Bags

The Union 34 Stripe Rucksack with seatpost mount option looks like a really good idea on paper: pop it on your bike for going to the station (for example), park bike, pop rucksack on your back, away you go.

The alternatives are a normal backpack and getting off your bike with a sweaty back, or lugging a pannier when you're off the bike. Combining the best of both worlds could be a winner, but the Stripe doesn't quite deliver.

I had to have a spare set of retinas on standby looking at this Crumpler Dinky Di messenger bag, the colours are so loud they almost burst my eye balls.

Saddle bags are a useful accessory but can often ruin the look of a nice bike; a baggy material with velcro straps wrapped around multiple surfaces. The Lezyne Pod Caddy does away with straps and baggyness, creating a saddle rail mounted hard shell case.

The SKS Energy Bag is nicely made and easy to access, and it's pretty cheap too. Triathletes have been using top-bar-mounted energy hoppers for years, and they're becoming more popular among road riders too as they give you a handy place to chuck a few gels or your phone.

The Lezyne M Caddy Quick Release is a very neat and useful saddle-bag.

Lezyne have a range of small bags that fit under your saddle, including this M Caddy QR. The M stands for medium, and the QR stands for quick release. It's perfectly sized for carrying all the kit you need for a day out - and you can attach it to your bike (and take it off again) very quickly indeed.

Designed in the Netherlands, the New Look Office Postino has that decidedly utilitarian, yet stylish feel synonymous with that cycling nation. Made from a rugged weather resistant canvas/faux leather fabric, it's a 16 litre satchel doubling as a pannier, which has some implications on the bike, depending on riding style... but more on that later on.

The day will come when our mobile phones will be built to survive the British weather, until then, a cheap (relative to replacing your phone) and simple solution is to put it in a sealy bag like this product by Donkey Label.

A couple of decades ago it was common to see panniers like Axiom's Kingston Commuter Pannier, which were prevented from flapping up and down on the rack by a hook attached to an elastic strap. These days, that system has been superseded.

The attachment system is poor – one of the worst I've seen on any modern pannier.

Pro Viz has certainly tweaked quality control as well as the technology when it comes to their Hi Viz rucksack and tri-viz reflective triangle. Starting with the bag, this retains the rip stop nylon/Codura mix of its forbears but seems a more durable blend and those padded straps have been grazing on steroids. Speaking of which, there are 10 and 30 litre capacities in either day glow yellow or softer-spoken black/Scotchlite.

The Ortlieb Office Bag QL3 is the latest incarnation of Ortlieb's waterproof briefcase pannier. What's changed from the QL2 bag is the attachment system: it's still quick-release but the hooks are recessed, so the briefcase looks more businesslike when you're off the bike. Or as Ortlieb put it: 'Flat mounting elements ensure smooth back side.' Yep.