Arkel Big Bar Bag

If you are serious about getting a handlebar bag – and we're talking £100+ worth of commitment – then you will be hard pushed to find a better one than this.

The construction of this Canadian-built bar bag is what you would expect when you pay top dollar. It is solid and all the materials have been chosen for their performance rather than for the budget. Arkel have simply set out to make the perfect handlebar bag and they have got pretty close.

A metal chassis and rigid plastic inner panels help keep its integrity. Even when fully loaded with a couple of kilograms of paraphernalia, this bag remains rigid with no slipping or vigorous wobbling even when you pedal over cobblestones.

Bolting it to your bars takes a bit of time and is a bit fiddly. Aluminium shims are used in the clamp that bolts onto your handlebars so most different shapes and diameters of handlebar can be catered for. My main gripe is that when you want to mount the bag on a different set of handlebars you might need to insert different shims... and that means remembering where you put them. The quick release clamp must be aligned perfectly or the bag does not become quick release at all and the bolts inside the bag are tricky to access too, but they have neat plastic covers to tidy things up once you have tightened everything in place.

The waterproof Cordura material is so tough that Arkel supply a sample of the material with a cut already made in it and challenge you to rip it further. For mere mortals like myself, it is impossible. Tough stuff. You can further safeguard your contents from the elements with a rain cover which will cost you a further £11. I have used this bag during the foulest weather and the inner compartment has stayed bone dry. Indeed, it has been left on the bike outside for weeks and the contents have stayed dry, so I've not felt the need to get the rain cover.

The bag has small elastic mesh pockets on either side. Unfortunately, they don't hold a water bottle, which is a missed opportunity. A basic zip-up pocket along the front is useful for carrying a few tools/inner tubes and the detachable, padded shoulder strap, while a flap on the back shrouds the quick release bracket when you wear the bag off the bike.

The inside space is large enough to store a six-pack of tinnies or your lunch, camera, mobile, book etc. The nylon inner liner is bright yellow making it easy to find little items and it is also removable – ideal for those times when you have left a chocolate bar or a rotten banana in there. Just un-zip it and chuck it in the wash.

Just below the lid you get a slim, zippered pocket that's ideal for holding things like your passport, wallet or train tickets, and a see-through plastic flap conceals a loose zippered pouch to put your map and course instructions in.

This bag is a well-behaved carrier for your more accessible essentials, offering a waterproof and sturdy mobile storage solution. Once it is installed, this bar bag will be a trusted companion to any tourer or audax machine.

Verdict

One of the best handlebar mounted bags available, built to be a trusted companion on the longest of epic rides.