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Brooks Challenge Large Tool Bag Brooks Challenge Large Tool Bag Brooks Challenge Large Tool Bag Brooks Challenge Large Tool Bag
Brooks Challenge Large Tool Bag

Brooks Challenge Large Tool Bag

8
by Stu Kerton
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Jun 20, 2014

2
£79.99

VERDICT:

8
10
Functional, high quality, English made tool bag which'll stand the test of time and fashion
Weight: 
215g
Contact: 
www.extrauk.co.uk
How we test

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In a cycling world full of carbon, electronics and gps the rebirth of handbuilt steel frames has shown that we still love a bit of retro and you don't get much more old school than a Brooks leather bag. The Challenge Tool Bag, to give it its full name, was first designed and patented back in 1896 and although I don't have the original to hand I'd take a guess that it hasn't changed a whole lot.

If you want to mount it to a saddle you're going to need a saddle with bag loops as it uses buckles and straps for attachment. The straps actually pass through the inside of the bag itself which gives a secure hold and should return better durability as the buckles are kept out of the worst of the weather. There are plenty of holes in the straps giving plenty of adjustment to get a nice tight fit.

The main closure also passes through the inside of the bag and acts as a securing strap to stop the tools rattling around loosely inside, ideal on those not so perfect road surfaces.

The leather is around 3mm thick and as you'd expect is pretty stiff and taut when the bag is new but like all Brooks stuff it doesn't take long to start bedding in and softening up. The quality is high with tidy stitching and secure straps and metalwork. This is what you're paying eighty quid for mind: the craft, the material and above the longevity. It's made in England too.

Internal measurements are 168mm (W) x 40mm (D) x 70mm (H) which easily swallowed up a couple of tubes, tyre levers, track nut spanner, multi tool and phone with room to spare. Thanks to the way the Challenge sits crossways on the bike you don't feel the weight swinging around behind you when out of the saddle.

Brooks' range of colours now are pretty extensive with Challenge available in royal blue, red, apple green, black, brown, honey, brown aged or ochre which is a kind of mustardy colour all, with silver coloured metalwork.

Overall the Challenge Tool Bag is a beautiful bit of kit especially as our test model has started to soften up and shape a little. The design is well thought out and while the initial outlay may seem steep you aren't going to be replacing it in a hurry. There is also the option to use it as a small bar bag so it's pretty versatile too.

Verdict

Functional, high quality, English made tool bag which'll stand the test of time and fashion

road.cc test report

Make and model: Brooks Challenge Large Tool Bag

Size tested: Black

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

It's got a job and it does it well. The strap layout is a good idea in keeping things in place and rattle free.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

External Internal

Width: 175mm 168mm

Depth: 45mm 40mm

Height: 78mm 70mm

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10
Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10
Rate the product for durability:
 
9/10
Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
8/10
Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Brilliantly, no rattling of tools.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

The smell of new leather.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

The solid leather makes things difficult to tighten up when new although this gets better as the leather softens.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes.

Would you consider buying the product? Yes.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 35  Height: 180cm  Weight: 76kg

I usually ride: Whatever needs testing or Genesis Flyer, fixed of course!  My best bike is: Kinesis T2 with full Centaur Red

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Expert

I regularly do the following types of riding: time trialling, commuting, club rides, sportives, fixed/singlespeed,

 

Brooks Challenge Large Tool Bag
Brooks 2014
Brooks
Stu Kerton

Since writing his first bike review for road.cc back in early 2009 senior product reviewer Stu has tested more than a thousand pieces of kit, and hundreds of bikes.

With an HND in mechanical engineering and previous roles as a CNC programmer/machinist, draughtsman and development engineer (working in new product design) Stu understands what it takes to bring a product to market. A mix of that knowledge combined with his love of road and gravel cycling puts him in the ideal position to put the latest kit through its paces.

He first made the switch to road cycling in 1999, primarily for fitness, but it didn’t take long for his competitive side to take over which led to around ten years as a time triallist and some pretty decent results. These days though riding is more about escapism, keeping the weight off and just enjoying the fact that he gets to ride the latest technology as part of his day job.

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2 comments

Avatar
foghorn | 10 years ago
0 likes

Well, as far as longevity, I have to disagree with the reviewer... I was initially extremely pleased with the introduction of - finally - a leather seat bag in which to hold serious tools and puncture repair kits. So I immediately took the plunge. Yet, threading it through saddle loops, after about two weeks of admittedly rainy weather (the bike AND the bag sleep indoors), I noticed two problems:

- one, the straps are way too weak; they started to indent where the saddle loops sit: meaning you cannot carry anything heavy (during those two weeks, i was carrying in the bag an Abus folding lock, weighting some 2 pounds max),

- two, with this lock in the bag, and the bag sitting across my back rack, the paint on the leather in contact with the rack (it's painted on, not tinted in) started to wear off after 3 weeks, even if, before using it, I greased it thoroughly. It's now totally deprived of paint on these points.

so now, I reverted back to my old 1970's modified thick leather pouch transformed into a seat bag if i need any relatively serious carrying around under the seat.

Too bad, because the idea was really good indeed, the sizing really fine, the closure system smart - In other words, a leather bag intended for bikes which cannot withstand a bit of load, a bit of bad weather and a bit of rubbing is imho not a quality bike bag...

Avatar
onthebummel48 | 10 years ago
0 likes

Having had two of Brookes saddlebags falling apart within weeks of owning them, I am highly sceptical of nearly all their products - saddles excluded of course! Most often style over substance

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