When you buy a Brompton the initial reason might be the great multi-modal transport options that essentially gives you the freedom to go anywhere and change your plans. Cycle somewhere and it rains - fold and take the tube. See an old friend while cycling - fold and put it by the table outside the coffee shop of your choice. You get the idea. Once you have got this, you soon go to know a Brompton has a wonderful luggage carrying facility and some great bags to choose from. The new kid on the block is by Freitag.
Freitag have been around for a while now and make bags and wallets out of tarp commonly seen covering various items on a truck. I have to report that I have owned a little credit card holder made my Freitag for quite a few years, that was a present. The word present is important.
The bag itself is great. It fits on the carrier block of any Brompton and when not on your bike, becomes a rather usable backpack. It has clever magnets that move the straps out of the way when you don't want it to be a backpack. It comes in lots of colours and even if you are standing next to someone with what looks like the same bag, your one will probably have slight differences. The retail price is £320 and for me herein lies a problem.
For me £320 is too much - despite owning one could allow you to join the cool kids gang. Do I like the bag? Yes, a great deal however I wouldn't but one.
I am certain that this bag will fly off the online and actual shelves but I will pass. If it were a present however...
bringing your stuff in a backpack is beneficial in two ways. first, you get weight off your bike so that it gets a livelier and frankly more fun feel. second, if you place a preferably drop shaped pack really low on your back, you get a substantial aerodynamic advantage, almost as good as if you were riding in the hoods on a racer, only you maintain a more comfortable position. it is actually forbidden in racing, and for a good reason:)
ReplyDeleteonly on really warm days say over 25 degrees do i strap my backpack to my brommie. but it is then slower, and i better allow a few minutes extra on my 10-mile commute.
if you do not have a rack or front basket available on your brommie the f748 seems to fit the bill in a somewhat similar way. but only if the straps are long enough to get it really low while on your back. square shape is a minus.