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Our verdict: pretty damn good-looking gear with great features in some aspects, but lacking in others.
Our verdict: pretty damn good-looking gear with great features in some aspects, but lacking in others. (Photo: Courtesy Rapha)

Rapha and Apple Make Predictably Gorgeous Commuter Bags

We got our hands on the British cycling brand鈥檚 new commuter gear, which is designed with your gadgets in mind

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Our verdict: pretty damn good-looking gear with great features in some aspects, but lacking in others.
(Photo: Courtesy Rapha)

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When announced that it was teaming up with to create a line of bike accessories for cyclists who want to keep their electronics safe on the go, it seemed like a meeting of the minds of two eminently style-conscious brands.聽

A number of products鈥攆rom a mini messenger bag to a tech organizer鈥攁re available for a limited time in select Apple stores and on starting today, and we were able to put some of them through the wringer before they hit shelves. Our verdict? The two brands turned out some pretty聽damn good-looking gear, with great features and a handful of flaws.聽

Convertible tote backpack ($150)

(Courtesy Rapha)

Rapha says it designed to handle the demands of your daily bike commute聽while also being stylish and large enough for overnight travel. The pack鈥檚聽measurements (3 by 15 by 12 inches) pale in comparison to what聽a Manhattan bike messenger might lug around, but聽I was able to fit my lunch, a 40-ounce water bottle, and two hardbound books in the main compartment, while my laptop fit snugly into the raised sleeve, and pens and notebooks went into聽two internal zip pockets.

DWR treatment and AguaGuard zips kept聽the contents dry during a torrential early-summer thunderstorm, and the down-filled padding added comfort, although it provided little assurance that my MacBook would survive unscathed if I hit the deck.

Indeed, there聽were a few areas of the bag that seemed to favor style over function鈥攏amely, the straps. It would have been nice to see some of that down padding used there, as they began to chafe after a few miles of riding. Also, the magnetic clasps that hold the straps together when in tote mode look clean but can come undone when in motion. Nothing catastrophic, but for the money I鈥檇 have liked something a little burlier.

In all, it鈥檚 a great-looking, comfortable pack if you鈥檙e spending a weekend night on the town and need some space for your stuff, but for daily use it lacks the simple functionality of something like .

Mini messenger bag ($130)

(Courtesy Rapha)

Rapha聽creative director聽Alex Valdman聽says that the company designed the to help its photographers shoot while on the move. It can certainly hold a camera and a couple of lenses, but it鈥檚 also one of the cleanest-looking, most functional handlebar bags I鈥檝e ever used. On a recent gravel ride, I easily fit my iPhone, my wallet, a spare tube, a cycling cap, and a couple of gels in the front pocket, where they stayed bone-dry for 50 wet and muddy miles, thanks to the same DWR treatment and AguaGuard zips used on聽the backpack. The magnetic clasps and durable straps kept the bag secured to the front of my bike, with almost no shifting around over rough terrain, and the over-the-shoulder strap easily clipped to the bag when I made the obligatory midride coffee stop.

Despite its svelte looks, the bag鈥檚 massive storage area easily holds a rain jacket, a聽water bottle, a multitool, and a few other knicknacks. Accessing it while the bag is on the bike is tough, as聽the clasps block the zipper, but with such a sizable front pocket, essentials are within easy reach.

MacBook sleeve ($70)

(Courtesy Rapha)

Paired with the backpack, the adds an extra layer of security when riding through city traffic. It鈥檚 made with the same down padding and rainproofing, and it accommodated my aging 13-inch MacBook Pro nicely. (There are also 12- and 15-inch sleeves available.)聽One user-friendly feature it lacks is a carry handle, but I guess that鈥檚 what the pack is for.聽

Aside from聽the padding and fashion colors (the sleeve and other products come in blue, black, and yellow, with pink聽and gray accents), there is very little to distinguish this聽sleeve from the dozens of others on the market, and聽$70 is a lot to聽invest聽in something that鈥檚 going to sit inside a drawer or a bag most of the time.

Lead Photo: Courtesy Rapha

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