Being a women and cyclist, finding a bag that is practically perfect in every way, was never going to be easy. Some are too small, there is no possible way to fit all your cycling gear plus extra necessities. Some are too flimsy, they simply don’t hold their shape and everything is just a mess and difficult to find. A few are too big, and very much like Mary Poppins bag, everything can fit in it, whether you need it or not.
By Joanne Badenhorst
We know not all women are practical, but we are all particular about our handbags, so it goes to say we feel the same about our cycling bags. Over the past three weeks we have been using a bag that we had high expectations for. Coming from Thule, a premium luggage and outdoor brand, we were expecting the bag to tick all the boxes, and it does.
The Thule RoundTrip Bike Duffel has been so well thought out and designed, with large compartments for helmet on the inside and a tarpaulin-lined, easy-to-wipe outside pocket for your shoes (we fit two pairs of size 6s comfortably). The adequate internal compartments with a honeycomb-like structure make finding your items so easy and with its 55L capacity, there is space to pack for a riding weekend away.
Admittedly it is winter here in South Africa at the moment, so we had to pack carefully with the bulkier items. But outside of winter, it will be pack and dash! From a looks perspective the RoundTrip Bike Duffel is classy and sleek, in keeping with Thule’s luggage look and feel.
The convenience of the front pocket with space for all your smaller items being secured either with elastic loops or net pockets, makes finding even the smallest bottle of chain lube or CO2 cartridge easy. In addition, there is another external pocket, which fits your mobile phone and car keys so you don’t have to empty your entire bag to find them.
All the external pockets close with sturdy zips and there are three padded carry handles. The removeable shoulder strap is pretty cool too, as it allows you to wear the bag comfortably and securely on your back, allowing you to push your bike and check your phone simultaneously…
Thule is widely respected for its high quality product, be it bike racks or luggage. But this quality comes at a premium price. The RRP for the RoundTrip Bike Duffel is R2999. Yes, there are cheaper bags, but we have yet to find one that is as practically perfect in every way as the Thule RoundTrip Bike Duffel. To put the cost into perspective if you use it 4 times a week for 2 years, it works out to R6.25 a day or R25 a week or R125 a month. We think it is a good investment.
SIZE: 55 Litre
COLOURS: Black or Slate Gray
PRICE: R2999
MORE: Thule Store
