mech. This makes packing and unpacking quicker.

The weight of the box is 11.2kg. Most airlines tend to have a weight limit on bikes around 20-30kg, so it is easy to make sure it is under, considering most bikes weigh in the region of 8kgs.

When you actually see baggage handlers 'handling' baggage you become very thankful that your precious bike is in a hard case. We took this photo out of a plane window and the benefits of a hard case were obvious. There were worried facial expressions on all my fellow travellers who were using soft cases. The demands placed upon baggage staff mean that carefully and delicately handling every bag/box is not possible.

For more information, head over to Bike Box Alan.

Having only launched at the Milton Keynes round of the Cyclo-Cross World Cup last November, Radial Cycles is certainly one of the newest brands to spring up in an attempt to grab a share of UK’s cycling boom.

We’ll hopefully have a few of company’s bikes in for review in due course, but in the meantime we’re taking our time to look at a few items from Radial’s extensive range of parts and accessories. First up is the Porter saddle bag.

This saddle bag comes in two sizes, medium and small. The small version that we had in to test was certainly one of the most compact bags we’ve seen, fitting snuggly under the saddle well out of the way of our pedal stroke, even on a narrow saddle, such as the Essax Adrenaline R. The Velcro straps used to keep it in place are very secure and did a good job preventing the bag from moving from side-to-side.

>>>Review: Topeak Aero Wedge iGlow saddle bag

Of course the small size means that this isn’t exactly going to be your saddle bag of choice for a multi-day touring trip (Radial offer other models in significantly larger sizes), however it is, just about, the right size for the everyday essentials. It was snug, but we were able to fit an inner tube, tyre levers, and a decent-sized multi-tool into the Porter’s main compartment. A small secondary compartment is located on the side and is perfect for storing keys and loose change if you’re worried about losing them from your back pocket.

The main problem we had was when it came to getting things out of the Radial Cycles Porter saddle bag. The decision to include two pockets on such a small saddle bag means that the zip to access the main compartment has been moved to the side of the bag. This made it awkward to access items in the bag, and we found ourselves emptying the bag completely in order to find what we were after.

However in general the Porter saddle bag is very well constructed, with the tarpaulin and ripstop nylon construction proving very sturdy, and the reflective details giving a final nice touch.

For more details visit the Radial Cycles website.

This isn't the first time we've seen an ILE bag here at Cycling Weekly. We tested their Race Day bag and we liked some of the features, especially the materials, but we didn't get on very well with the bag in practice.

The Apex Day Pack should be a very different beast indeed. Not only is it a lot smaller, only 11 litres, its stripped down design should be a lot more user friendly.

>>> Best backpacks: a buyer's guide

As with the Race Day Bag, the Apex first grabbed our attention with its lovely materials. A choice of either Cordura, Waxed Canvas or XPAC - a waterproof sailcloth - are available, as are a variety of colours, including a particularly bright model with reflective paneling, although our bright red test bag certainly caught the eye too.

Our test bag was made up of Cordura, and it's as tough as it is soft. A great combination of qualities, and perfect for backpack use. ILE must be confident in the quality, because they offer a lifetime warranty on materials and craftsmanship. That quality, and the fact the bag comes with the 'Handmade in San Francisco' tag, goes some way to explaining the price of £124.

As mentioned, it's a fairly small bag. My normal day-to-day rucksack is an Alpkit Gourdon, a 20 litre roll top that is the epitome of simplicity. I was looking forward to downsizing to the Apex though, as I often don't need the space the Gourdon 20 provides. And for the days I do need a bit more space, the rolltop closure enables a little flexibility with the amount you can carry.

Rolltop backpacks tend to be very simple; it's the key to their success. The Apex goes with this philosophy, but improves it slightly, thanks to the large front opening. It's one of those features I never knew I was missing until I tried it. The ability to remove an item from the bottom of the bag without first removing everything else inside is a great feaure.

The small zip at the top of the bag wasn't such a revolutionary idea. It's big enough to pass a bladder straw or headphone cable through, but why not just have a small rubber hole for either of these uses?

Unless  you want to run multiple items through the opening then it seems uneccessary to me. Frustratingly, it's too small to get a hand in, otherwise it'd be handy for quickly grabbing something at the top of the bag.

In general use, the Apex Day Pack is a good piece of kit. It's a comfy bag, with a generous amount of back padding, and soft straps. The fit of the straps is quite wide, which really helped the comfort levels when the bag was fully loaded, although for someone with narrow shoulders, like me, it had a tendency to slip off a shoulder unless the chest strap was engaged.

The Topeak iGlow saddle bag takes its place among the rest of the brand’s iGlow range, which currently consists of two mudguards and a mini pump. What’s special about this range is that Topeak has its standard products and integrated them with LEDs in order to increase visibility.

But what actually most impressed us was that behind the headline LEDs, this is fundamentally a very good saddle bag. The Topeak iGlow saddle bag is secured using Topeak’s QuickClick system – a similar concept to the system used by the Fizik Take saddle pack, just executed with a little more success.

The QuickClick system means that instead of the usual straps which you wrap around the saddle rails and the base of the bag, the main body is simply clipped into a small bracket which is bolted onto the saddle rails, with the front then attached to the seatpost with a Velcro strap.

The benefits of this are threefold: firstly, the saddle bag is exceptionally easy to attach and detach, even in gloves; secondly, it is held firmly in place, with no swaying from side to side and bashing against the insides of your thighs; and thirdly you can use same clip to hold other Topeak accessories, such as their range of Redlite rear lights.

If there’s one problem with the QuickClick system, it’s that the bolt which fits to the saddle rail needs to be fitted to the horizontal part of the rail, meaning that if you have your saddle pushed all the way forward it may not fit.

Topeak currently only offer the iGlow version of the Aero Wedge saddle bag in a single size, which comes with a 0.8l capacity, the equivalent of a small for any existing Aero Wedge disciples out there.

This is by no means the biggest saddle bag in the world, but is more than adequate, and we could comfortably fit two innertubes, a mini tool, chain breaker, and a set of tyre levers inside. A little bit of space is taken up by the two CR2032 batteries needed to power the light, but not enough for us to complain about.

But onto those red LEDs, which are the apparent big selling point of the Topeak iGlow saddle bag. Topeak don’t offer figures on the brightness of the three LEDs which are integrated into the rear of the saddle bag, but we certainly wouldn’t feel comfortable heading out after dark without a good dedicated rear light such as the Exposure Blaze.

However, the iGlow could be a useful backup for when your main lights fail as the blinking and constant modes work well, and can easily be switched between by pressing the back of the bag. The claimed 50 hour run time is also good.

However, there’s the small, or not so small, matter of the price… The addition of the LEDs means that the Topeak iGlow saddle bag will hit your wallet twice as hard as the standard model. There’s no escaping the fact that £36.99 is an awful lot for a relatively small saddle bag, especially with the main selling point coming up short of the mark.