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brooks pickwick cotton backpack

brooks pickwick cotton backpack

i'd be hard pressed to convince anyone that islay is a playground for the rich, in the same way that monaco is. yet to observe the number of brand new, expensive range rovers and porsche boxsters parked outside holiday accommodation, or met on the road to one distillery or another, there's no doubting that the queen of the hebrides is still considered an appropriate destination for the well-heeled. there's a certain validity to the argument that, were our roads a tad less incongruous, those porsches would be joined by ferraris and lamborghinis. one of the local hoteliers owns a race-ready alfa, the sort of thing you'd put on, rather than climb into, but it's restricted to the main roads due to a distinct lack of ground clearance.

brooks pickwick cotton backpack

while i'd be the last person to make valid comment on motorised transport, there's a certain satisfaction to be gained seeing some of those expensive vehicles put to good use by fielding at least a couple of bicycles on their roofs. if evidence were required, for the past few days, a silver porsche 911 has sat gleaming outside one fo bowmore's holiday cottages with two bikes up top. yes, really. my pedal around the principality yesterday brought me past at least thirteen cars bearing bicycles, a situation that had me wondering why those bicycles were not being ridden rather than driven.

it's a common observation, leading me to think bicycles on cars are seen as a necessary accoutrement when on holiday, if only to convince observers that the car's inhabitants enjoy an active lifestyle. continued observation would suggest that this is a ruse, rather than a lifestyle choice.

brooks pickwick cotton backpack

it would be hard, however, to deny that motor vehicles have their uses and not only when on holiday. aside from offering roof space to several bicycle shaped objects, motor cars usually have space for stuff. it's why the professional peloton is increasingly in danger of being outnumbered by following teams cars, replete with spare wheels, sticky bottles, spare kit and all manner of other guff that only a professional cyclist would understand. in the absence of a team car, or friendly, well-meaning relative, the civilians amongst us are more often than not, responsible for carrying our own stuff, whatever you might deign that to be.

brooks pickwick cotton backpack

i am relatively fortunate in that my workplace is but a matter of minutes from the croft, necessitating simply a pair of feet to get there. the bicycle gets to remain in the bikeshed, a situation for which it is undoubtedly grateful when the weather becomes less clement. however, that is not to say that i have no need for cargo carrying capacity at anytime during my frequent velocipedinal moments. wednesday evening's pipe-band drumming lessons demand sticks and pads, items that are not the simplest to grasp when pedalling into a winter evening's headwind. and though drumsticks suffer not at all from even the heaviest of rainfall (yes, it has been put to the test), the same cannot be said for a macbook air computer.

when such onerous cargo-carrying duties impose themselves, the modern-day cyclist is hardly bereft of backpack options, but few complement a cultivated sartorial elegance better than the range of cotton canvas pickwick backpacks from brooks. coated in similar fashion to a waxed cotton jacket, the hard-wearing canvas fabric is more than adept at fending off precipitation, even that which most of us would describe as 'heavy'. the version under review has a capacity of twelve litres, internally separated halfway down its height, by a pocket capable of comfortably swallowing and caring for a 13" macbook air, or similarly dimensioned laptop or digital tablet.

brooks pickwick cotton backpack

that divider also bears a large zipped pocket along with two open pockets for tickets, booklets or anything else that you find it necessary to cart along for the ride.

the open top can be popper fastened at each side before rolling the top to prevent water ingress and held closed by an adjustable strap with an innovative and easy to use clip. the strap sports a leather pull-tab and the adjustable shoulder straps are cordura-like, but fabricated from what appears to be a strong natural material. once in place, there is a chest strap to prevent untoward movement when in use, no matter how substantial the pack's contents. this chest strap makes use of the same clip as seen on the roll-top closure. i found it quite ingenious, but your impressions may vary.

brooks pickwick cotton  backpack

of course, as with all measurements of volume when applied to amorphous containers, twelve litres is something of an intangible quantity, so let me make it more tangible. i stuffed the aforementioned macbook air into the made-to-measure pocket, alongside a thermal jacket, a rainjacket and the obligatory 3kg bag of green city jumbo porridge oats. if i'd removed the two jackets, i could have easily fitted two packets of oats. not only is the pickwick backpack capable of swallowing that much porridge, but the resultant weight, including macbook, not only remained steady and sure when climbing out the saddle, but felt nothing like its true weight when positioned on the back of my cycle jersey.

there's also an external zipped pocket that sits at lower left when in situ. this ould be ideal for a mobile phone and or keys to which access is required without having to remove and open up the backpack.

while i'd hate to be the one to apply innocent classifications, though the pickwick adapted well to rural life, i feel its true raison d'etre may lie in more urban environments. it would look not one inch out of place on the back of a brompton pedalling commuter and its fabulous linen construction promises to wear every bit as delightfully as a brooks leather or cambium saddle.

the brooks pickwick backpack is available in twelve and fourteen litre versions as well as new hi-tech linen, leather and reflective leather editions. colours available are maroon (as reviewed), dark blue, goose beak, green, grey, black, stone and yellow(. the review version retails at £180.

brooks pickwick cotton canvas backpack

sunday 12 august 2018

twmp ..........................................................................................................................................................................................................