Bike Parka Urbn

£40 (or near as damn it) does at first glance seem a lot for a bicycle cover for that's what the Bike Parka is. After all, isn't a bike cover effectively just a sheet of polythene you pull over the bike when it's being left outside in the weather? Or, to put it another way, a protective barrier to shield your pride and joy from the ravages of the elements, the prying eyes of strangers and general all round grot? There, now £40 sounds a lot less scary doesn't it?

There aren't that many bike covers on the market at all. The Topeak Bike Cover seems to pretty much be the standard, probably at least in part due to a lack of choice (and possibly lack of sustained interest on the part of the buying public). A bike cover is just not as sexy a purchase as most other bicycle accoutrements.

Bike Parka are attempting to reinvent the bike cover, and make it just a little bit more desirable as well as functionally more effective.

For starters it comes in a variety of shiny metallic colours. This may not seem crucial to all of you, but it's a cheery bonus that elevates this cover above the masses for me. More importantly, however, a lot of thought has gone into the structure of the cover itself. It's made from heavy duty 68D 21oT Polyester Ripstop, PU coated and seam sealed to make it more weatherproof, and it reputedly offers high UV protection. It stuffs into its own little bag, which comes complete with Velcro straps allowing you to fasten it to your bike frame if the mood takes you. Claiming to fit bike lengths of up to 195cm and height of 120cm, it's intended to be a one-size-fits-all product, while a drawstring and toggle at the top and elastication at the bottom help tailor the fit to any given bike.

The point on which this cover really differs from its competitors, though, is that it offers a port through which a lock can be fed, allowing for locking of the bike THROUGH the cover, not awkwardly around it. Velcro keeps the port from flapping and allowing excessive water or dust in.

It's easy to use, once you work out which way round to fit it (there's only a choice of two and I chose the wrong one initially), with the cover easily fitting over all sorts of bars and securing nicely around the base of the wheels. The fabric is reassuringly tough, and didn't come a cropper when exposed to an unintentional bramble encounter. It's effectively high quality tent fabric, so you'd expect it to be tough. The adjustment in size is great, meaning there's minimal flapping in the wind and pooling of rain. The lock port is a genius touch and makes this much more useful as a commuter aid or for around town errands than most standard covers. It would also work for touring, although you'd have to take off your panniers. It is even capable of covering smaller baskets and the like, provided they don't protrude too far. The UV protection means the fabric itself is going to last longer, as well as protecting your paintwork. It is a little on the bulky side when attached to the bike, but not unduly so. And did I mention the colours?

There's a pared down version, without the lock ports and with a more basic stuff sack, called the STSH, which is otherwise pretty much identical and cuts the price down to £29.95.

Not everyone uses a bike cover, nor needs one, but for those who do, there's a new kid in town, and he means business.

Verdict

Nicely designed and well thought through sturdy (and colourful) cover.