Life In The Saddle

This week's review is another great product from Portland based PNW Components – their compact and comfortable Rover Hip Pack. Made from super durable sailcloth material, with an air mesh padded back panel and a plethora of pockets for all your trail essentials; the PNW Rover Hip Pack is the ideal companion for off-road adventures in the forest, bike park or on gravel adventures. I was an early adopter of the bar bag on my gravel and road pursuits (check out my previous posts on 'bar bags' ); embracing the feeling of carrying little in your pockets, and letting the bike take the load. On mountain bike adventures a bar bag is less suitable though, as they bounce around too enthusiastically; the solution is a hip pack.  A hip pack is different from a 'bum bag' – the latter is designed to sit around your hips, whereas this is really a 'waist pack' that is meant to sit higher up on top of your hip bones, around your waist. Perched on top of your hips it can com...

Chrome Industries make some of the best cycling backpacks in the world; keeping your kit safe and dry as you ride through the urban landscape day after day. The new Chrome Bravo 3.0 Urban Cycling Backpack is presented as ‘the ultimate urban rolltop’: featuring a roll-top waterproof compartment, quick-access laptop pocket and an additional cargo carrying strap system. The Bravo 3.0 is a 35-litre backpack made from super durable 1050D water-resistant nylon, with a recycled polyester lining. Inside the main compartment there is also a removable taped-seam waterproof tote bag that provides further weather protection for the contents and a further versatile kit carrying option. The front pocket offers an organisation area, with room for pens and small valuables, as well as a padded laptop sleeve that will accommodate up to a 15-inch laptop. On both sides of the cross-vented moulded back panel there are hidden phone/wallet pockets that allow you to stow these personal belonging safely but...

There are few backpack brands that have so rich a heritage as Deuter; and there are probably no other mountain biking backpacks that have the prestige of the Deuter Trans Alpine Pro. I have always known someone that has one of these iconic go-anywhere packs, then this year I had the chance to own and test one myself. Here is my review… The Deuter Trans Alpine Pro 28 is designed for epic adventures. The rugged design, extensive storage options, comfortable back system harness, and bike-specific features create a backpack that will carry your kit safely and securely on explorations into the most testing terrain. A Comfortable Carry  The harness design is the thing that sets great mountain biking backpacks apart from good ones. The Deuter Trans Alpine Pro 28 features a superbly comfortable back system—combining Deuter's AirStripes technology with Air-Mesh shoulder and waist straps. Anatomically shaped breathable shoulder straps adjust to your torso, while a sternum strap and 'h...

Chrome Industries are an icon in the world of bicycle courier luggage. More than twenty years ago, in the city of Boulder (Colorado) the brand created the sling messenger bag out of seatbelt buckles and straps, five bar webbing, and a double-lined waterproof truck tarpaulin interior. Their tag-line reads ' Building Indestructible Gear Since 1995 '—a claim they reliably hold true to. The Chrome Barrage Cargo Backpack is a new leading light in their indestructible messenger bag waterproof backpack line-up—created to be the ultimate roll-top bike messenger rucksack. Capable of carry your daily cycle commute load or your weekend adventure kit—this backpack is as versatile and hardcore as they come. The Barrage Cargo is made from abrasion resistant 1050D Nylon, with a welded waterproof truck tarpaulin liner, and a classic waterproof roll-top closure. The design makes it a watertight load carrier—with the cavernous main compartment safely accommodating 22 litres of gear, includi...

Commuting by bike shouldn't be stressful, but an easy way to make it so, is getting your valuables soaked whilst riding. A fully waterproof cycling backpack is the simple solution — the Overboard Bags Velodry 20 is an innovative and well made example. I have tested a number of products from Overboard over the last year; including their superb 60L Pro-Sports Waterproof Duffel Bag and their very useful Waterproof Accessory Bags . The quality has always been high, and with the Pro-Sports Duffel bag in particular I was very impressed by the attention to detail in areas such as pocketing and reflective elements. The new Velodry 20 Waterproof Backpack is part of the brand's new 'Technical' line-up; it is an advanced product, showcasing a lot of R&D into the features demanded by an all-weather commuting cyclist. This is not just a water-resistant backpack, or a backpack with a waterproof cover; it is a fully submersible capsule bag, which is completely watertight ...

KitBrix bags have accompanied me on numerous adventures. Their bombproof and organised design makes them ideal as race-day kit bags or equipment carriers. The CityBrix Backpack is a new release from the South Coast based brand; an everyday rucksack for the ultimate organisation in both work and play. I travel a lot these days; sometimes out of choice, sometimes out of necessity. After a while you become less stressed by the hassles and deadlines of international and daily travel, and you learn certain tricks to make things run more smoothly. One of those tricks is luggage… having the correct bag makes a significant difference to how organised and efficient you are when travelling. The CityBrix Backpack takes the hard bottom base, rugged water-resistant exterior, and compartmentalised design of the original KitBrix bags, and morphs it into a comfortable and practical everyday backpack. It is a clever and effective design. Let's take a deeper look… Compartmentalised Stor...

Thule produce some of the world's best travel bags and everyday backpacks (take a look a my past reviews of Thule products here ). This July, the Swedish brand launched their new on-the-bike hydration pack range, and that got me excited; because I know how clever, intuitive and long-lived Thule bags are. The new Thule Vital 8 Hydration Pack Backpack has not disappointed... I met the designer of the Thule bags range at Eurobike this summer, and he was just as I expected he would be — passionate, enthused, and with a real attention to detail. He explained how the design team enjoys "geeking out" on the Thule bags, and adding innovative and unique features, motivated by real world testing. Innovation and uniqueness is certainly something I have seen in abundance with my past Thule bag reviews, and the same attributes shine through with the new hydration pack range. The Thule Vital 8 is made to be an all-day mountain biking or bike-packing backpack. With 2.5 litres of...