RAPHA SMALL TRAVEL BACKPACK

£110

Space exploration

Like the Brooks pack, Rapha’s Small Travel Backpack has a 15-litre capacity. It offers one zipped main compartment and a generous front pocket. The main section is well-considered with a padded sleeve big enough for a 13in laptop, a mesh sleeve for items such as shoes, the main compartment, and another zipped pocket which you can use to keep smaller items away from, say, damp gym kit. The outer pocket will take your phone, a wallet, and has a small zipped compartment for keys and a sleeve for your passport. There’s also a small ‘secret’ zipped pocket on the side.

Straps for cash

There are no chest or waist straps on the Rapha pack, and before use this was a worry as we thought the bag might not be secure enough. On the road though we had no issues either when the bag was commute-full – you can easily fit a change of clothes, your lunch and a laptop in – or when travelling light. A simple pull on the nylon straps helped the bag snug tight and elastic retention bands meant there was no annoying extra strap flapping around as we rode. The bag sits relatively high on your back, but the foam padded rear has channels to aid cooling.

Bags of potential

The Rapha’s understated grey fabric is waterproof and there’s a stowable pink waterproof cover. That grey fabric is not just smart to look at – it’s reflective (like ProViz’s cheaper Reflect360 bag). The main bag and straps catch car headlights really well, making this a great choice for the imageconscious commuter.