Just in time for Spring: The Knog Leading Dog bike bag! This water-resistant bag attaches to your bike’s handlebars and comes with its own reflective rain jacket tucked away into a zippered pouch. A smart touch for cycling at night and on rainy days.
Inside the bag is a large zippered pouch and a secondary lined pouch with a velcro closure, perfect for a phone or a small electronic gadget. A couple of additional smaller pouches will fit keys and other essentials. The third pouch (also containing a velcro closure) is at the front interior of the bag.
I found it roomy enough for small note pads, a snack bar, and receipts. I’m always happy to see a bag designed with lots of separate storage places!
The material is made of water-resistant 1200D fabric with a canvas strap that’s both adjustable and removable. A huge feature of the The Leading Dog is the built-in universal hub on its back, used to transform it from a messenger bag to a front-mounted handlebar bag.
The included rubberized mount straps onto any handlebar without the need for additional tools. With a twist of the knob, the bag secures into place on the handlebar. Twist the knob in the opposite direction to release the bag.
The Leading Dog measures 26 x 29 x 10 cm (or 10.2″ x 11.4″ x 3.9″), perfect for small hauls or to wear as a purse or book bag. The Leading Dog is also available in Dirty Stone/Warm Grey and Beer Lime/Teal colour combinations, creative descriptions to match an even cooler line of cycling bags!
You can purchase the Leading Dog through any independent bike retailer that sells Norco cycling products, for CDN $85.00.
Pros
If you’ve got the handlebar real estate, go for this bag. It’s comfortable to wear around town too. Your items are easily accessible.
Cons
I found it hard to get at the back of the hub when removing the bag from the handlebars. I imagine that would depend on your handlebar’s angle. Seemed easier to attach the bag than to remove it. Then again, the bag stayed put during my ride. I also can’t help imagining a future version that’s slightly taller, as the lined pouch missed fitting an iPad by a few inches.
I was sent the Knog Leading Dog Bike Bag for the purpose of this feature. Opinions, as always, are my own. All photos © 2017 Ariane Colenbrander.
