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review

Il Soigneur Musette

8
£25.00

VERDICT:

8
10
Fashionable and functional casual bag that lets the world know you're a cyclist but doesn't shout about it.
Weight: 
192g
Contact: 
www.ilsoigneur.co.uk

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There's been a bit of a revival in interest in the good old musette of late. They've become a bit of a fashionable option for toting your bits and pieces about on the bike and off- a badge that says 'I'm a cyclist' in a moderately low-key way, even in your everyday life.

Il Soigneur are a small Bristol-based company who are clearly a part of this revival. Their musette bags are produced in limited runs of designs, meaning only a couple of other people at most will have the same bag, and they aim to be simple, inexpensive (between £25-£35) and just a little bit cool. Fabrics are design led and high quality.

The classic musette I tested came in a kitsch retro print aimed at the female cyclist, but designs are available to please anyone and one of the most interesting ranges is that made from banners taken from British Cycling events such as the World Track Championships- unique and a little piece of history. It's a simple bag, made from heavy duty cotton fabric, with press stuff fastenings and a tough webbing strap. There's also a reflective tag.

When wearing the bag, it's comfortable and sits in a good cross body position, with the strap nicely shaped to facilitate this. It'll take a decent amount of weight, but given the size and dimensions, and its design, you'll not be wanting to use it for heavyweight commuting purposes anyway. This is more a casual lifestyle bag.

Provided what you're wearing isn't slippery or especially smooth, the bag does stay put quite well when riding, but not as well when wearing low friction technical fabrics such as waterproof or windproof shells. It's better suited to use with merino tops or some of the more cotton like fabrics that are available in riding kit. It folds up and fits neatly into a jersey pocket as well, so makes a good option for about town visits where shopping might happen.

Verdict

A fashionable and functional casual bag that lets the world know you're a cyclist but doesn't shout about it.

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Il Soigneur Musette

Size tested: Any

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

For those looking for a traditional musette styled bag with a modern twist.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Made from hardwearing fabrics

3 press stud fastening

Tough webbing across body strap

Reflective tag

Limited run prints

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
10/10

Really beautifully made with great attention to detail and high quality materials

Rate the product for performance:
 
7/10

Very good as long as you're not wearing slippery technical fabrics.

Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10

Pretty much bomb-proof materials and build.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10

A simple, lightweight bag.

Rate the product for comfort, if applicable:
 
7/10

Very comfortable indeed as long as bag stays in position. See note about slippery fabrics.

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Great value for an unusual and quirky nod to cycling tradition with genuine functionality.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed really well.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Designs, strap, simplicity

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Occasional tendency to slide around if wearing slippery technical fabrics underneath.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? I already have.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes. Or buy as a gift.

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

Quirky, cool and really rather useful.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

 

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

Add new comment

10 comments

Avatar
Joselito | 12 years ago
0 likes

Got one. Well, two actually.
Mine is one made from the banners used to advertise Track Champs at MCR velodrome and is the right size and tough enough for a D lock and cable plus a couple of other necessities. Strap is a good length to stay in the right place whilst riding. Technology-wise, you'd prob only get a notebook / ipad in it, certainly not a laptop.
Bought the other for the lady and she says it's too posh too use for a D lock! She uses it as a travelling light handbag. Well made, well chosen materials and look good.
Recommended, certainly worth the £ given the limited number of each bag. To paraphrase Lux Interior '...dedicated to all the Il Soigneur mussette carriers out there - 'You've got good taste.'

Avatar
bikecellar | 12 years ago
0 likes

So, not everyone is feeling the pinch in these "straightened times"? I have a mussette from the 70s handed up to me in a stage race in Brittany it bears the supermarket name UNICA can we start bidding at £100?

Avatar
alexpalacefan | 12 years ago
0 likes

Poncy hand-bag for roadies. And since when is £25 inexpensive?
APF

Avatar
step-hent replied to alexpalacefan | 12 years ago
0 likes
alexpalacefan wrote:

Poncy hand-bag for roadies. And since when is £25 inexpensive?
APF

nothing wrong with that. have looked at some of their others, and reckon one of these would supplement my poncy man-bag for pedestrians quite nicely  4

Avatar
bobinski replied to alexpalacefan | 12 years ago
0 likes
alexpalacefan wrote:

Poncy hand-bag for roadies.
APF

that's the attraction  3 !

Avatar
Simon_MacMichael replied to alexpalacefan | 12 years ago
0 likes
alexpalacefan wrote:

Poncy hand-bag for roadies. And since when is £25 inexpensive?
APF

I'm pretty sure we've reviewed bikes on the site that cost (RRP) less than a couple of bags the missus owns.

Thank God for the Sales.

Avatar
Tony Farrelly replied to alexpalacefan | 12 years ago
0 likes
alexpalacefan wrote:

Poncy hand-bag for roadies. And since when is £25 inexpensive?
APF

£25 for something handmade in the UK isn't that expensive

Avatar
bobinski | 12 years ago
0 likes

Want...

Have been holding off on the Solo musette and glad i did. Choice of designs should satisfy most cyclists.I think a loop or attachment for an led light would be sensible.

Avatar
notfastenough | 12 years ago
0 likes

Can't help thinking it would make a cool laptop bag...

(making assumptions about size here, I'll have to check...)

Avatar
Simon_MacMichael | 12 years ago
0 likes

Mon dieu! I know someone who would LOVE that - and Christmas is round the corner  3

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