Cordo Tafelberg Office Bag

The Cordo Tafelberg is a sturdy cycle-specific laptop bag that'll protect a laptop up to 15in either over your shoulder or mounted on your bike.

Made from incredibly tough fabric, it's clear that this is a bombproof bag right from the word go. It's no lightweight at over 1kg empty, but that's because it's got all the bells and whistles to protect your computer, including a whole lot of padding at the front, back and bottom.

It's a simple flap-over design but there are some nicely considered fold-in sections at the tops of the sides to prevent water ingress if it rains. The flap fastens to the body of the bag with a simple but secure Velcro tab, as does the laptop sleeve section inside. There are four zipped pockets as well as pouch pockets on the inside to keep pens and whatnot in, and there's a pocket in the lid that you can tuck the carrying strap into when it's not in use. A section of the stripes on the bag are reflective and there are reflective patches at either end too, so you can use the bag on either side of the bike without sacrificing visibility.

Designed to work either as a shoulder bag or as a pannier, the bag has adjustable solid Rixen and Kaul pannier fastenings to fit any rack, as well as a neat flap that pulls over those and secures in place, hiding them away if you choose to use it as a shoulder bag instead. These fastenings hold onto the rack securely and they're easily adjusted, while a Velcro strap acts as a simple backup. A sturdy handle makes for easy removal from the rack and basic carrying.

The strap is broad and made from high quality webbing. It's adjustable and has a decent-sized shoulder pad that you can move up and down. While the shoulder strap is useful for prolonged periods of carrying the bag off the bike, it isn't strictly designed to work as a courier bag on the bike. Lacking any extra chest strap, it can move when you ride. That means it's better to use this as a pannier on the bike and as a shoulder bag off it.

I found that at 19 litres the Tafelberg offers just the right capacity for a laptop and other office bits and pieces. It's large enough to carry a basic change of clothes (not shoes), but not so large you're tempted to cram everything but the kitchen sink inside. It offers a really good level of protection for a laptop with lots of cushioning, a secure fastening and no bumping on the rack, and you get a decent level of water resistance too. The features are well thought through and genuinely useful, and it's a good looking bag too.

Verdict

Good looking and incredibly well thought through commuter bag offering good laptop protection