Hill & Ellis Professor Bike Bag

The Hill & Ellis Professor is a beautifully made satchel you can attach to your rack, and it performs as well off the bike as it does on.

Confession. I'm one of those normal people who cycles (mainly) in normal clothes.

Another confession. I've been looking for the perfect bag for cycling for years, and I may just have found it.

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Rewind. Since moving to Cambridge a couple of years ago, I've loved riding around the city on my Elephant Bike with the dog in the basket, but the perfect bag has eluded me.

And I've tried lots of them, from a Chrome messenger bag to Ortlieb panniers.

So, a very smart looking leather satchel that also has pannier clips? I am more than interested.

I must admit, though, that when the Hill & Ellis Professor arrived, I was disappointed (and not because the navy blue is deliberately chosen to match that of Oxford – I've lived there too and don't have strong Varsity loyalties either way).

Yes, it looked gorgeous, but my first thought was that it seemed way too small for my needs.

Those needs? Well, 15.6-inch laptop, inside padded sleeve. Laptop charger. Mouse. Phone charger. Notebook. Moisturiser (so...?). Bike lights. Dog blanket. Dog treats. Dog water dish. Dog bags for what dogs do.*

Plus a (very) lightweight jacket for those days when you're never quite sure if it will still be warm when you ride home.

Oh, and the potential deal-breaker: the Saturday edition of The Guardian would need to go in there, too.

Now, day one, the laptop went in, and that was about it.

But, as the leather became more and more supple, and as I learnt the optimal way to pack everything in there, I slowly fell in love, because I could get all of that in there.

Yes, I wish it were bigger – maybe half an inch on width, and an inch or so on length, the same size as the satchel I already own but which isn't bike-specific, so I have to sling it over my shoulder and it has an annoying habit of swinging round when I'm riding.

That's not an issue with this bag – it has pannier clips so you can attach it to the rear rack of your bike, which is a big plus in my book.

You do have to make sure you stow the shoulder strap away before you ride off – you wouldn't want it to get caught on something you're passing – which is a slight faff.

When you're off the bike, those clips are hidden by leather flaps secured by stud fasteners.

It would be nice, though, if there were similar studs to secure the lower of the flaps when the bag is on the rack (or at least, the one on my bike). A couple of times it rubbed up against the rear wheel, making a horrendous and alarming sound, all the more so when you can't work out what it is at first.

None of that should detract though from how gorgeous this bag is. It may seem pricey, but the workmanship justifies it, and it looks terrific on and off the bike.

It also comes with a high-vis rain cover that stows away inside a sleeve – maybe not everyone's cup of tea, and it does bring a rather different aesthetic to the bike, but it does do the job of keeping the satchel and, more importantly its contents, dry. There are also reflective tabs on either end that you can twist around for extra visibility.

So, is it for you?

Well, if you're commuting and need to take clothes into work – a spare shirt, say – there could be space issues, depending what else you need to take with you. But at the same time, it really is a piece you could take off the bike and straight into the boardroom, as the saying goes.

> Buyer's Guide: Best casual cycling commuter wear

Me? Well, I've finally found something that I find entirely practical on the bike, and that satisfies my fashionista criteria when I'm off it – and despite the odd misgiving, I really cannot offer higher praise than that.

*People without a dog or bomb-proof tyres on a bike where it would take forever to change the inner tube so it's easier to pay someone else to do it are welcome to swap the dog stuff for a puncture repair kit and multitool. Hill & Ellis, meanwhile, puts it this way: 'This bag will fit a 15' Laptop, A4 Booklet, iPad, Jacket, Make-Up/Brill Cream, novel and a puncture repair kit or a similar combination.'

Verdict

A beautifully made, practical satchel that looks gorgeous on and off the bike