Axiom Pannier Bag Rackbook Pro

While it's showerproof and stays in place well enough, there are better commuting panniers than the Axiom Rackbook Pro.

This Axiom Rackbook Pro makes my prejudices itch. Prejudice one: all commuting luggage should be made of waterproof material, because it rains and I don't want my stuff getting wet, especially when that stuff is a £1,000 laptop. Prejudice two: hook-and-elastic pannier attachment systems are obsolete and potentially dangerous.

There are worse bags than this when it comes to weather resistance. The Rackbook Pro is made of high denier polyester that's not just durable but genuinely showerproof. There's a rain cover too, which will help further. But you can get a genuinely waterproof pannier for the same money. Why wouldn't you?

It's the same with attachment systems: you can buy panniers with positionable hooks, enabling you to fit the bag where you want on the bike rack, and with clever retention systems that are secure but are still easy-on, easy-off. The QL1 fittings on Ortlieb's Front Roller City panniers are a good example. So again: why wouldn't you?

Knotty problem

The Rackbook Pro uses the same fixed-position hooks as the Axiom Kingston Commuter, which I reviewed a while ago. They're stiff to get on and off the rack but won't come off easily by accident either. The bottom of the bag stays in place using a metal hook on the end of some knotted luggage elastic. This is kept some distance from the spokes by a fabric loop at the bottom of the bag. But if either of the knots came undone, the hook could end up in the spokes, stopping the wheel, slewing you to a halt, and maybe causing an accident.

These knots come undone easily. If they're not tightly tied, pressure on the end of the elastic can undo the knot; I did it with one finger. Even when tied tightly, the knots came undone trivially easily, due to the thickness and springiness of the elastic cord. It's worth adding, however, that Axiom report no instances of hooks going into spokes. I'm not saying it will happen, merely that it's possible, and that other bags don't have this issue.

The other features are what you'd expect from a briefcase pannier. There's a padded laptop pocket, sized 12x10x1.5in, so a bit small for my MacBook. There's a variety of other pockets, including a useful one one in the outer flap, plus a shoulder strap, some reflectivity, and tabs for LED lights.

If you have a small laptop, won't be riding in downpours, and don't mind the attachment system, the Rackbook Pro will do the job. But even then, there are plenty of office bags that will do it better. If you don't share my prejudices, at least shop around. If you do, avoid; you'll hate it.

Verdict

Primitive fixings. Not waterproof. Use the Rackbook Pro? For my MacBook, no.