Bags

Ogio don't sell specifically this as a bike bag – it's promoted for mixed use – and to be honest it shows. Although it's well made it doesn't have those little touches which make a bag ideal for use on two wheels. On upright machines and short hops it's fine, but if your ride is longer or your position lower then you're better off looking elsewhere. On the plus side, it will swallow masses of kit.

Carradice have been around for a long time, are beloved by bearded men on antique steel tourers and I have been warned that saying anything disparaging about this Super C would result in me being pursued to the ends of the earth by gnarly CTC types. That is to say, slowly and with frequent breaks for tea and cake.

Happily I came to love this bag, but it took a while...

Carradice are a well-established British company with a long and noble history of supplying luggage hauling apparatus to gnarly tourists and beardy Audax types. On the assumption that these people must also have jobs they make this pannier bag specifically for the office based commuter and it's a high quality bag that should last for many years. It isn't cheap, at £65, but this kind of quality is worth paying for.

The Banjo Brother’s Commuter Back Pack might be just the thing if you don’t like messenger bags, or find panniers inconvenient. A two layer belt and braces waterproof design consisting of a “ballistic” nylon outer designed to resist the day to day rough n’ tumble while a nylon liner catches the contents and avoids the bin liner ritual. The subtle satin black livery looks classy sans bike while reflective striping and obligatory Led tab are nice safety features.

The Lezyne L-Caddy is a smart looking seatpack that's large enough for three tubes at a squeeze but narrow enough to never catch on your thighs. It's a great option for long rides, light touring or day adventures. If you are a rider who likes to jump on a bike safe in the knowledge that all kit is conveniently stored beneath your seat then this would be a great option.

The Tour Guide might be the solution for day riders or those wanting to keep valuables close to hand. Measuring a mere 16.5 x 10 x 18.5cm, the bag demands efficient packing but the main compartment swallows a compact camera, MP3 player, energy bars and a multi tool, whilst the convenient side pockets are great for stashing credit card, keys and notes/change. It converts into a bum-bag but mercifully there’s an integral carry handle and shoulder strap for those of us who regard “Fanny packs” as the height of fashion faux pas.

The Dutch know a thing or two about utility cycling and Agu’s 130 could be an ideal no-frills pannier for commuters in a hurry. However, it feels a little quaint and it's pricey considering what else is on offer for this kind of money.

The Boblbee Megalopolis is, I grant you, not a very catchy name for a backpack. It’s not primarily intended for cyclists, but this piece of kit is safety accredited as TUV/CE as a back protection device and it can provide a valuable service to road riders, especially those of us that do battle with the traffic or need extra back protection.

The hump is a waterproof Hi-Viz cover designed to fit over rucksacks and panniers with 40 litre capacities. Sizing seems pretty universal and fitting couldn’t be simpler (although proved a struggle on some panniers and older hydration packs). Roll the hump over the bag, secure the elastic webbing in a cross formation and pop the press-studs together.

Where most seatpacks are fabric-based affairs, the Ortlief Mudracer has a thermoformed semi-hard shell to keep out the elements. If you've got stuff you need to take on a ride, and you need to keep it dry this is the seatpack for you.

The Mudpack's weather protection starts with a  full zip  protected by a silicon rubber flap which pulls down to keep water and debris out. Inside there's a zippered pocket at the top that's just big enough for a phone, and a soft padded main compartment that'll swallow a spare tube, a basic toolkit and some energy bars.