Ortlieb Trunk-Bag RC 

£115
Dimensions H 30cm xD 20cm xW 38cm Capacity 12L Weight 800g

The Good
Easy to fit; solid; good capacity

The Bad
Skimpy shoulder strap; less versatile off the bike

DESIGNED TO FIT on top of a rear rack, the Trunk-Bag is waterproof with a roll-top fastening, internal zip pocket and key hook, plus shoulder strap. It features reflective logos on each side and a loop for attaching a light. The integral frame will fit racks from 80-160mm wide, with a tube diameter of 8-16mm. Don’t be fooled by the compact size though – the 12L capacity swallows up more than you think and will take up to 10kg in weight.

On the bike

The base frame of the bag needs to be adjusted to fit your bike rack before you can get going, but it’s pretty quick and only needs one Allen key. Once that’s done, just drop and go. The locking mechanism selfengages to hold firm with no obvious rattles. The roll top helps keep the contents secure and dry, and doubles as a grab handle.

Just push the side bars in to release the bag. The welded waterproof construction packs a sturdy punch, with the test bag showing no signs of wear despite some challenging weather.

Off the bike

The wedge shape of this bag makes it more elegant on the bike than off it and although the attached frame makes a firm base when loading, it then makes the bag a bit cumbersome for carrying off the bike .A more padded shoulder strap would also increase the comfort. For popping into the shop or commuting to the office though, it’s ideal and the secure position on the bike makes it a great everyday go-to.

Arkel Signature V

£115.15
Dimensions H 38.1cm xD 20.3cm xW 30.5cm Capacity 28L Weight 1.92kg

The Good
Mounting system; quality; versatility

The Bad
Nothing – the functionality won us over!

THIS ROOMY, TOTE bag-shaped pannier has a line-up of practical features that includes: a padded laptop sleeve, an internal zipped pocket, totestyle carry handles, a padded shoulder strap, an exterior side pocket and reflective trim. Made in Canada and signed by the maker, the bag has taped seams and a waterproof lining.

How it works

The Cam-Lock system simply engages between the mounting hooks and rack tubing to secure the pannier.

The self-locking rack attachment fits rack tubing of up to 15mm, with an oversize Cam-Lock available up to 21mm. This bag held firm on the bike, no matter what it was x loaded with and the roll-top fastening helped hold the contents securely in place. Top handles allow you to easily load and carry the bag off the bike.

Adding great off-bike comfort, a padded flap covers the fixings when you want to carry it by the padded shoulder strap.

A sense of style

This pannier has hit the sweet spot between solid ride performance and off-bike styling. It’s very comfortable around town, where it looks like an oversized tote rather than an obvious bike pack.

The simplicity of the Cam-Lock mount combined with the well-thoughtthrough carrying options makes it supremely versatile and practical with plenty of capacity, plus what feels like a bomb-proof build quality.