The Polaris Pro Wheel Bag is hardwearing and offers good padding to keep your wheels protected when they aren't on your bike. It's not a bad price either.
If you travel a lot with your bike in the back of your car, either for recreation or racing, then a quality wheel bag is a must to protect your wheels as well as your frame.
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If you're lucky, when you bought your spanking new top-quality wheels the manufacturer threw in a wheel bag, but if they didn't – or you haven't got any top-end wheels – then something like the Polaris here is a good option.
You can pick up various branded wheel bags for a lot less than this one, but they are normally promotional offers that don't last that long and don't offer much in the way of padding.
Value
At £59.99 the Polaris is the same price as the Profile Design Padded Wheel Bag and the PRO Double Wheel Bag. It comes in cheaper than the EVOC Two Wheel Bag at £84.99.
Construction
The Polaris' 600D polyester construction is the same as they use on their cargo bags, and it's certainly standing up to some abuse.
It's been in and out of the car, scuffed around the ground on both road and gravel trails while I've put the wheels back into various bikes, and chucked unlovingly into the shed over the last couple of months.
There isn't a scratch or mark on it, bar a couple on the plastic beading than runs around the edges for protection – but then, that's how that works.
It's a roomy bag too. Some I've used can be a tight squeeze when zipping in a wheel with fully inflated 25mm tyres, but the Polaris happily swallows wide gravel wheels with 40mm treaded tyres – in fact, there's room for larger.
The outer faces have 8mm of foam padding which helps the bag keep its shape, while also stopping your wheels getting damaged if something is placed on top of them.
The bag is broken into two sections – one for each wheel, to the surprise of nobody – and there are protectors on all sides to stop damage from the axle ends.
Centre top sits a small pocket that will take a couple of quick releases or thru-axles (although I often leave them in the frame), but that's about it though. It's not very deep.
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Sometimes I like to take the discs off before travelling, so it would have been nice to have a larger pocket inside each wheel section the way some competitors do.
Both sections get double zips, and there's a choice of handles: the small ones at the top for lifting, or the shoulder strap for carrying. On the outside, there's a small pouch for your details.
Overall
The Polaris bag does everything a good wheel bag needs to do. Some bags offer internal straps and the like, but you'll pay more for that. As it stands I think the Polaris offers good value for money, and being so scuff-resistant, it's going to last too.
Verdict
Roomy, hardwearing bag that protects your wheels for a very reasonable price
Make and model: Polaris Pro Wheel Bag
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?
Polaris says: "The new Polaris Pro Double Wheel Bag is our latest cycle storage solution. Whether you're a pro racer traveling the world or a club rider you'll know how important it is to keep your wheels in good condition."
Good levels of protection and plenty of room inside.
Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?
Polaris lists:
Outer 600D Polyester, Lining Woven PE and 8mm Foam
Two zipped wheel sleeves
Skewer and accessory pouch
Fits all wheel sizes from 26', 650b Plus, 29er, 700c
Grab handle and removable shoulder strap
(Note: it doesn't really fit 26ft wheels... Polaris means 26in.)
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
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:
6/10
Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose
It fits two wheels easily.
Tell us what you particularly liked about the product
Loads of room inside.
Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product
A slightly bigger storage pocket would be nice.
How does the price compare to that of similar products in the market, including ones recently tested on road.cc?
It is similarly priced to other bags from Pro and Profile Design, while a little cheaper than EVOC's offering.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Use this box to explain your overall score
The Polaris comes at a sensible price against the competition while doing everything you need a wheel bag to do. It gives ample levels of padding for protection and loads of room for gravel tyres or 29er mountain bike wheels. It's very good.
Age: 42 Height: 180cm Weight: 76kg
I usually ride: This month's test bike My best bike is: B'Twin Ultra CF draped in the latest bling test components
I've been riding for: Over 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,
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