bike bag

San Francisco's Chrome has been making ultra-tough messenger bags for donkeys' years but only recently have they been making commuter-focused bags, and the Krakow is the smallest of their rucksack-like laptop carriers.

On first impressions, it's sleek, smart and very robust. The straps are comfy, and adjusted by industrial-style camlock grippers. All very flash: it makes you feel like you're off exploring, even if you're only riding along the Brompton Road to the office.

Altura’s Aero Post rack is something of a handful off the bike but with a substantial (3kg) payload, it’s a keenly priced and well-conceived alternative to small panniers for day riding that doesn’t spoil the clean lines or crisp handling of road/audax, cross and racier mountain bikes. However, dimensions mean it's best suited to machines with at least 15cm of exposed seatpost.