Brooks Isle of Wight saddlebag

The Brooks Isle of Wight saddle bag is very well made, rugged, looks good and is capacious enough to store all the bits and bobs you need for even the longest rides.

A good and unobtrusive saddle bag is something that, in my experience, can be a useful addition even to a road bike. It's a convenient place to stow small tools, a spare inner tube and a snack, thereby alleviating the need for stuffing everything into rear jersey pockets – a particular problem for women whose jerseys seem doomed to always have smaller pockets.

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Made from rugged water resistant bluesign fabric and Brooks leather, it's a very traditional looking saddle bag, with only one small area of Velcro betraying its place in history. Well, that and the double water resistant zips. These, with leather tags, allow entry to the single bag compartment which is stiffened top and bottom.

It fastens easily to the saddle rails and seatpost on any bike, using leather straps and neat stylish metal rivets. The leather straps are easy to adjust and secure, but the design of the seatpost strap buckle seems unduly complicated and a little on the bulky side, where a simple 'normal' buckle could have done the job more neatly.

The medium size I tried was spot on for carrying a decent array of tools, inner tube, snacks and even a lightweight waterproof jacket. A CO2 pump would fit in a treat too, easily. It's available in three sizes, with the large (£45) quoted as taking a small pump, but I liked the size of this medium one (there's also a small, for £37).

> Need to carry more? Check out our beginner's guide to cycling luggage, here

When riding, there was no interaction between legs and saddle bag, nor were there any annoying rattles or signs of its presence whatsoever. It looks pretty great too, not clashing with more modern bike designs too glaringly and also sitting comfortably within the retro-hipster bracket, for vintage lovers.

All in all, I'd say £40 is a pretty good price for a bag that should last a good length of time, relieves your straining jersey pockets, and keeps everything protected from rain – and looks great too.

Verdict

Stylish, practical and rugged, and goes with (almost) any bike