Ventoux Gym Bag

If you plan to do any cycle events that require travelling, then you need a decent bag to lug all the clothing, bottles, food and bits and bobs you need. An old supermarket carrier bag just doesn't cut it, and after using the Ventoux Gym bag for the past six months, I'll never rummage around in the kitchen for a plastic bag to lob all my kit in before a race.

The Ventoux Gym bag is smaller than the Event bag that Liam tested last year with a 28 litre capacity versus 60 litres, and that makes it ideal for just taking the essentials you need for a one or two day event. A longer trip will see you struggling for space, but for heading to a road race or sportive, where you're there and back in a day, the Gym bag keeps everything you need very nicely organised.

The main compartment is plenty big enough for loads of clothing; several changes fit in there along with socks, hats, arm and knee warmers and a change of civilian clothes to get into after the ride. The top flap has an extra zipped pocket that's ideal for storing flat things, like an entry form or other paperwork you might need, along with your wallet and phone.

At each end is a large zipped compartment. One compartment has two mesh pockets that hold up to 750ml bottle vertically - thus ensuring it doesn't fall over and leak - and the compartment is insulated, lined with reflective material so on a hot day the liquids in your bottles should remain cool. You could also pack an ice pack in there with any food as well if you're travelling on a hot day. Equally you could stick a bottle of warm tea or hot chocolate in there and it'll still be warm after a race or sportive.

On the other side of the bag there's a regular pocket inside the main compartment that helps you keep all your bits organised, such as a few basic tools, a tape measure, camera and any other things you might need to carry with you.

Where the Gym bag really starts to shine is after a ride, when you've got a pile of sweaty, soggy kit to deal with. On the side of the bag there is an expanding waterproof wet zipped pocket that you can stuff all your used kit into, and therefore keep it away from the clean kit in the main compartment. Filling this pocket does eat into the capacity of the main compartment however, as it fills up from the bottom. Running out of space has never been a problem though, because the same amount of kit is going back in the back.

You get two small handles for carrying plus a shoulder strap. The beauty of the bag's size is that you're never likely to cram that much in it, so it never gets very heavy and is easy to carry. I've been using the bag almost exclusively in place of other rucksacks that I previously used for carting my gear around to races and rides, but the Gym bag keeps everything so organised that I now always have a change of kit in there, a few gels and some tools, so it's essentially half-loaded and ready to go. I always keep a spare pair of socks and gloves in the bottom, as they're the sort of items I usually forget in the last minute panic of pre-race preparation.

It's a well made bag. The zips are heavy duty and have remained working despite a lack of care for their wellbeing. The bag, made from 400D rip-stop nylon, is still in great condition even though it's been thrown in the back of the car, dragged across the ground and generally chucked about.

The bag has also been sized so it's ideal for hand luggage on airplanes, making it useful for travelling further afield than a local race. It also only weighs 1.2kg unladen so doesn't eat far into the hand luggage allowance that some airlines insist on.

Verdict

Well-priced and really well designed and rugged kit bag for travelling to races and sportives